Foolish Expectations (16 page)

A very loud, snoring baby.

And that was when she wasn’t sounding eerily like a deep-sea scuba diver. But even that, Nash found to be an endearing quality because somehow this woman had already sunk her claws deep into him.

It hadn’t happened last night, though. No, if he were being honest, his interest in her had peaked the night he met her. From the very beginning, Bailey had tripped him up in the bar, figuratively speaking, and he’d been falling ever since.

Somehow, she’d branded her name on his heart. He didn’t normally believe in love at first sight, but this damn sure felt like the same thing. And every touch, every cry of pleasure from last night’s lovemaking had only confirmed what he already suspected.
I’m already falling for her.

But that wasn’t something he could tell her. Not yet, anyway. He’d spent the entire night keeping her focused on him and the sinful things he’d done to her body. Until she stopped pulling away—emotionally and physically.

He wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize the ground he’d gained with her in such a short period of time. Knowing her, she’d run for the hills. Not only because she wouldn’t believe him, but because, to her, they were just empty promises. His intention was to prove to her that he meant every single word.

Starting right now.

It was the first day of the rest of their lives together and his new wife was lying in his arms. Nothing could ruin this moment for them.

“Nash,” a muted voice called out.

Shit. Except her.

He slipped out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans. Bailey stirred, but didn’t wake up. Silently, he crept out the door and closed it softly behind him. The aroma of his favorite imported coffee grew stronger as he made his way down the hall, following the sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen.

His mother stood in front of the counter, fork in hand, whisking eggs together in a white ceramic bowl. Bacon sizzled in the frying pan on the stove next to her, and through the glass door on the oven, he noted rising biscuits were already starting to brown.

Sonofabitch. How long has she been here?

He leaned against the door jamb and ran his fingers through his hair. “What are you doing here, Mom?”

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Can’t a mother visit her only son and make him breakfast?”

Nash snorted. “Dad sent you to talk me into taking the offer he made me, didn’t he?”

She cackled at that. “I think Aaron knows better than to think I’ll take
his
side on anything.” She flipped the bacon and poured the slimy egg mixture into another frying pan, which she placed over a medium flame.

“So you don’t think I should take the job?”

“Well, it
is
a lot of money to turn down. And being the head of the legal department for Sutherland Industries is a prestigious position for someone so young. But I didn’t raise you with a silver spoon in your mouth…no matter how many times your father tried to shove one down your throat. I trust you to do what’s right…for
you
.”

He nodded, though she didn’t see it.

Nash’s parents had divorced when he was two years old, and being raised by a single mother in a modest home had kept him firmly grounded. Something his father knew nothing about. The man flashed his money and power every chance he got.

Nash walked over to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Good. Because I’m
not
taking the job.”

“What job?” The timid voice came from behind them.

They turned to see Bailey standing in the doorway, wearing his white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The hem grazed her mid-thigh, which brought only one question to mind.
What the hell was she wearing underneath?

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company,” his mother said, offering a quick smile. “I hope I didn’t wake you, dear. I’m Nash’s mother, Victoria.”

Bailey offered her a shy smile. “I’m Bailey.”

His mom glared at him. “You could have warned me you had a guest.”

Nash walked over and settled his arm around Bailey’s shoulders, grinning. “Bailey’s not a guest, Mom. She’s my wife.”

The woman blinked and said, “That’s not funny.” Then she turned, slipped on an oven mitt, and pulled the hot biscuits from the oven.

He waited for her to put them down. “You’re right, it’s not. We got married at the courthouse yesterday. I was going to call you, but everything happened so fast that I didn’t get a chance.”

Not saying a word, his mom stirred the eggs continuously until they solidified. When he heard her sniffling, he cringed, walked up behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mom. Please don’t be upset. I should have told you sooner. I didn’t even think how you would feel about not being there.”

Using a fork, she moved the bacon onto some paper towels to drain. Then she turned off the burners, stirred the cooked eggs once more, and set the spatula down so hard it clattered on the counter. “Why would I be upset? Because my only son gets married and doesn’t invite me to his wedding? Of course I’m not upset,” she said, her voice quivering.

Damn it.
This wasn’t the way he’d planned to share the news with her, but he was going to have to tell her the whole truth to keep her from being mad at him. “Mom, Bailey’s pregnant.”

Her head snapped to him and she stared hard, as if she were waiting on the punchline. When one didn’t come, she turned her teary gaze onto Bailey. “Y-you’re pregnant…with my son’s child? I’m going to be a…grandmother?”

Bailey’s cheeks reddened, and she bit her bottom lip nervously. “I’m sorry. I should probably leave you two alone so you can talk.” She turned to leave.

“Oh, no. Please stay.” His mom stepped over to Bailey and smiled. “I admit I’m a little surprised, especially since I didn’t know my son was in a serious relationship. But this is…well, it’s wonderful news!” She squealed in delight. “A grandma…” she repeated, as if the word was foreign to her.

Nash didn’t bother correcting her about Bailey and him being in a relationship—much less a serious one—before they married. How she came to be his wife was nobody’s business but theirs. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her any more than he probably had already when he’d stupidly blurted out she was pregnant without consulting her first.

God, I’m a fucking idiot.

But he’d suspected his mom would get over her irritation the moment she found out there was a grandbaby in her future. Thankfully, he was right. For the next several minutes, his mom chattered non-stop about all the things she planned to buy for their child.
The kid isn’t even here yet and is already spoiled rotten.

Nash grinned, though. His mother’s excitement was not only contagious, but Bailey seemed to be relaxing more and enjoying the instant camaraderie she’d found with her new mother-in-law. Every time his wife smiled, she took his breath away. It was something he planned to make sure she did more often.

“Oh, my God!” his mom shrieked. “I just realized I’m intruding on your honeymoon.” She reached for her purse on the counter. “I should go and leave you two lovebirds alone.”

“It’s okay,” Bailey said, shaking her head. “We didn’t have any plans today.”

Ha! Speak for yourself.
Nash had plenty of plans today and not a single damn one included them leaving the bedroom, much less hanging out with his mother. But he wasn’t about to say that out loud and hurt her feelings.

Nash nodded to the stove. “What about breakfast? Aren’t you going to stay and eat?”

“You two enjoy it.” His mother started out the kitchen door, but stopped at the last minute. “Bailey, how about I take you to lunch next week? It would give us girls a chance to get to know each other better.”

“Sure, I’d like that,” Bailey replied, offering a sincere smile.

His mom wrapped her arms around Bailey and squeezed tight. “Welcome to the family.” She released her, then glanced over to her son. “Oh, and, Nash…do me a favor. Call your father.”

Yeah. That’ll be a cold day in hell.
Despite her request, though, he grinned. “I knew you had an ulterior motive for this visit.”

She winked at him, then headed out the door.

Nash sank into one of the wooden chairs and blew out a breath. Well, that went better than he’d expected. Bailey walked over to the stove and picked up a small piece of bacon, popping it into her mouth. “You hungry? I can make you a plate.”

Nash started to rise. “Here, let me—”

“No. You don’t have to do everything for me. I’m pregnant, not an invalid. I’m quite capable of plating some food. Besides, if you don’t let me do things for you, too, then this is never going to work.”

He nodded and sat back down. “Okay. The dishes are in the second cabinet on your left.”

When she reached up in the cabinet, Nash’s first thought was he would have to lower the shelves to accommodate for her height. But when the back of her shirt rose several inches, showing off even more of those long, sexy legs he wanted to wrap around his waist, he changed his mind.

Damn shelves could stand to be taken up a notch or two.

Even after Bailey managed to get the plates down, Nash couldn’t take his eyes off her. Especially when she dropped the dish towel on the floor and bent over to retrieve it. The white shirt she wore tightened across her ass and there was no panty line in sight.

Knowing he’d put her luggage in the guest room to keep her from tripping over it until they could unpack it, he’d bet everything he owned she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Just the thought alone sent an ache straight to his groin.

As if she’d read his thoughts, Bailey glanced over her shoulder and said, “By the way, I hope it’s okay that I borrowed your shirt. My suitcases seem to be conveniently missing, and I wasn’t going to put on my clothes from yesterday.”

Heaven help me.
The woman probably didn’t even realize it, but she was killing him slowly. All he wanted to know was what the hell she had on beneath that fucking shirt. And it was about damn time he found out. “Bailey, come here, please.”

“One second, I’m almost done.”

“No, just leave it.” His voice came out more curt than he meant it to.

She turned and gave him a puzzled look, but set the plate down and walked over to him without any hesitation. He shoved his chair back from the solid oak table and maneuvered her directly in front of him. “Sit,” he ordered, gesturing to the table behind her.

Bailey perched on the edge as asked, but stared at him warily.

Nash didn’t hesitate. He lowered his head and kissed her left thigh, slowly trailing his tongue over her soft skin. She froze at the unexpected touch, but the moment her body relaxed, he moved to the right thigh and gave it the same treatment. Then, placing both hands on her knees, he gently spread her legs apart.

His cock twitched beneath the seam of his jeans.
Fuck, yeah. No panties.

He’d already figured she wasn’t wearing any, but seeing her without them caused a much stronger reaction than just thinking it. Wordlessly, Nash reached out and stroked two fingers through her slick folds, coating each one with her wetness.

“Um, Nash…” She panted softly as he continued to fondle her. “Don’t you want to eat first?”

His mouth watered at the scent of her arousal. “Sweetheart, you just read my mind.”

Chapter Nineteen

Bailey stiffened. “Here?”

“Oh, yeah. Right here, baby,” Nash whispered, then slid his fingers inside her.

A strangled sound left her throat.
Oh God.

He worked his fingers in and out slowly, then used his free hand to coax her into laying back on the hard table. The coolness of the wood seeped through the back of her shirt, but the cold farmhouse table was the least of her concerns. Her discomfort had way more to do with the way she was spread out before him like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Not that he seemed to mind.

Nash—who was getting an intimate, up-close view of her goodies in broad daylight—licked his lips as if he couldn’t decide what to sample first. Within seconds, he made his decision and went straight for the main course, suctioning his mouth directly over her clit.

Her back arched in ecstasy, and she clutched fistfuls of his hair.
Okay, so maybe here is not so bad, after all.

His agile fingers and skilled tongue drew out every gasp she tried to swallow. Somehow, in their short time together, he’d figured out right where to touch her to set her off like a firing squad. The virile man had skills, and—holy hell—oral sex was at the top of that list.

The bold caress of his lips sent blood humming through her veins, and her eyes fluttered closed. A gripping sensation took hold of her body while the stirring of primal needs tampered with her sanity.

From the beginning, she’d tried to keep Nash at bay, but the persistent man had breached every defense she’d thrown at him. Didn’t he realize the emotional roadblocks she’d put in his path were meant to protect both of them when all of this came to a screeching halt? Yet, he refused to avoid them. Instead, he continued to plow right through the sonsofbitches and kept on going.

Worst. Fucking. Driver. Ever.

Unfortunately, that made her the crash test dummy passenger, riding shotgun, without a seatbelt or airbag to protect her from the head-on collision she saw coming with the brick wall of heartache. There’d be nothing to cushion the blow, and she only hoped the baby wouldn’t be collateral damage.
Damn it. Don’t do it, Bailey. Don’t fall for him.

But sadly, it was too late. His strategy was working, and every moment she spent with him cracked her heart open a little wider. God. He was just too much to resist.

Bailey’s body quivered as she absorbed the way his mouth felt on her. The lapping motions he made with his tongue quickened the aching tension coiling inside her and the breathless urgency took over. Desire pooled around her, while waves of pleasure crashed against her core. She moaned loudly, giving in to the sensations.