horrified look on Noah’s face hurt Rylee more than she cared to think about. She forced a laugh.
“Relax, Noah. You’re not going to be a father just yet. I got it covered.” She began to climb off his lap. “Wait a minute.” Noah’s hands gripped her tightly by the waist. “You thought I was upset because I might have gotten you pregnant?”
Rylee didn’t immediately respond, and she stared at his chest to avoid eye contact.
Noah’s hands cupped her face. He stared at her, his expression serious.
“Truthfully, I was upset — but not for the reason you think. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to have a baby with you; I just didn’t think you’d ever want to have a baby with me.”
He chuckled uncomfortably. “Nick, maybe…”
Rylee’s head snapped up at his words. “How could you ever think that?” she frowned; her fingers reached out and traced his face. “Don’t you know that I love you as much as I love Nick? The two of you are my world.”
“Oh.” Noah looked completely shocked by her words. Finally, he cleared his throat. “If I weren’t already so in love with you, I think I would have fallen right here and now.”
*
“Hey,” Nick looked up at the sound of Noah’s voice when he walked into the house.
“You okay?” Noah asked quietly from the couch in the dark living room.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He sat in a chair across from Noah. “Where’s Rylee?”
“She went to sleep in your room.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Better,” Noah told him. “She was pretty upset when we first got home, blamed herself for what happened.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” he denied hotly, as renewed fury flowed though him.
“I know…it was mine.” Noah sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment. Finally, he looked up and met Nick’s gaze.
“I’m sorry, man. I should never have kissed her in the house. I knew better, I just…”
His voice trailed off. Nick ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, this wasn’t your fault, either. It was bound to come out eventually. Hell, Leslie already figured it out. It was only a matter of time before everybody else did, too. Not that it matters. I still love Rylee, and what they think won’t change that.”
“I love Rylee, too.” Noah stared back at him, his voice low, sure. “And I won’t let her go, either.”
Nick met Noah’s stare and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know you do, and I know you
won’t.”
They sat in silence before Noah spoke. “I’ve never seen Mom react like that before. I can’t believe the things she said to Rylee…to us.”
Nick heard the same hurt and anger in Noah’s voice that he felt. His response was a grunt; the memories of the evening were still too new and painful for him to talk about it.
“You know she meant what she said about us not being welcome there anymore.” Noah continued.
“Yeah, I do.” His leveled gaze met Noah’s. “And I don’t care. I love Mom, but I love Rylee more. She’s the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not giving her up for anybody, including Mom.”
*
Rylee awoke cocooned within the warmth of Nick’s strong embrace. His fingers played with strands of her hair. She turned around so she could look into his face. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I am.” Nick closed his eyes and sighed. He finally opened them and looked at Rylee again. The muted light in the room couldn’t hide the pain and regret she saw reflected in their depths.
“I’m sorry, angel.” Nick spoke quietly. “Sorry for —” “Shh” She interrupted, and placed a finger against his lips. “No more being sorry, no more being hurt tonight.”
Rylee replaced her finger with her mouth and kissed him. Her tongue caressed his lips before it delved deep inside. She poured all of the love she felt for him into the kiss, and she didn’t ease up until Nick began to moan.
“God, baby,” he breathed against her lips. “I want…”
“You got
“Relax, Noah. You’re not going to be a father just yet. I got it covered.” She began to climb off his lap. “Wait a minute.” Noah’s hands gripped her tightly by the waist. “You thought I was upset because I might have gotten you pregnant?”
Rylee didn’t immediately respond, and she stared at his chest to avoid eye contact.
Noah’s hands cupped her face. He stared at her, his expression serious.
“Truthfully, I was upset — but not for the reason you think. It’s not that I wouldn’t want to have a baby with you; I just didn’t think you’d ever want to have a baby with me.”
He chuckled uncomfortably. “Nick, maybe…”
Rylee’s head snapped up at his words. “How could you ever think that?” she frowned; her fingers reached out and traced his face. “Don’t you know that I love you as much as I love Nick? The two of you are my world.”
“Oh.” Noah looked completely shocked by her words. Finally, he cleared his throat. “If I weren’t already so in love with you, I think I would have fallen right here and now.”
*
“Hey,” Nick looked up at the sound of Noah’s voice when he walked into the house.
“You okay?” Noah asked quietly from the couch in the dark living room.
“Yeah, I’m good.” He sat in a chair across from Noah. “Where’s Rylee?”
“She went to sleep in your room.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Better,” Noah told him. “She was pretty upset when we first got home, blamed herself for what happened.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” he denied hotly, as renewed fury flowed though him.
“I know…it was mine.” Noah sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment. Finally, he looked up and met Nick’s gaze.
“I’m sorry, man. I should never have kissed her in the house. I knew better, I just…”
His voice trailed off. Nick ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, this wasn’t your fault, either. It was bound to come out eventually. Hell, Leslie already figured it out. It was only a matter of time before everybody else did, too. Not that it matters. I still love Rylee, and what they think won’t change that.”
“I love Rylee, too.” Noah stared back at him, his voice low, sure. “And I won’t let her go, either.”
Nick met Noah’s stare and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know you do, and I know you
won’t.”
They sat in silence before Noah spoke. “I’ve never seen Mom react like that before. I can’t believe the things she said to Rylee…to us.”
Nick heard the same hurt and anger in Noah’s voice that he felt. His response was a grunt; the memories of the evening were still too new and painful for him to talk about it.
“You know she meant what she said about us not being welcome there anymore.” Noah continued.
“Yeah, I do.” His leveled gaze met Noah’s. “And I don’t care. I love Mom, but I love Rylee more. She’s the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m not giving her up for anybody, including Mom.”
*
Rylee awoke cocooned within the warmth of Nick’s strong embrace. His fingers played with strands of her hair. She turned around so she could look into his face. “Are you okay?” she whispered.
“Yeah, I am.” Nick closed his eyes and sighed. He finally opened them and looked at Rylee again. The muted light in the room couldn’t hide the pain and regret she saw reflected in their depths.
“I’m sorry, angel.” Nick spoke quietly. “Sorry for —” “Shh” She interrupted, and placed a finger against his lips. “No more being sorry, no more being hurt tonight.”
Rylee replaced her finger with her mouth and kissed him. Her tongue caressed his lips before it delved deep inside. She poured all of the love she felt for him into the kiss, and she didn’t ease up until Nick began to moan.
“God, baby,” he breathed against her lips. “I want…”
“You got
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