Disbelief flattened her. ‘Belle. I’m going to strangle her,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘I’ll be down in a second, Mom,’ she yelled back hurriedly.
Unholy amusement crinkled Alex’s eyes and he raised his eyebrows.
‘Get dressed,’ she hissed, scooting off the bed.
‘You’re not sixteen,’ he reminded her.
‘No,’ she allowed, racing out of the bedroom as if she were and had just been caught with a verboten boy in her room, rather than the man her family undoubtedly had all heard was supposed to be marrying her. The doorknob slipped out of her nervous hand and the door slammed. She raked back her hair and hurried to the steps, just as her mother and stepfather walked in.
‘Hi.’ She grabbed the banister and hurried down to meet them.
‘Honey, go careful,’ Gloria chided. ‘It’s too easy to trip and fall.’
The Clay contingent hadn’t finished arriving, apparently, and Nikki froze midway down the stairs as she watched every single one of her five stepbrothers and their wives troop through her door.
‘Maggie fell on the stairs when she was pregnant.’ That came from Daniel, the middle stepbrother.
‘Scared the living sh life out of me.’
Bringing up the rear were Belle and Cage, and it was her twin’s gaze that Nikki managed to catch.
Belle smiled slightly and shrugged, mouthing a ‘sorry’ as she turned and closed the door. Her thick brown hair swung around her shoulders in a gleaming sheaf. She looked just what she was an extremely happy new bride.
And for a moment, Nikki envied Belle that, even though she knew her sister and Cage had had no small amount of difficulties in reaching their happiness together.
‘We brought food,’ Gloria said unnecessarily, because it was pretty obvious that everyone was carrying a dish of some sort.
Nikki was painfully aware of Alex still upstairs in her bedroom. ‘I see that. Um, what are you all doing here?’ Her voice was about an octave too high, and she ignored the arch look Belle sent her. ‘I, um, I didn’t expect a visit so soon.’
‘We came to see for ourselves that our girl was okay,’ Squire said. He might have been into his seventies now, but his iron-gray hair was as thick as his sons’ and his blue gaze just as sharp. And that gaze was definitely looking speculatively behind Nikki.
She resolutely refused to turn around to see if Alex had appeared, and quickly descended the rest of the stairs. She hugged her mom first. ‘I guess Belle must’ve spilled the beans that we were on our way back.’ She’d spoken with her sister while Alex was arranging the charter.
‘And we all headed straight down here to see,’ Gloria said comfortably. She tilted Nikki’s head back and eyed her for a moment. Tsking. ‘Why, oh, why didn’t you let any of us know what was going on?’
Nikki lifted her shoulders. What had seemed like a bright idea then seemed ridiculously childish in the face of her mother’s gentle chiding. ‘How was the cruise?’
‘Too damn long,’ Squire complained, dropping a kiss on her head and hugging her before passing her on to the next arrivals Tristan and his wife, Hope and heading toward the kitchen with the box in his hands. ‘But your mama looks mighty fine in a bathing suit, so I managed to survive.’
‘Survived flirting with all the young women who did look fine in their bathing suits,’ Gloria corrected, laughing. She shooed everyone with a brush of her hands. ‘Come on now, there are too many of us to stand around here. Take the food on into the kitchen. Nikki, you sit yourself down and put up your feet. I’m glad that doctor in Montana saw fit to let you come home, but you’re still looking peaked to me. Rebecca, what do you think?’
Nikki found herself maneuvered onto her big couch. Rebecca a doctor in Weaver and married to Sawyer, who was the oldest of Nikki’s stepbrothers leaned over Nikki, her eyes narrowed humorously.
‘Frankly,’ she murmured, ‘I think she looks a little flushed.’
Nikki’s gaze slid toward the stairs.
Alex was coming down, looking as urbane as he ever did, and certainly not as though he’d just been stripping off his clothes in her bedroom.
All the chatter that had filled her town house ceased, and all eyes turned to her former boss.
And she knew she was blushing for certain.
Of all people to speak up, Cage, Nikki’s only brother-in-law, did, though he generally was the last to speak in a crowd. He stuck out his hand. ‘Alex. Good to see you. Hear congratulations are in order.’
Alex came down the last step and shook Cage’s hand. ‘Thanks. How’s Lucy?’
‘Back to dancing.’ Cage didn’t quite smile. ‘The staff at Huffington was really great to my daughter when she was treated after her riding accident.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’
‘So.’ Belle’s gaze slid between Nikki and Alex. ‘Have you set a date?’
Nikki quailed a little as everyone’s attention including Alex’s now turned to her. ‘Um, not yet.’
‘Well, there’s plenty of time to talk about that in the next few days,’ Gloria said comfortingly. ‘But right now, the lasagna and pizza are getting cold. So let’s eat.’
Nikki preferred to stay out of the stampede, so she sat right where she was on the couch. Alex and Cage, still talking, hung toward the back. In minutes, Squire’s sons Sawyer, Daniel, Matthew and Jefferson had all joined the little tête-à -tête.
Lord only knew what sort of grilling Alex was getting.
Hope, who was the youngest of the Clay wives and only a few years older than Nikki and Belle, sat down on the couch beside her. She folded her hands over her own pregnant belly. ‘You’re a month further along than I am,’ she complained lightly. ‘So how come I look twice the size of you?’
Tristan worked his way around the couch and handed Hope a paper plate nearly overflowing with pepperoni pizza. ‘Maybe you’re carrying twins,’ he said, looking alternately pleased and horrified at the idea.
‘Bite your tongue,’ Hope said severely. But her violet eyes were twinkling behind her glasses.
‘I’ll leave that for you,’ Tristan murmured.
Emily, who had been married the longest of any of the sisters-in-law, scooted in beside Nikki. She’d been raised since childhood alongside Tristan, for Squire had taken her in when her parents died. ‘Get a room,’ she drawled, eyeing her brother-in-law. ‘Or better yet, try to control yourself. Hope’s already knocked up again.’
‘Shut up, Em. We’ve all heard that Leandra walked in on you and Jefferson the other day. Playing doctor in the middle of the afternoon? Where’s your control, girl?’
Nikki shot Emily a look, and sure enough, the other woman was blushing.
‘Don’t let Jefferson hear you,’ Emily hissed. ‘The poor man wanted to die. And Lee didn’t really catch us you know in flagrante. Thank God. She’s only eleven, but she’s growing up way too fast.’ Emily nudged Nikki’s arm. ‘You just wait until that one’ she nodded at Nikki’s belly ‘ forgets what a closed door is supposed to mean.’
Nikki’s front door hadn’t just been closed, it had been locked, as well. And that hadn’t stopped her family from coming right on in. She realized she was looking over at Alex again, and studiously turned away, afraid she might be caught drooling or something, and never hear the end of it. ‘Speaking of Leandra,’ she murmured, desperate to change the subject, ‘where are the kids?’ There were currently eleven, ranging from Ryan Sawyer and Rebecca’s at sixteen, to Hope and Tristan’s youngest, Erik, at five.
‘Ryan and Lucy are riding herd on them all at the ice-skating rink.’ Hope smiled, looking sympathetic. ‘Bec, Emily, Maggie and I insisted to the guys that there was no way we were descending on you, unannounced like this, with that horde in tow, as well.’
Nikki always enjoyed seeing her nieces and nephews. But at the moment, she was grateful for a little less confusion reigning supreme in her home. It was already bulging at the seams with the adults. Toss in nearly a dozen rambunctious children, teens and ne
ar-teens, and
Well. Her mind simply refused to wrap around it.
Squire joined them, a plate balanced on his large palm. He sat down on the coffee table across from Nikki and, like magic, Hope, Emily and Tristan all hurried away.
Cowards. Judging by the look on Squire’s face, they didn’t want to be around to hear whatever the man had to say.
Frankly, just then Nikki wished she had the nerve to skedaddle, herself.
He didn’t waste time. ‘Good thing your mother is pretty much a saint. Or she might have tried putting you over her knee for keeping what happened in Montana from everyone.’ His sharp gaze rested on Nikki’s face and his gruff voice lowered. ‘Fact is, I sorta felt a desire to do that myself. I love you like my own and you know it. But twenty-seven or not, child, you worry your mom like that again, and you’ll answer to me.’
‘And you’ll answer to me if you upset Nikki,’ Alex said evenly.
Nikki started, her head jerking up. Alex was standing right behind her, and his hand closed over her shoulder as if he knew just how near she was to fleeing and damning the consequences.
‘What’s done is done,’ he added. ‘Nik had her reasons, and you all can see for yourselves that she and the baby are doing well now. I’m going to keep it that way.’
Squire slowly set his plate aside. He didn’t stand. Just looked over Nikki’s head at Alex, his expression clearly one of the sizing-up variety.
Nikki didn’t need her master’s degree to know what conclusions her stepfather was drawing. What they all were thinking. They all wanted to know why Alex had taken so long to do right by her and the child he’d fathered.
That’s just the way they were.
And she wanted to stand up and scream that of all people, Alex had done nothing wrong, and that she loved them all deeply, but would they just go and leave them alone?
Of course, she did none of those things.
She sat there, silent as an abashed child, while the baby inside her pitched and rolled, seeming to want to express all the frustration Nikki couldn’t.
After an interminable silence that was only more obvious for being underscored by the cacophony of voices around them, Squire’s lips quirked. ‘Okay, then,’ he said with a faint nod. He picked up his plate once more. His eyes were twinkling a little. ‘Better eat up,’ he advised, half under his breath. ‘Sooner the food’s gone, the sooner those boys of mine’ll start herding their wives home again.’
Then, as if he’d been merely passing the time of day over pepperoni and mushrooms, rather than coming to some conclusion that evidently satisfied him, he headed into the kitchen. ‘Emily,’ he commented in an aggrieved good-ol’-boy tone, ‘when are you gonna get that son of mine to cut his hair? I swear, I can’t tell Jefferson from Leandra sometimes.’
Nikki bit the inside of her lip. As long as she’d known Squire, he’d complained about Jefferson’s long hair. Privately, she figured he’d be the first one put out if his middle son ever did whack off his wrist-thick blond ponytail any shorter than his shoulders.
Alex rounded the couch and sat beside her. He propped his boot on the edge of her coffee table, seemingly as comfortable doing so as her relatives were. ‘You have a good family.’
She did. And he did not. ‘I think they’re pretty okay,’ she murmured.
‘You know what they’re thinking, though.’
She dipped her chin. If she cared less for her family, she’d just tell them all the whole miserable, pathetic truth. That she’d slept with a man she shouldn’t have because she knew she’d never have the man she really wanted. Instead, she was a coward. And she was letting Alex shoulder the blame.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. He closed his hand over hers, which she hadn’t even realized were twisted tightly together in her lap.
‘You need to relax.’ He ran his thumb over her white knuckles. ‘Or the blood pressure you finally got down is going to be right back where it was. I don’t think you want to spend more mandatory time off your feet.’
Relax. Easier said than done. ‘Don’t want that,’ she agreed, feelingly. ‘Once was more than enough.’
He made a soft sound. Agreement, she supposed. Then he squeezed her hand a little. ‘I’m gonna go.
You’ve got enough people around here as it is.’
He was the one person she didn’t want to leave, yet she forced her lips into a smile and nodded.
‘You’ll probably head straight to Huffington.’
He neither confirmed nor denied it. But she knew him. He’d stayed away from the office physically, at least for too long.
Because of her.
It was still unfathomable.
Was he already regretting it?
She watched him weave his way through the throng that was her family, telling them good-night.
He didn’t even bother putting on his coat, just grabbed it up on his way out the door.
And then he was gone.
‘Well.’ Belle plopped down on the couch beside her. She slung her arm over Nikki’s shoulders. ‘So you’re marrying the boss. Who’d have thunk it?’
There were so many times when she and Belle were on the same wavelength, sharing thoughts without having to say a word. The twin connection.
It seemed to be absent at that moment, though.
And it was just another yawning emptiness inside her, like the abyss she felt yearning for Alex.
Her eyes burned. She swallowed. Pushed herself awkwardly out of the deep, overstuffed couch. She had no idea why she’d ever purchased the thing. It was made to accommodate a person much taller than herself. A person like Alex.
‘Excuse me,’ she mumbled hurriedly as she went to the door.
She stopped on the porch steps, calling his name.
He turned, obviously surprised. ‘What’s wrong? You should be resting.’
Her breath seemed locked in her chest, and it had nothing to do with the winter temperature. She took a few steps toward him. ‘Are you sure?’
He strode the rest of the way back to her and flipped his coat around her shoulders. ‘Sure about what?’
‘Getting married.’
‘Yes.’
‘Will you come back here after you’ve been to the office?’
His smile was slow and full of promise. ‘Yes.’
Chapter Fifteen
She was wrapped in a long robe when Alex returned from the office hours later.
There were no cars or pickup trucks congesting the street in front of her town house. Her family had all departed.
Considering it was nearly midnight, he wasn’t surprised.
He was surprised, however, that she was still awake. Awake and waiting.
Her hair was wrapped in a towel that was much better designed for soaking up water than the robe, which clung to her very damp body.
She wore virginal white, but she looked womanly. Ripe.
And his control where she was concerned had long ago gone out the window. ‘Were you in the bath?’
‘Shower,’ she admitted. ‘I wanted to wash off the traveling, and relax. I didn’t hear the bell, at first.’
He’d rung it several times. Had felt a distinct chill when she hadn’t immediately answered.
‘Why aren’t you relaxed?’
She flushed.
‘Are you going to let me in?’
Her lashes dipped. And even though she’d made it more than plain that she wanted him to return, she seemed to have a death grip on the lapels of her robe, holding them tightly closed at the base of her neck, which only pulled the shimmering white fabric more tightly over her breasts. She had a death grip on the doorknob, as well.
He could see that her knuckles were white. He reached out and caught a drop of water near her chin with his thumb. ‘What’s the matter?’
Color bloomed in her cheeks. ‘Nothing.’
He covered her knuckles with his palm. ‘What?’ She swallowed. Took a step back and pulled the door wider, allowing him ins
ide. ‘They’ve all left.’
‘I figured.’ He gently tugged the door free from her grasp and pushed it shut. ‘Have you changed your mind?’
She let go of her robe finally, only to dash her hand across her damp forehead. ‘I thought you had.’
‘I’m not going to change my mind. Not about making love to you. Not about marrying you. Raising the baby.’
‘My mother wanted to know where we would do it.’ Nikki flushed a little. ‘Get married, I mean.’ The flowing length of her robe seemed to float around her legs for a moment. Without her holding them together, the lapels revealed a narrow wedge of skin from the base of her throat downward.
‘Doesn’t matter to me. Wherever you want.’ As long as it happened.
They were still standing in the foyer, and the only light came from the two small lamps on the narrow table next to him.
‘I need a towel. I’m dripping water everywhere.’
‘I like you wet,’ he said pointedly. She caught her breath at that. He heard the faint catch, saw the rise of her breasts beneath the slick, clinging robe. The narrow wedge became a little wider. He could see the shadow between her breasts. He reached forward. Slowly caught the end of the sash with his fingers.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips parted softly.
He pulled on the sash. The bow she’d tied slid free. ‘There’s nobody, nothing to stop us this time.
Except you,’ he murmured.
Her long, lovely throat worked in a deep swallow. Then she lifted her hand to the towel twisted around her head, and pulled it free. Her hair looked like twisting strands of brown fire as it tumbled around her shoulders. A drop of water hit his hand and he was vaguely surprised it didn’t sizzle. He took a few steps and sat on her big couch. He still held the sash, and she turned with him, standing in front of him.
When he tugged again, the sash slid free, slithering out of the two loops meant to hold it in place. The robe parted a few inches, revealing the high swell of her abdomen.
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