“Do you think—” Nellie shook her head as if she was talking herself out of voicing whatever thought she had. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”
“No, say it. I bet it’s not.”
Nellie hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Do you think Easton was right about the night of the Witches’ Ball?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the Hartley triplets to tinker like that.” I shrugged, rubbing circles on the back of Nellie’s hand with my thumb.
“So, we could have potentially had the love elixir?”
“Maybe,” I replied. “But being sneaky like that is not really their style. They prefer a more in-your-face approach. And like Charlotte said, there’s no science behind it even working. I think it’s a cute and fun notion, but relationships still take effort, regardless of a love elixir.”
“That’s true, I guess.” Nellie sighed, worrying her bottom lip.
“I think we had a lot to drink that night, and let our walls come down enough for something to take root and bloom,” I said, reaching to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“So, what now?” she asked, her lips pulling up in a small smile.
“We keep doing what we’re doing. Getting to know each other better, taking it one day at a time and preparing for the arrival of this baby,” I answered.
Nellie nodded slowly in agreement and leaned toward me, her eyes locking with mine. “I can do that.”
“Good,” I murmured, my hand framing the side of her face as I moved closer. I kissed her, slow and deep, telling her without words how much I needed her.
Nellie kissed me back, moving closer to me. I could feel her hands on my jacket, pulling me against her. I went willingly, without hesitating. This woman could lead me into a fire, and I’d eagerly follow.
The kiss turned frantic, and when the windows started to fog up, I pulled back enough to look at her. “Shall we go inside, get warmed up by the fire, maybe get naked?” I said, wriggling my eyebrows at her suggestively.
That earned a laugh. “Okay, let’s go. I’m getting cold anyway.”
We walked into my house, and I tossed a few logs on the woodstove while Nellie disappeared in the bathroom. When she reappeared, she’d changed into her pajamas and was looking much more comfortable.
“I hope it’s okay that I changed, my pants were feeling way too tight,” Nellie explained, looking shy.
She tried to walk past me to the couch, but I caught her by the hand and gently tugged her toward me. I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing my hands along her hips, massaging them with my fingertips.
“You’re gorgeous,” I murmured in her ear. I’d been rocking a chub since our heavy makeout session in my truck, but now that I had her beneath my fingertips, that chub thickened into a full-on erection that I knew she could feel against her.
Pushing my hips forward, I heard the sharp intake of her breath, a sign that my words and my touch were getting her going, and I fed off that passion.
I trailed kisses along her neck and jaw, tasting my way to her pillowy lips.
She kissed me back, her hands sliding down my torso and cupping me over my jeans. Feeling how hard I was, she broke the kiss and let out a guilt-ridden sigh. “I’m sorry, I want to, but I’m also super bloated.” Her voice was full of apology.
I shook my head. “Don’t feel bad. I’m not expecting anything right now.” Nellie sent a pointed look to my throbbing erection, and I chuckled. “Yeah, you make me incredibly hard. But that doesn’t mean I expect us to do something about it. If you’re not feeling up to it, that’s perfectly alright with me. Having you here is enough.”
My words made Nellie take pause, her brow furrowing as she processed them. “You really mean that?” she asked, studying me as if looking for any sign of dishonesty.
“Of course, I do,” I assured her, pressing another kiss to her lips. “Want a hot chocolate? Or a tea?”
“You have tea?”
“I stocked up on some of the ones you have at the resort,” I admitted sheepishly. Nellie’s beaming smile made me feel like that had been the best decision I could have made.
“A tea would be great,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around my lower back and hugging me.
A little while later, we curled up in a thick blanket on the couch in the great room, the woodstove throwing off the perfect amount of heat. My arm was wrapped around her, and she rested with her head against my shoulder. She yawned, nestling in closer to me.
“Are you tired? We could go to bed; it’s been a long day.”
