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‘Wait a minute,’ he said, the full import of her words finally sinking into his numbed brain. ‘Usually? You mean you’ve been sick before?’
‘Only a few times,’ she said, shrugging off his hand. ‘It’s perfectly normal.’
Not for me.
He followed her down the corridor. ‘How many times?’
He caught up with her in the kitchen, but her gaze flickered away from his, and he knew it was more than a few times. ‘Damn it, Tess, why the hell didn’t you tell me?’
Her eyes met his at last and she sent him a weary smile. ‘Do you think we could have this argument another time? I’m feeling a bit...’ The words trailed off as the colour drained from her cheeks.
He swore softly as she swayed and he scooped her up into his arms. ‘It’s all right. I’ve got you.’
‘Nate, put me down,’ she protested, but she didn’t struggle much as he carried her into the living room. ‘I’m fine.’
He sat down heavily on the couch, holding her easily in his lap. ‘Yeah, well I’m not,’ he muttered, relieved to see the colour coming back, bright pink flags flying high on her cheeks.
How hilarious was that? he thought ruefully as he ran a finger over the warm skin and watched the blush intensify. Every time he’d come over before now, they’d been ripping each other’s clothes off almost as soon as he’d got through the door. They’d eaten the take-out cold every time, their appetite for each other much more insatiable than their appetite for food. But there’d been no evidence of any embarrassment when he’d stripped her naked, when he did things to her body that made her sob with pleasure and beg for release. And now, now because he’d caught her retching, her cheeks were brighter than the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
‘Really, I’m fine, Nate, you’re making a fuss about nothing.’ She tried to wriggle off his lap, but he let his hands slide down to her waist and held her firmly.
‘Stay still,’ he murmured, keeping his voice light. ‘You just scared ten years off my life. I need a moment, okay.’
He clamped down hard on the urge to yell at her. She hadn’t told him about the sickness, because of that damned independence of hers. But then he hadn’t asked. He hadn’t even bothered to find out what would be happening to her body in the months ahead. Because he’d been way too busy enjoying her body in the here and now. But all that was about to change. This wasn’t just about the benefits, it was also about their friendship. He’d be taking a lot better care of her, whether she liked it or not.
* * *
Tess tried to laugh at the sober look on his face, but it sounded forced. Then he pressed his forehead to hers, let his thumbs wander across her waist and settle in the indent of her hips. She felt the tiny pulse of heat at her core, the nausea and weakness finally retreating. But as he continued to caress in slow circles she struggled to ignore the possessiveness of the gesture. She swallowed past the foolish lump forming in her throat when he lifted his head, his eyes dark with concern.
‘Don’t ever do that to me again, okay?’ he said quietly, the humour in his voice strained.
She sent him a weak smile back, the tenderness and the feeling of vulnerability making her throat ache. She blinked furiously. She never would have expected him to react this way. She hadn’t mentioned the sickness because it would have felt too needy. She’d simply assumed that he probably wasn’t interested in the symptoms of the pregnancy. He’d started dropping by regularly and she liked that. The sex was amazing but she’d also enjoyed the companionship, maybe a little too much. They’d eat the take-out he usually brought while they sat cross-legged on the bed together. She’d ask him about his day. And he’d ask about hers. And it felt comfortable.
But she hadn’t expected this level of intimacy. And she wasn’t sure quite how to cope with it. She didn’t want to need him to be here, but at the same time she couldn’t deny that it was nice to have him hold her like this, to have him care.
‘Is there anything I can get you?’ he asked, and her heart pounded into her throat. ‘Cos I’m figuring the sushi I bought is probably off the menu.’
She wrinkled her nose. She loved sushi, but she wasn’t sure she could keep it down at the moment. ‘Dr Hillier recommended dry toast and herbal tea.’
‘Cool.’ He eased her off his lap, stood up. ‘You stay there and I’ll go get it.’
‘Nate, it’s okay, you don’t know where anything is. I can get...’ But as she tried to stand he placed his hands on her shoulders, edged her back down.
‘Tess, I can figure it out. Let me get it, okay? It’s not that big a deal.’
As he strolled into the kitchen, leaving her sitting on the sofa, she tried to persuade herself he was right. That it wasn’t that big a deal. But as goosebumps pebbled her skin she wasn’t entirely convinced.
Their relationship had changed somehow. Had deepened in a way that didn’t feel quite so casual any more. And the realisation wasn’t doing a thing for her heart rate.
* * *
‘You always smell so good in the morning,’ Nate whispered against Tess’s hair. His arm snaked around her midriff and he pulled her back against his chest.
She smiled at his dark head in the bathroom mirror, his hair still glistening from the shower they’d just shared. The skin under her ear buzzed pleasantly as he nuzzled her neck. She put down the mascara wand. Trying to do her make-up in the morning with Nate in the bathroom was generally a bad idea. One or other of them would get frisky and she’d end up doing a client meeting with only one eyelid properly shaded.
Predictably enough his palm strayed down to the compact mound of her belly, and her thighs got wobbly, even though they’d had lovely, languid wake-up sex less than twenty minutes ago.
‘How’s Junior?’ he murmured, still nibbling on her ear lobe.
