Foolish Expectations (17 page)

The moment her body convulsed, Nash tightened his grip on her thighs and fed on her like a starving man who’d just been given his first substantial meal in days. When her strangled cries quieted and her body went limp, he stood and swiftly lifted her into his strong arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking my wife to bed,” he answered simply, then headed down the hall.

After laying her gently on her pillow, he stripped off his unbuttoned jeans and tossed them aside. Bailey’s gaze lowered to his solid erection, and she licked her lips.

“See something you like?” His husky voice vibrated in the air.

Her eyes lifted to his and her cheeks warmed. The sexy bastard had read her mind and wore a smug grin. “Maybe,” she teased, adding a nonchalant shrug to punctuate her answer. Then she smiled at him.

His brow rose and his eyes lit with challenge. “Just maybe, huh?”

Teasing a man in bed was a new experience for her, but one she liked very much. And judging from his reaction, she wasn’t the only one enjoying it.

The moment he lunged for her, Bailey rolled away and scrambled across the bed, giggling. Grabbing her by the ankle, he flipped her over and hauled her back to him, wedging his muscled thighs between her legs. His hard length rubbed against her as he leaned down to her ear and growled, “I think I should do something about that maybe of yours.”

“You should,” she agreed, repositioning her hips to better accept him.

He inched his thick, swollen head inside her, and a moan gurgled in her throat. She waited for him to take her, to push deeper, so she could feel that delicious intrusion that always took her breath away as her flesh gave way to his. But instead, he stilled himself above her, bracketing his arms around her head to hold himself up.

“Tell me what you want, baby.”

What? No.
She didn’t feel like talking right now. Her body burned for him to move inside her, to claim her, to fuck her until she couldn’t see straight. That’s what she wanted. Screw talking about it.

Frustrated by his hesitation, Bailey lifted her pelvis to grind against him. But he shifted and withdrew even more. “Uh-uh. If you want it, you’re going to damn well say it first. Now tell me.”

The intensity of his blue eyes and the slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth told her this was no longer a game. At least not one she would win.

Well, fuck.

“I want it.”

He grinned sinfully. “Want what?”

“You. Or more specifically, your dick—”

She gasped.

Without hesitation, Nash had thrust his hips forward and sank fully into her depths. Overwhelmed by the unexpected invasion, her inner muscles clamped down hard on him, bonding them together.

He groaned and blew out a slow breath. “God, you have no clue how good this feels. You’re so fucking tight.”

He was wrong about that. She knew exactly how good it felt. How good
he
felt. The heavy weight of him pressing her into the mattress as he buried himself in her. The muscled hardness of his body straining against hers. The way his fingers dug into her shoulders, as if he needed something tangible to hold onto.

Yeah, she knew.

But it was nothing compared to how she felt when he began rolling his hips and sending shock waves of pleasure rippling through her. Her thighs quivered each time he pumped his magnificent cock inside her, probing her slick heat with a slow, repetitive pattern. His smoldering eyes held hers with intent.

Bailey remembered that look.

He was waiting for her to unravel beneath him, so he could watch her dive over the edge of insanity into the fires of orgasmic bliss. But, this time, she was taking him with her. Sinewy arms caged her in, but she’d be damned if she was just going to lie there and let him take possession of her without giving him something in return.

If I burn, we both burn.

Bailey raked her nails across his ribs, and he shuddered. Yearning to taste him, she leaned up and brushed her tongue along his bottom lip, then sucked it into her mouth and gave it a quick nip. His speed increased, and he grew thicker and harder inside her. Stripping away the last of her restraint, she pulled back and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, slid it aside, and bared her breasts.

That one little move apparently unshackled the primal need growing between them. He mumbled something incoherent under his breath, closed his lips firmly around one pebbled nub, and they fell off the cliff…together.

Nash stroked into her several more times, each thrust slower than the last, until he stopped altogether and held himself deep inside her, pulsing and throbbing. His eyes slid shut in ecstasy as he threw his head back, his grunts of completion muffled by her cries of release. Then he lowered his head to her neck and breathed heavily.

Several quiet minutes passed before Nash shifted beside her and pulled her into his strong arms. “You okay?” he asked, concern tightening his voice.

She sighed contently and snuggled into his chest. “Mmm-hmm.”

He kissed the top of her head.

After a few moments of silence, Bailey said, “I, um…liked your mom.”

Nash chuckled. “Good. Because she’s going to spoil our child rotten. She’s been asking me for grandbabies since I graduated law school. She always said she didn’t want to be an old lady by the time I gave her one.”

Bailey glanced up at him and folded her hand under her chin, smiling. “Will I like your dad, too?”

His brows furrowed and his body tensed. “No. Probably not.”

Puzzled, she waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “Is there any particular reason why?”

“Because I don’t even like him half the time.”

“Oh. Is that why you won’t take his job offer?”

“Yes. He’s an overbearing, pompous ass. I have no doubt he would be checking up on me and questioning every decision I made. It’s not worth it. He’s always tried to control me and has been pulling this kind of shit for years. The last time I spoke to him, I told him to take his job and shove it up his ass. That was three months ago.”

“Maybe if you talked to him about how you feel…”

“You don’t think I’ve tried in the past?” He plunged his fingers through his hair. “Aaron Sutherland doesn’t hear anything that isn’t coming out of his own mouth. I don’t want anything to do with him or the family business.”

“But y-you’re his son.”

“So?”

“So don’t you want a relationship with your dad?”

Nash barked out a sarcastic laugh. “I had a relationship with him. A shitty one. So I got out while I could.”

“If he’s trying to make amends through your mom, though…”

“He’s not. The only thing my dad is trying to do is get me to take that fucking position at Sutherland Industries. It’s not going to happen.” Nash slid out from under her and swung his legs off the bed. “I’ll never ask that man for anything as long as I live.”

She placed one hand on his bicep. “Nash….”

He glanced over his shoulder at her.

“I know you’re upset with him, but I… Well, I lost my mom in a car accident when I was five years old.” She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes and swallowed hard.

Nash turned to her, cradling her cheek with his hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know.”

She shook her head, pushing away the sorrow welling up inside her. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. But I can’t call her, talk to her, or even argue with her anymore. So although I know you’re mad now, don’t write your father off completely over something as silly as a job offer. There may come a day when you can’t talk to him and you’ll wish you could.”

He sighed. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

She smiled at him. “That’s all I ask. Besides, our baby will probably want to meet his or her grandfather one day.”

“Oh, this kid is in for a real treat, then,” he said, rolling his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. “Speaking of which, I’m sure you’re starving. Why don’t I grab our food before it gets any colder and we’ll have breakfast in bed? Then we can take a shower…together.” He waggled his brows suggestively.

She grinned at him, fully aware of what that shower would lead to, but nodded anyway. Everything Bailey had ever wanted in a husband was right there in front of her. Loving. Playful. Kind. Irresistible. All she had to do was hang on to it, to
him
, and keep from screwing it all up.

Sure, in the beginning she’d bet against them working as a couple, but what she hadn’t known at the time was just how right things could be. Nash had stacked the deck in their favor, and although she’d never been much of a gambler…

Well, she was all in.

Chapter Twenty

The following week, Nash left his office two hours early. It wasn’t something he did very often, but his favorite part of having his own practice was having control over his own schedule, which was something he couldn’t do in the corporate world. He always knew he would settle down eventually and didn’t want to be an absentee husband or an occasional father.

He made a quick stop at the florist to pick up a dozen long-stemmed red roses, and then headed home to surprise Bailey. When he arrived, though, she wasn’t there to greet him as she usually did when she heard him coming down the driveway.

But he was early. Maybe she was in the shower. Or taking a nap.

He placed the aromatic bouquet and his black briefcase on the kitchen counter and headed toward the bedroom to check on her. But as he rounded the corner and stepped into the hallway, he stopped in his tracks. A pair of black satin panties lay smack dab in the middle of the floor in front of him.

At first, he was puzzled, but then he grinned.

Obviously, his adorable wife must’ve called the office after he’d left for the day and the secretary had told Bailey he was on his way home. The more time he spent with Bailey, the more she teased him—in and out of the bedroom—but this was taking things to a whole new level.
The little vixen.

Nash swiped the panties from the floor and ran his fingers over the silky texture, letting the sensation torment his libido. His cock hardened and he reached down to adjust the uncomfortable swelling. When that didn’t help, he popped open the button on his pants, slid down his zipper, and freed his raging hard-on from the constraints of clothing.

Ah, much better.

He continued to the bedroom, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt as he went, but paused at the bedroom door. Soft grunting sounds came from the other side, and they were getting louder.

No fucking way. She’s…masturbating?

He envisioned her lying in their bed, legs spread, while running her small hand down her slim body until she reached that sensitive bundle of nerves he loved to nibble on so much. No doubt she’d be circling it in slow motion, building the tension, until her body exploded beneath her own touch.

Then he heard her mutter, “Oh, yeah, that’s the spot.”

Nash steadied himself against the door.
Motherfucker.

He wasn’t sure if he was pissed she hadn’t waited for him or turned on that she was apparently about to make herself come. But then his dick twitched and grew even harder, giving him his answer.

Nash groaned quietly, and his stomach tightened. He was half-tempted to listen to her finish herself off, but…
Like hell.
He wanted to join that party, wanted to see that wild, glazed look in her eyes, wanted to hear her panting his name as he delivered the pleasure she sought.

But as he twisted the knob, a man’s rough voice muttered, “You like it right there?”

Nash paused. There was another man in his bedroom…with
his
fucking wife!

Fire shot through his veins, and he barreled through the door to find a young guy in overalls standing on one side of the bed, leaning against the wall, while a fully clothed Bailey stood on the opposite side.

She squeaked and her hand flew to her chest. “Jesus, you scared me!” Then her eyes lowered and she covered her mouth and giggled. “Oh, my God. What are you doing?”

Nash glanced down, realizing his dick was still hanging out of his pants and he was holding Bailey’s panties in his hand.
Sonofabitch.
He twisted away from the man, shoved his junk back inside, zipped up his pants, then shoved the panties into his pocket before turning back to face them. “What the fuck is going on here?” he growled.

At his tone, Bailey’s brow rose suspiciously. “What is it you
think
is going on?”

“I’m not in the mood to play guessing games. Just answer the damn question.”

Her gaze narrowed and she pursed her lips. “No.”

“No?” Nash clenched his teeth and his hands fisted at his sides. “What the hell do you mean
no
?”

“You heard me. I don’t know what has you in such a snit, but until you apologize for speaking to me like that, I’m not answering jack shit.” She crossed her arms.

The man in the overalls raised both hands in surrender and shook his head. “Hey, man, I’m just here delivering a dresser. I didn’t do anything, I swear.”

Nash glanced past him at the new dresser against the wall. “Where’s your delivery truck? I didn’t see one outside.”

“The lady had me park it around back so I could bring the dresser through the kitchen. She said it would be easier. We’d just gotten it into place when you came in.”

“
We
?” Nash asked, turning a sharp eye onto his wife, who only stuck out her stubborn chin more.

“Well, yeah. Your wife—”

“Is pregnant,” Nash said, rudely cutting him off.

The man’s eyes widened. “Well, it’s not mine.”

“No shit, it’s mine. Now get the fuck out of my house.”

“Nash!” Bailey exclaimed as the delivery man hightailed it out the door as fast as he could. The moment they heard the front door swing closed, she glared at him in disgust. “What the hell has come over you?”

“Me? What’s wrong with you? You shouldn’t be moving heavy furniture in your condition.”

“Oh God. Stop being so dramatic. I didn’t even lift the stupid dresser. I just helped him scoot it across the floor.”