“There.”
The word is quiet.
Too quiet.
For a moment neither of us moves.
Then I clear my throat and reach for my sandals before the silence becomes something neither of us can easily ignore.
When I straighten, he sweeps his gaze over me.
“Beautiful.”He traces the V of the neckline.“Mine.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as awareness rushes through me.Impossibly my body craves his touch.
He tucks a loos strand of my hair back.
The stylist did an amazing job with her dozens of pins and gallons of spray.Not only has my updo survived the wedding, it made it through the helicopter ride, his intense lovemaking, and a shower.
“Shall we?”
Anything to get out of this tiny space and regain some sense of control.
As I slip my phone into a pocket, I follow him from the closet and back into his bedroom.
No.
Not his bedroom.
Ours.
If I want it.
This time, as we move through, I notice the details.The wide windows overlooking the rolling vineyards beyond the property, the soft neutral tones of the design, the faint scent of fresh linen drifting through the air.
Moretti bought this house as a retreat, near one of my favorite towns.
He leads the way down the hallway, and he stops at the first door.
“I thought this might make an excellent nursery.”
I miss a step.
He turns the knob.The room beyond is small and sunlit, painted a soft buttery yellow that seems to gather the light from the wide window overlooking the vines.
A white crib sits against one wall, its curved rails polished to a gentle sheen, and beside it stands an exquisite rocking chair upholstered in pale linen.
Built-in shelves hold a scattering of children’s books—bright spines and well-loved classics arranged with surprising care, as if someone imagined small hands reaching for them.A folded quilt rests over the back of the chair, the stitching delicate and old-fashioned, the entire space quiet and expectant.
Our gazes lock.“Moretti…”
“Of course, it could be repurposed as a guest room or office.”
But the darkness in his eyes say there’s not a single chance in hell of that happening.
Then it hits me.
We didn’t use birth control.I knew we didn’t.But everything else crowded out that thought until now.
