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“Safe and healthy.”
He turned his head slightly to kiss her forehead. “And you? How are you feeling?”
“Hopeful,” she answered honestly.
The rhythm of his heartbeat against her shoulder nearly matched hers. There was so much going on inside her, so many unanswered questions, but there was something she had no question about.
“I love you,” she whispered into the darkness. His body tensed beneath hers. “I know we’ve really gone about everything backward and I don’t expect you to say anything back. But I have to be honest with you because I need you to know how serious I am here.”
When he remained silent a little piece of her heart crumbled. While she didn’t expect him to return her feelings, she’d had a thread of hope that he would. She wanted to know how deep he was in with her, but he continued to be a man of mystery, because she never could get a good grasp on exactly how he felt.
Oh, he’d said he wanted to be with her, but that didn’t necessarily mean love. And she so wanted a family, a real family. She didn’t want to settle for less...and she wouldn’t settle for less.
When the silence became too much to bear, Lily started to push off Nash’s lap, but those strong arms around her tightened. “Don’t go.”
On a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned back.
“You’re everything, Lily,” he said after a minute had passed. “I had no idea what my life had been missing until you came into it. But I’m still working through some things, still struggling with my identity.”
The fact that she was worried about herself had guilt coursing through her. Nash had a great deal of life’s obstacles thrown at him all at once.
“I want to give myself to you completely.” His hands covered hers over her stomach as his soft, raw words washed over her. “I want nothing to come between us. This baby we’ve made is a blessing and I’m not taking our little family for granted. I just need some time to come to grips with everything and get things in order for us.”
Easing up, Lily turned in his arms. Tears flooded her eyes. “Oh, Nash. There’s nothing you need to get ready for us. I’m sorry I put you on the spot, but I couldn’t keep the truth from you any longer. I think I started falling in love with you the moment you first swept me up into that loft.”
Cupping her cheek with one of his rough, calloused hands, Nash’s eyes zeroed in on hers. “I don’t deserve you.”
“You deserve everything you’ve ever wanted,” she retorted with a smile as a tear slid down her cheek.
With the pad of his thumb, he swiped the moisture away. “I hope I get it.”
Lily laid a kiss on his lips before shifting to lie against him once more. “Am I hurting you?”
“Never.”
He may not have been able to give her the words she wanted to hear, but she knew he loved her. All those demons he battled internally kept him from speaking the truth, but Lily knew in her heart that Nash was in love with her.
“I have a film opportunity,” she told him. “I think it’s a good choice.”
His body stilled beneath hers. “Are you going back to LA?”
Lacing her fingers through his, she settled their hands in her lap. “Not yet, but I will have to for a bit if I take the role. I would actually do the entire film there. I also still need to go see my mom, too.”
“What’s the role?”
Lily laughed. “Something I’ve never done before, actually. It’s an animation and I’m pretty excited about the prospect because I think this will be a really big hit.”
Nash stroked his thumb across the back of her hand. “And what does Ian suggest?”
“He said it’s perfect, especially since I can record in a studio and not worry about my growing tummy.” Lily turned her head to look up at Nash. “But I wanted to discuss this with you before I gave him my answer.”
Piercing blue eyes met hers. “When does he need an answer by?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Lily’s heartbeat quickened. She’d never discussed her career with anyone other than her agent before. Never had anyone else to consider when making a film choice. This new territory was interesting and slightly nerve-racking.
“Do you want to take the role?”
“I think I do.”
Nash shifted in the chair, causing her to sit up and look down into his eyes.
“What would you do if you weren’t pregnant and you didn’t know me?” he asked, sliding his hand over her bare thigh.
“I’d take the role.”
With a squeeze to her leg and a sexy, rugged smile, Nash nodded. “Then that’s what you should do. I don’t expect you to recalculate your life, Lily. You still need to do what makes you happy.”
