Naomi tossed her shoes aside and pressed her hands to her aching back. Pregnancy exhaustion felt different from other types of tired. She wanted to voice her fears, but couldn’t. If she did, Royce would tell her not to worry and have her wrapped in cotton in under sixty seconds flat.
With a sigh, she stood back up, making her way into the kitchenette area, rummaging through the still-well-stocked fridge for a water bottle. Thirst gnawed at her throat, her lips dry. Staying hydrated took extra effort lately.
She pulled out a cool water bottle, first pressing it into the nape of her neck. She cupped her belly, her smile spreading way past her face to fill her heart.
She really should start picking up nursery items for her suite here as well as their cabin. At least a couple of portable cribs set up to capture the sunshine.
During the day, her loft didn’t need any artificial light. Huge windows allowed the Alaskan sun to poke through, permeating the living area.
Her swollen feet sunk into the softness of the Inuit rugs—gifts from her grandmother when she’d gotten her first college apartment, another cherished touch in this space.
From the rough-hewn beams on a slanted, arched ceiling hung a crystal chandelier that sent prisms dancing on the cream-colored sofa, brightening the quarters.
Water bottle in hand, Naomi made her way to the sunroom—her former sanctuary, relaxing onto the reclining sofa at the center of the temperature-controlled room. A dance of vibrant oranges and reds soaked the mountains, casting the landscape in a fiery blaze.
The distinctive whoosh of the elevator door interrupted her wandering thoughts.
Royce.
She glanced over her shoulder just as he cleared the French doors to the balcony. His brown eyes warmed as he met her gaze, like melted chocolate seeping over her.
Yeah, food was pretty much her go-to imagery for every thought these days.
His charisma reached her before he even skimmed a kiss on her neck, the sensitive patch warming, launching a tingle throughout her. He was so much more than his broodingly handsome good looks. His appeal was more than a leanly muscled body, broad shoulders. And yeah, he got bonus points for the thick dark hair a hint too long, like he’d forgotten to get a haircut, tousled like he’d just gotten out of bed.
All enticing. Sure.
But it was his eyes that held her.
Those windows to the soul. To the man. A man with razor-sharp intelligence in his deep brown gaze that pierced straight to the core of her and seemed to say, Bring it woman. I can keep up.
Every time she was near him, raw sexual attraction crackled so hot in the air she half expected icicles to start melting off the trees. If only the rest of their relationship was as simple.
Naomi extended a hand to him. “What took you so long? I’ve missed you.”
“I was speaking with Trystan, looking for you.” Royce angled down to kiss her.
“The Mikkelsons,” she said wryly. “I never thought we would be tangled up with that family two times over through siblings and parents.”
“It’s been a surreal few months, that’s for sure. Although there are so many people in both of your families, surely the odds dictate a crossing of paths.” Settling into the end of the recliner, he followed her gaze out to the scenery, the sinking rays. “I trust this guy. I really think you can relax and take it easy.”
“Yeah, right. Another excuse to get me to rest. I’m going stir-crazy.” She rolled her eyes.
“You’re doing important work.” He placed his hand on her stomach tenderly.
God, he made her feel cherished. Even so, there was a part of her insecure with what their relationship had become.
She didn’t regret her decision to go the in vitro route a couple of months before she’d met Royce. Her babies were already a reality nestled firmly in her heart. But she also wondered what it might have been like if he and she had made these children together.
And then those doubts blindsided her again. She wondered if he needed these babies to fill the place in his heart left bare by the loss of his own child. Did he need them more than he needed her?
As she searched his dark eyes, she reminded herself he was an innately honorable man.
And a very protective man.
“I can still think and be an active part of the family business. They need my legal advice.”
“No one’s saying you shouldn’t consult.”
She snorted.
He lifted her feet and placed them in his lap. Practiced, patient hands worked in concentric massaging circles, pushing into the arches. “You’re carrying twins. That already makes this a high-risk pregnancy. Think of our children.”
“I resent the implication that I’m not.”
No amount of rubbing could undo the insinuation that she would ever put her babies at risk. Her simmering temper flared, that courtroom no-nonsense edge pushing against her tongue.
“I wasn’t implying anything.”
“Don’t back down just because you’re worried my tender feelings will somehow compromise my health.”
He stroked up through her calves, releasing layers of tension.
Damn. He made it so hard to be mad. Or stay mad. The pain in her aching legs melted.
“Naomi, I was reading some articles about high blood pressure—”
“My blood pressure is fine. Excellent in fact. Thanks for worrying though.” Her words came out breathy as her body warmed under his caress.
“And we’re going to keep it that way.”
He knew exactly how to touch her, knew what her body needed. What it craved.
“Does that mean you won’t make love to me even though the doctor says it’s okay?” She grinned, looking at him through her eyelashes.
“It just means we’ll do so very, very slowly...” His roguish smile was unmistakable.
Strong arms reached around her, and Royce scooped her against his chest, into a feeling of weightlessness she welcomed in these days of feeling more than her normal self.
Doubts that had circled her earlier seemed to slip from the forefront,
