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“How much more do I need to uncover?” she asked, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat.
Those strong hands on her back slid down to cup her backside. “You could spend a lifetime unraveling me.”
Arousal slammed through her, but something else, something akin to love spiraled right along with it. Was he indicating he may want forever? Were they honestly ready for that type of talk?
All of a sudden black dots danced in front of Nash’s face as the world tilted. Her heart rate kicked up and her stomach flipped with nerves as she broke out into a sweat.
Lily heard him call her name before her world went black.
Twelve
Cradling Lily in his arms and beating a path through the field and toward his house, Nash said a prayer with each step he took. One second he’d been ready to confess his life to her, the next she’d slumped against his body. A fear like nothing he’d ever known slammed into him.
Never before had Nash been so consumed with worry or gut-wrenching panic. She was pale, too pale. Those pink lips were white and she was deadweight in his arms.
As he reached his patio, Nash laid her down on the cushioned chaise lounge which was thankfully shaded by his house this time of day.
Lily’s eyelids fluttered, her face turned toward him and Nash eased down beside her, smoothing her hair back from her face, which was starting to regain some color.
“Nash?”
“It’s okay,” he assured her, cursing his shaking hands. “You passed out on me. Just lie here for a bit. I’m going to run in the house and get my cell to call the doctor.”
Her fingers wrapped around his arm before he could move. “No, please. I’m fine. I think it was just the heat.”
“I want the doctor to come and make sure you and the baby are healthy.” Uncurling her fingers from his arm, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I need to know.”
He didn’t wait for her to argue, it wouldn’t matter if she did because he was up and in the house in seconds. As he placed the call, he went back out to Lily who was still lying down, now with her arms wrapped around her abdomen.
The doctor assured Nash he would be there within ten minutes. Sometimes money wasn’t the root of all evil.
Nash’s hand slid over hers. “Are you in pain?”
Shaking her head, Lily squeezed her lids together. A lone tear streaked out, sliding down her temple and into her hair. Nash eased back down beside her, swiping the moisture away.
“Talk to me,” he urged, placing his palm against her cheek. “Are you hurting or still dizzy?”
She opened her eyes and stared up at him. “I feel fine. I just got scared. What if something is wrong? I mean, just because I feel fine now doesn’t mean something isn’t going on inside my body.”
He shared her dread, but refused to be anything less than strong for her, for their baby. Had his mother gone through this type of fear and worry? Nash couldn’t even fathom his strong, vibrant mother being alone and facing all this uncertainty without support.
“Everything will be fine,” he assured her. “The doctor will give you a clean bill of health.”
Her dark eyes filled as her chin began to quiver. Damn it, he hated being so helpless. What could he offer her right now but promising words and a shoulder to cry on? Even paying for the best doctor to be at their beck and call couldn’t prevent something unexpected from happening.
Nash was used to getting his way, getting what he wanted, whether it be through his power or financial control. But this child and this woman he was coming to deeply care for couldn’t be handled in the same manner as his business dealings.
The fact he was putting them above everything else, even his end goal, should tell him he was falling in deeper and deeper with this Hollywood starlet.
“What are we doing?” she asked, her voice trembling. “How can we raise a child when we live on opposite sides of the country and our lives are so different?”
Nash knew enough about pregnancy to know that her hormones were all over the place and with the scare she’d just had, Lily’s mind was going into overdrive. Treading carefully with each word was the only way to keep her calm.
“Right now, all we’re going to think about is relaxing because our baby is depending on us to keep her safe.”
That misty gaze held his. After a moment’s hesitation, Lily nodded and smiled. “You’re right. As long as she’s healthy, we can figure out the rest.”
Nash slid her hand between both of his and squeezed. “You know we keep referring to this baby as ‘she’?”
Lily’s smile widened. “I know. Honestly I don’t care what the sex is, but something just tells me this will be a girl.”
