Nikki wrapped her own arms around his neck and pressed herself shamelessly against him.
It was madness.
It was erotic.
It was…interrupted.
“Ahem.” David stood in the archway and cleared his throat, causing Nikki and Joshua to break apart. “Mom wanted us all outside for a family picture,” he said with a smirk. Nikki blushed and turned her head to compose herself. “Sorry to interrupt. I’ll tell mom you’ll be right out.” He walked away with a big smile on his face.
“Are you ready?” Josh asked softly. Nikki nodded and accepted the hand that he held out to her. “Oh, and Nicole?” She met his gaze. “It wasn’t just a one-night stand.”
****
True to his word, Josh stayed by Nikki’s side throughout the entire party. He had walked around with her and introduced her to all of his relatives and beamed with pride as he introduced Ellie to them as well. With every introduction and words of congratulations he received, he felt like he was on top of the world.
Much to Nikki’s surprise, his family welcomed both her and Ellie with love. There was no condescension or accusing looks; it was a very pleasant day, and she was glad now that she had come and that Josh had been there to share it all with her.
To most, they looked like their own little family, and Nikki finally had to admit that they were. The situation wasn’t ideal, but it was new to them, and they would find a way to make it work. At any given point in the day, people could turn and see Josh’s arm around her or see him talking softly into her ear. He carried Ellie around with him, and all in all, it was perfect. But what was most unnerving about it all was that deep down, Nikki knew that she was getting very comfortable very quickly with the situation, and she needed to remind herself that come Monday morning, they would go back to living their separate lives.
****
The shower was a complete success, and Nikki had been more than welcomed into the Masterson family. Denise was giddy with all of her gifts, and Ellie, who was way beyond missing her afternoon nap, was extremely exhausted by the time the party ended.
A cleaning crew had come in to clear away all of the party debris when Laura called everyone back into the sunroom. “I just had a wonderful idea,” she said as her family looked on. “It’s practically dinner time, and I know that all of you have long drives to get home; I just thought it would be such a treat if everyone stayed here tonight! It’s been so long since I’ve had both of my sons here for more than a few hours, and with all of the chaos that will become of the next few weeks with the wedding approaching, I just thought it would be nice to spend some time alone. Just the family,” she said with a warm smile. “Besides, we have plenty of space, and we can order dinner in and just take time to visit. What do you think?”
David and Denise readily agreed and immediately headed up to David’s room to relax for a little while. Denise kissed everyone and thanked them for a wonderful day while David waved on his way up the stairs, seemingly anxious to be alone with his bride-to-be. Nikki, however, was unsure of what she should do. It was a very tempting offer, but she hated to impose on these kind people and their hospitality. Even if it was their idea.
“Thank you for the offer, Laura, but Ellie’s never really stayed away from home before other than my parents’ house, and I’m not sure she’d do well in a strange bed.” It sounded like a reasonable excuse, didn’t it?”
“Nonsense,” Tyler said. “We have a nursery upstairs that, from what I’ve been told,” He turned and smiled at his wife, “is every little girl’s dream.”
“What nursery?” Josh asked. “There’s never been any girls in the family.”
“Your mother went a little crazy this week after your phone call, son. Now we have a nursery.” Nikki’s stomach sank. These dear, sweet people had already made a room in their home for her daughter. How could she possibly refuse them now?
“I even purchased some clothes for her,” Laura said with a hopeful smile. “I bought several different sizes, so I’m sure there’s something up there that will fit her. Oh, please, Nicole. Please say you’ll stay.”
Nikki stood and smiled. “Of course.” Laura walked over and hugged her tightly.
“Thank you,” she said, and when Nikki looked at her quizzically, she added, “For giving us a grandchild and for being so generous in sharing her with us today. I’m sure this was all a bit overwhelming for you, and I just want you to know how much we appreciate your willingness to be here.”
“It was my pleasure, Laura. Really. I’m thrilled that Ellie has bonded with all of you so quickly.” Though every word was truth, it didn’t change the fact that she was still very uneasy with the thought of spending the night.
“Mommy! I have a room here! Did you see it? Did you see it?” Ellie danced around excitedly. Nikki let her daughter lead her up the stairs to her new room and gasped in surprise at the sight of it.
The room was enormous, more than twice the size of her room at home. It was princess themed with a fairytale castle bed, pink walls and lacy curtains. There was an obscene amount of toys and a closet full of clothes.
Nikki turned to the Masterson’s. “You really shouldn’t have done all of this. It’s too much.”
“Are you kidding? Ellie is our first grandchild!” Laura said, bending down to pick her granddaughter up in her arms. Ellie gave her a loud smacking kiss on the cheek.
“The pony arrives in a few weeks,” Tyler stated with a grin, and both Nikki and Josh stared at him in shock. “Just kidding,” he added as he walked over to talk with Ellie.
Laura showed Nikki to the guest bedroom which was right across the hall from Ellie’s. She found out that Josh’s room was the one next to Ellie’s; should there be a problem in the night, they would both be close by. What did surprise her was the fact that these three bedrooms were the only ones in this wing. David and Denise, as well as the Masterson’s were on the other side of the massive house.
“You have your own bathroom and there’s a spare robe in the closet for you. Denise keeps several changes of clothes here so I’ll have her bring you something to sleep in if you’d like.” She smiled but noticed that Nikki still looked a little uneasy. “Don’t worry, dear; you’ll have plenty of privacy.” She left Nikki standing in the guest room as she carried Ellie down the hall and down the stairs.
Taking in her own surroundings, she looked around in awe. The room was bright and airy with floor to ceiling arched windows and hardwood floors. The mahogany four poster bed was covered in a thick white duvet, and with the mental exhaustion plaguing here, Nikki couldn’t resist kicking off her sandals and laying down for a moment. It was her first opportunity to be alone all day, and she welcomed it. Closing her eyes briefly, she felt her entire body begin to relax. She assumed that everyone had gone back downstairs and that she’d have a few minutes to herself.
That wasn’t the case.
“We’re taking requests for dinner,” Josh said as he entered the open door and found her nearly asleep on the bed. He quietly closed the door behind him as he stepped further into the room. She looked like an angel lying there, and he couldn’t resist the urge to draw nearer to her.
Nikki blinked her eyes open when his shadow came across her. “Sorry,” she whispered. “What did you say?” She pushed herself to a sitting position and found her limbs almost too weak to hold herself up. Joshua sat facing her on the mattress and placed an arm around her to support her, the contact brought her very close to him.
“Dinner,” he said huskily, staring intently down into her sleepy face. Her blue eyes were like saucers looking up at him. “We’re taking requests for dinner, and mom sent me up here to see what you…want.”
Oh, there was a loaded statement. What Nikki wanted right now had nothing to do with food and everything to do with the man sitting next to her. Nervously, she licked her lips, and Josh bent forward. “Let me,” he whispered before brushing his own tongue lightly over her lips and then settled his mouth over he
rs.
Nikki’s hand wrapped around the back of his neck, and she pulled him down onto the mattress with her. Josh stretched out beside her without ever breaking their kiss. Her kisses were addictive, he thought to himself as his tongue teased and tangled with hers. He could live a thousand lifetimes and never get enough of kissing her. Nikki strained against him, tangling her fingers up into his hair, her nails gently scraping his scalp.
Josh’s hand skimmed down one side of Nikki’s slim body from shoulder to thigh. The thin linen of her dress left little to his imagination, and he found himself reaching for the hem of her long skirt. The need to feel her bare skin was nearly overwhelming.
Nikki hitched her leg up slightly over his to run her foot up against the back of his muscled calf. It also allowed Josh easier access to that elusive hem and soon he found himself touching the exquisite softness of bare skin.
Sighing, she threw her head back as Josh’s hand slowly worked its way up her leg and his mouth trailed hot kisses over her cheek and down the slender column of her throat. “Ah, Nicole,” he sighed as his hand climbed further and cupped her bottom. He held his hand firmly there and pressed her into the steely proof of his arousal. “I want you,” he growled low against her ear.
Those were the words she had been dying to hear, but the rational part of her brain finally woke up. “Josh, wait,” she said breathlessly, placing a hand on his chest to put some distance between them. He removed his hand from beneath her skirt, and Nikki scooted a bit away from him. “Um…I don’t think that this is such a good idea,” she said as calmly as she could. The reality was that she thought that this was a very good idea. Her body had been screaming for his touch, his intimate touch, all day long and now that she’d had a taste of it, her body now screamed for release.
“You’re probably right,” he said, standing and walking toward the window, carefully keeping his back to her so as to not alarm her with the sight of his still-aroused state. He took several deep breaths to calm himself before speaking again. “I’m sure that someone will come looking for us soon to find out about dinner and all,” he added lightly. He heard Nikki come off the bed and smiled when she came to stand beside him.
“What are the dinner options?”
****
Dinner was a casual and boisterous affair. Nikki was delighted when it turned out to be catered by the local Chinese restaurant – her favorite form of takeout.
Over the course of the meal, Denise detailed all of the final preparations for the wedding and Nikki was thrilled that there was finally something other than her and Ellie and their new-found presence in Josh’s life to talk about.
Once the wedding topic was exhausted, Tyler asked Josh how his business was going. “This is my favorite part of the year,” Josh admitted. “We’ve got buildings going up all over the state and a full schedule for the next eight months or so. With the summer coming, we’ll get a lot done.” Josh was a very talented businessman, and Nikki was just learning that he owned his own construction company where he was the general contractor as well as the master architect.
“Have you ever thought of moving your base of operations away from Wilmington?” David asked, risking a look in Nikki’s direction.
“It’s crossed my mind a time or two. There just hasn’t been a break in the action long enough for me to find a location and take enough time off to make the transition. You have someplace in mind?” Josh knew where his brother’s questions were leading, and though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone just quiet yet, the thought of moving closer to Nikki and Ellie consumed him. As much as he knew that most un-married couples who had children dealt with weekend visitations, it didn’t sit well with Josh. He wanted to be free to see Ellie and Nikki whenever he wanted to.
That wasn’t the total truth; he didn’t want just visitations. He wanted them to live together as a family.
“I just thought with all the growth going on in the RTP area that you might want to get in on the action there.”
Nikki watched Josh out of the corner of her eye for his reaction, certain that he’d shoot David’s suggestion down. “I’ll look into it,” he said lightly.
Typical man, she thought; never quick with a straight answer. She found herself almost aching for a straight answer from him and not having to be kept in limbo land waiting to see where he’d end up. Once the wedding was over, they would have to deal with setting up a visitation schedule that worked for all of them, and as much as it pained her to lose time with her daughter, the summer vacation that was coming up would allow her extra time without feeling that Josh was cutting in too much.
The family worked together to clear up the dinner mess, and once it was completed, Nikki said goodnight to them all so that she could bathe Ellie and get her settled into her room.
“Do you need any help?” Josh asked after Ellie had kissed him goodnight.
“No, we’ll be fine,” she said, but noticed the look of disappointment on his face. “Well, maybe you could pick out a book to read to her while she takes her bath.” Josh smiled warmly at her and the three of them turned to leave the room.
“Hey, Nik,” Denise called over her shoulder as she placed the last of the dishes away. “I’ve got some extra pajamas here. I can bring a pair up for you if you’d like.”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
Within minutes, Ellie was up to her chin in bubbles and giggling with glee. The bathtub was large and round and could have doubled as a swimming pool for a child her age. She wiggled and squirmed and splashed her mother with pure joy, and Nikki couldn’t help but laugh.
Josh picked out a story for Ellie before joining them in the bathroom. The sight of mother and daughter playing together made him smile. “Hey, who’s getting the bath here?” he teased.
“I am! I am!” Ellie laughed. “Look, Daddy, I can blow bubbles at mommy!” Before Nikki knew what hit her, she was covered in frothy bubbles. Father and daughter now joined together and laughed while Nikki stood to get a towel.
“Thanks, princess,” she gently chided. “I’m going to see about those pajamas that Aunt Denise mentioned, and we’ll let your daddy enjoy the wonders of bath time.” Her tone was light and it felt nice to be free to leave the bathroom and dry off.
Denise had already dropped the change of clothes in Nikki’s room, and when she got a look at what her friend had left, she wanted to throttle her. Lying on her bed was a short ivory colored silk nightie with very thin straps. This was Denise’s idea of pajamas? How in the world was she supposed to change into this and walk around in front of Josh and Ellie? Heck, she didn’t know if it was big enough to cover what she needed it to cover.
Remembering the robe that Laura had mentioned earlier, she walked over to the closet and grabbed at it like a lifeline. Sighing with relief, she closed the bedroom door before stripping out of her wet dress and sliding into the silky nightie. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was impressed. If she had seduction on her mind, this was the number to do it in. The neckline dipped low and showed off plenty of cleavage while hugging her breasts. The hemline came to mid-thigh with tiny slits on both sides. It was loose enough in the middle to have freedom of movement without being too clingy.
No matter how sexy she felt, unfortunately, tonight was not the time for any kind of seduction. She was here in Josh’s family home, a virtual stranger, and her main concern was to let Ellie get to know his family.
Slipping on the big, fluffy robe, she tied the sash tightly around her waist and then laughed at what she must look like. The robe was way too big for someone of her size and completely covered her body. Only her red-tipped toes peeked out from beneath it. Laughing to herself, she decided to help Josh out of his misery and get Ellie out of the tub.
Surprisingly, Josh was already helping Ellie into a new pair of Winnie the Pooh pajamas. “Well, isn’t this a treat?” she said brightly as she entered the nursery. “I can’t remember the last time someone else got you ready for bed!” That was pro
bably because no one had ever helped her with Ellie. Well, David and Denise were around all the time to help out with some things, but their night time ritual had always been just the two of them. She had to resist the urge to jump in and take over.
Ellie modeled her new pajamas by walking around the room and twirling before climbing into the large castle bed. Josh picked out a story about a sleeping princess and thought that Ellie was almost asleep. Nikki noticed her daughter’s fidgeting and had a sinking feeling that the night was going to be a long one.
Ellie conned Josh into reading a second and yet a third story before Nikki put an end to it. “Okay, El,” she began firmly, “That’s enough stories for one night. You’ve had an exciting day, but it’s time to go to sleep.” Her voice was soft but firm and Ellie frowned because she knew her mom meant business. “I will be right across the hall and daddy has the room right next door. See?” she said, showing Ellie the door that joined her room to Josh’s. “If you need anything, we’ll be close by, but you need to go to sleep.”
The child gave in, but Nikki was certain she’d be hearing from her again before too long. They both bent and kissed her goodnight and exited the room. “Do you think she’ll sleep?” Josh asked, facing her in the large, dim hallway.
“Eventually,” Nikki chuckled. “It’s a big change for her. That room alone is pretty overwhelming; it’s like sensory overload for her.” She paused and searched for something to say so that she could escape and go to her room. “Why don’t you go back downstairs and visit with your family. I’m pretty beat. I’ll be here if she needs anything.”
Josh frowned at her suggestion. He had hoped to stay up here with her and continue what they had started earlier. He was dying to know what she was wearing under that robe, but he wouldn’t push her. Nikki needed to learn to trust him, and no matter how badly he wanted her, he would wait until she was ready. “I’ve never had the opportunity to help with her during the night. Promise me that you’ll let me go to her if she gets up.”
Baby, I'm Yours (Life, Love and Babies) Page 6