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But, when he relaxed back onto the pillows and pulled her into his embrace, she let herself sink into his arms. The moment seemed fragile somehow and, while she didn’t want to push, she also didn’t want to let him go, not tonight. Because she was desperately afraid she was falling in love with him.
His fingers threaded through her hair, hooking the unruly curls behind her ear. He pressed his lips to her temple.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said, his voice a soft rumble in the still night. ‘Why don’t you stop taking the contraceptive pills when we get back to the UK?’
‘W-what?’She jolted upright, wide awake now, so shocked by the suggestion, she wasn’t even sure she’d heard it correctly.
His palm covered her belly over the sheet, rubbing seductively. His gaze when it met hers again was dark with arousal, but also full of possessiveness. And her heart jumped into her throat.
‘Ruby will be five in a few months, and I don’t want her to be an only child,’ he said, his voice forceful now, and thick with purpose. ‘I’ve been one my whole life, and believe me, it sucks,’ he added. But then his hand settled on her belly, making the skin prickle and throb. ‘Plus I want the chance to see you pregnant with my child,’ he said, the passion in his tone as disturbing as the intensity. The leap in her pulse, and the blast of hope, was as terrifying as it was exciting. Surely he wouldn’t suggest such a thing if he didn’t think their marriage had a future?
His thumb cruised up to circle her nipple and make it ache.
‘I can’t think of anything more erotic,’ he said.
For a moment she was speechless, sucked under the tidal wave of longing he could exploit so easily. But this wasn’t just a longing for physical pleasure any more, not for her—it was so much more than that. It was a longing for his approval, his love.
She trapped his hand against her breast. She mustn’t get ahead of herself, not again, not the way she had as a girl of nineteen before she’d been dumped so cruelly. Not least because there was so much more at stake now.
He wanted her. He might even need her. She got that. She was beyond flattered, and stupidly touched that he would want to have more children with her. But she couldn’t let herself get carried away by the giddy hope making her heart pulse and pound in her chest.
‘Can I think about it?’ she asked, knowing she already wanted to have more children with him, but knowing neither of them were ready to have them yet. ‘We’ve only been married for a week,’ she added, to cover the brutal swelling in her chest.
She wanted this to work. She wanted to have a future with him. But was that really what he was offering?
He let out a rueful laugh. ‘Sure,’ he said. He tucked her back against his side. ‘Now, go to sleep, we have to leave early in the morning. And we need to find a place for us to live back in London. If that’s what you want?’
She nodded and yawned, settling back into bed, loving the feel of him beside her. And beyond happy that he seemed willing for them to live in the city. Together.
When she awoke the next morning, she found him gone again. But this time she convinced herself it had to be the flight that had torn him from her side in the early hours.
And when they returned to the UK, and he told her he had arranged to buy a gated mansion in Islington so Ruby could return to her old nursery—and he could spend more time with his daughter—she convinced herself it didn’t matter if he still couldn’t stay the night in her bed. Or that they never seemed to get much quality time alone together—unless they were busy tearing each other’s clothes off.
Surely greater intimacy, more trust, would grow in time? She just needed to be patient.
And why did it have to be a bad thing she was falling in love with this hard, indomitable man when he was also her husband? And the father of her child?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
One month later
‘BRANDON,DOYOUhave a minute?’ Lacey asked breathlessly, overjoyed to find her husband in his study for once, having rushed back after dropping Ruby at nursery to catch him before he left for the day. She had exciting news she could not wait to share.
‘Actually, yes, I wanted to talk to you too,’ Brandon said, closing his laptop. Lacey’s excitement downgraded a little as she spotted the rigid expression on his face. Was something wrong?
After all, it was unusual to find him still at home when she got back in the mornings.
She dismissed the blip of panic.
For goodness’ sake, stop freaking out. That’s old, insecure Lizzy Devlin talking, not new, loved-up Lacey Cade who now has a brand-new dream job to go with her new improved marriage.
She had been forced to put her job hunt on the back burner ever since they had returned from Bermuda, while she’d concentrated on the move and getting her daughter back into some semblance of a routine. But she’d interviewed for the position atBuzzover a video link yesterday afternoon and had received a call ten minutes ago, while she’d been walking back from the nursery, to say she’d got the job.
She was hoping Brandon would be excited too, despite his earlier misgivings. After all, she’d come to terms with the fact she’d fallen hopelessly in love with him in the last four weeks. And watching him fall in love with his daughter—and Ruby fall in love with him—and seeing them begin to form a strong, sweet bond together had only made her love him more.
Having Brandon fall in love with her too was always going to be a long-term project. But he was already an integral part of both her and Ruby’s lives. And the sex was amazing. Brandon was a dominant but generous lover who liked to push her boundaries, while also being supremely sensitive to her needs. And she’d adored every second of exploring and exploiting their kinetic physical connection.
It still bothered her that each night, after she fell asleep in his arms, exhausted, he would slip away from her to sleep in his own room. And each morning she would wake up alone again. But she was determined not to freak out about that either. She knew he had trust issues. And, even if they hadn’t discussed it again since that magical night on their honeymoon, she felt sure it was only a matter of time before he opened up the rest of the way.
