"You're supposed to be at the event," I said, taking the dragon from his hands.
"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."He stepped inside, setting everything else on the small dining room table."How is she?"
"Fever's still high.She finally fell asleep about a half hour ago."
Nash rummaged through the bag he brought, pulling out boxes of meds.“I didn’t know what you might need, so I had the pharmacist give me anything and everything that would be appropriate for a three-year-old.”After he’d set everything out, it looked like I could open my own pharmacy.“And then I got some chicken soup from a deli on the way.”
I stared at him."You went to all these different places."
"Just three stops.Had to find the right dragon, after all."
Something in my chest cracked open."Nash.This is…" The emotion cinched my throat and I suddenly couldn’t talk.I hugged the dragon tight and drew a deep breath.“You’re so thoughtful.I can’t even express how sweet this is.How grateful I am.”A tear escaped and Nash pulled me into his arms.
“It’s no problem, I promise.”
But his soft words only made more tears come.“A man has never stepped up for her like this before.”Another wave of emotion crashed through me.“I didn’t realize it would make me cry like a baby."
His arms tightened around me, rooting me into his solidness, his heat, his powerful presence.“It’s okay.”
Suddenly I remembered that I was crying into his three-piece.I recoiled, searching his suit for evidence of my make up.“Oh my God, I forgot I have full makeup on.I hope I didn’t ruin your outfit for tonight.”
“I’m not going anywhere tonight, babe.”He guided my chin up, searching my gaze."Archer's going to the event.He'll schmooze the commissioners.I grilled him on the key talking points and made him swear not to make any bad jokes.”
"You can still go if you want.I can handle things," I said, my voice watery as I dabbed at the bottoms of my eyelids with my finger.“I’m used to it.”
"You don’t have to handle things on your own.”He pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that stopped time."Remember?”
Every day he said or did something to make me fall more in love with him.Tears arrived for an entirely different reason now.I wanted to tell him so badly that I’d fallen for him.How dangerous yet right this felt.I buried my face in his chest again.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”I could never explain what a relief it was to hand over some of the heaviness of daily life, to be with someone who could help me carry it.
“There’s literally nowhere else I’d rather be.”Nash fingered my curls, his gaze sweeping over my glam makeup and down to my very-regular soft pants and tank top.“I like this look.”
I laughed.“I only got halfway ready before the puking started.”
“It’s like glam casual.”Nash slid his big hand around the back of my neck, his eyes going hooded.“You’re so beautiful, Clara.Have I told you that yet today?”
I bit my bottom lip.He did make it a point to tell me that a lot.“I don’t think so.Not today.”
“Shame on me,” he muttered, then pressed his lips to mine.I smiled through the kiss, that special blend of euphoria and disbelief washing over me.That mixture ofThere’s never been anything so perfectandCould this possibly be real?
Kissing Nash was like both touching electricity and snuggling into the warmest, comfiest bed.I clutched at his big hand cupping my neck as he kissed me deeply, our tongues meeting in the middle.He tasted like spearmint, smelled like cedar and bergamot, and kissed me like he’d never thought of another woman a day in his life.
It felt too good to be true.
He guided me toward the couch, sitting down before pulling me on top of him.I giggled as I eased onto his lap, hooking my arms around his neck.
“You’re hard to resist when you look like this,” I told him, fingering the buttons on his vest.
“Just when I’m in a three-piece, huh?”he teased.
“Well, and when you wear your other suits too,” I clarified, my fingers skipping down the silver buttons.“And when you wear those sweatpants.And when you wear those nice T-shirts.And also when you wear nothing…”
His grin grew wider.“What if we wore nothing right now?”
Before I could answer, soft cries drifted through the air.Mia.
“I think that’s your answer,” I said, patting his chest.“While its daytime, clothes must stay on.”I extracted myself from his lap, heading to check on Mia.Her hair was mussed but she was sitting up.Nash followed me, and as soon as she saw him, she gasped.
