How could I even respond to that? He was amazing and infuriating at the same time. He brushed my hair back and kissed up and down my neck, well aware of how to get his way in almost any situation.
“I think Harry will like it,” he said, rubbing my belly.
I scrunched my nose and pulled away to shake my head at him. “Please tell me you don’t want to call him Harry. I don’t like that name. The other kids will tease him.”
He threw his head back and laughed before calming down and sending me a grin. He threw every bad name he could and I had to wonder. Did he purchase a book of bad names while I wasn’t looking?
He laughed again, pushing me backward until he had me pressed against the wall. I rather liked the kissing attack he laid on me. His lips were everywhere, his hands sliding up and down my body. When he started moaning, I knew we needed to stop before we began christening the rooms.
“You know, if you don’t let me out of the entryway to see the house, we may never figure out if you actually bought it already or not.”
He nipped that spot below my ear one last time before groaning. “Yes. Let’s look around.” He pulled away, licking his bottom lip. “But it would probably look even better if we were naked.”
I just shook my head.
We inspected every room, each one better than the one before. He didn’t even try to hide his smugness, knowing how much I loved it. It was perfect, just as he’d guessed. And just like that, he got his way. Like always.
The next couple of weeks went by in a blur. Not only did I finish up classes for the semester, but Nicholas had me picking and choosing everything from curtains to couches for our new house.
Clara was a lifesaver in that regard. She would come over several evenings during the week, helping me skim through magazines, websites, catalogs, and samples. Her suggestions were always spot on to me, and I would have just handed the reins over to her completely, but she insisted it was better that I made my own choices.
Nicholas wasn’t around a lot, spending extra time at the office. He’d already discussed stepping back from his involvement in the company, and they were all putting in a lot of work to make the transition smoother.
Aside from all that, I spent any extra time I had with Courtney and Lory, shopping for Christmas presents and maternity clothes. I was in search of one item in particular.
“This one is gorgeous,” Lory said, holding a white floor-length gown in her hand.
Nicholas and I were expected to attend a Christmas ball with his parents, and I needed to find a dress that didn’t make me look like a pumpkin.
I shook my head at her selection. “It looks more like a wedding dress. Plus, white will only make me look bigger than I already do.”
Both of them rolled their eyes. “You aren’t fat, you’re pregnant,” Courtney sniped. “You’re still skinny everywhere but your stomach.”
Courtney turned to me. “Are you still planning to take next semester off ?”
I nod. “Yeah.” I rubbed my belly. “He’s due right in the middle. Besides, I’m probably going to transfer my credits up to a university near the new house.”
“I wish you weren’t moving away. How am I going to deal with not having you around?” Lory asked.
“I’ll only be an hour away.” I laughed at her pouting face. “I’m sure we’ll be in the city often enough anyway. I can’t wait for you two to see the house.”
“Well, I’ll definitely drive up there to check it out. And to make sure you finish your degree.” Lory gave me a bitch brow.
“I’ll finish. Nicholas wants to play Mr. Mom, so I’ll have plenty of time for school.”
“Yeah, Geoffrey’s all serious business now with Nicholas putting more responsibility on his shoulders. I barely see him these days. ”
I sent Courtney an apologetic smile, but she waved it off.
“No, it’s fine. He’s happy, and I have to admit I enjoy him taking things seriously. Don’t get me wrong, I love his goofy side. But he’s sexy as hell when he gets all aggressive and determined.”
I picked out another dress and peeked over at her. “So do I hear wedding bells in your future?”
She blushed. Courtney actually blushed. I never thought I would see that happen. “I don’t know. Maybe one day. Possibly… prob-probably.”
Lory and I leaned against each other, laughing at Courtney’s stammering. She glared back at us.
“What about you?” she asked, pointing at Lory. “What’s up with you and Francis?”
She shrugged and avoided meeting our eyes. ” I don’t know. We’re just having fun.”
The uncertainty in her voice made me stop. I’d thought she was happy with him, but she didn’t sound too sure anymore. I put my hand on her shoulder. “Hey, is everything okay between you two?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed and looked up. “It was great at the beginning, but he seems to get frustrated when I tell him school is my first priority.” She met my eyes. “Don’t get mad at this, I don’t mean any offense. But I think he wants something like you and Nicholas. Something permanent. I’m just not ready for that right now. I like him and don’t want to see anybody else, but I don’t want marriage and kids for a while.”
Her words stung a little, but I knew my choices weren’t for everyone. “It’s understandable you’d feel that way. Is he really giving you a hard time about it ?”
“I don’t know. He’s been a little distant lately.”
I spied a dress that had a lot of potential and grabbed it. “Well, the best advice I can give is to talk to him about it.”
“Yep, keeping things bottled up will only lead to disaster,” Courtney said.
Lory shook it off and gave us a grin. “It’ll be fine. No worries. I’m spending Christmas here with him instead of flying home. My parents aren’t very happy about that, but it’s what I want.”