Carrying the Lost Heir's Child

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Epilogue

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

One (#u41d10024-9841-5732-b9c5-13d5e2d79bd0)

The masculine aroma. The strength of those arms. The hard chest her cheek rested against...she’d know this man anywhere. She’d watched him across the grassy meadows, dreamed of him...made love to him.

Lily Beaumont struggled to wake and realized all too quickly she didn’t have a clue how she’d gotten here.

Or more to the point, where was “here”?

The straw rustled against the concrete floor beneath her. She lay cradled in Nash James’s lap, his strong arms around her midsection. What on earth had happened?

“Relax. You fainted.”

That low, soothing voice washed over her. Lily lifted her lids to see Nash’s bright blue eyes locked on hers. Those mesmerizing eyes surrounded by dark, thick lashes never failed to send a thrill shooting through her. No leading man she shared the screen with had ever been this breathtaking...or mysterious.

But, she’d fainted? She never fainted.

Oh, yeah. She’d been walking to the stables to talk to Nash...

“Oh, no.” Lily grabbed her still-spinning head. Reality slammed back into her mind, making her recall why she was in the stables. “This isn’t happening.”

Rough, callused fingertips slid away strands of hair that had fallen across her forehead. “Just lie still,” he told her. “No rush. Everyone is gone for the day.”

Meaning the cast and crew had all either gone to the hotel or into their on-site trailers. Thank God. The last thing she needed was a big fuss over her fainting spell, because then she’d have some explaining to do.

Just a few short months ago Lily started shooting a film depicting the life of Damon Barrington, dynamic horse owner and a force to be reckoned with. The Barrington estate had become her home away from home and the quiet, intriguing groom whose lap she currently lay in had quickly caught her attention.

Before she knew it, she’d been swept into a secret affair full of sneaking around, ripping off clothes and plucking straw pieces from her hair...which led her to this moment, this life-altering moment when she was about to drop a major bomb in Nash’s life.

All the trouble they’d gone through to keep their escapades a secret were all in vain. No way could this news stay hidden.

“Nash.” She reached up to cup his face, the prickle of his short beard beneath her palm a familiar sensation. “I’m sorry.”

His brows drew together, worry etched across his handsome, tanned face, and he shook his head. “You can’t help that you passed out. But you scared the life out of me.”

Lily swallowed, staring at such an attractive, spellbinding man could make a woman forget everything around her...like the fact that she was carrying this man’s child.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, studying her face. “Do you need something to eat?”

Just the thought of food had her gag reflex wanting to kick in again. Weren’t pregnant women supposed to be sick in the mornings? What was this all-day nonsense?

Lily started to sit up, but Nash placed a hand over her shoulder. “Hold on. Let me help you.”

Gently, he eased her into a sitting position as he came to his feet. Then he lifted her, keeping her against his firm, strong body the entire time. Strong arms encircled her waist again and Lily wanted to seek the comfort and support he was offering. This might have been the first tender moment between them, considering anytime she’d come to meet him after dark they hurried to the loft where their passion completely took control.

How on earth would he react to the news? She was still reeling from the shocker herself, but she refused to keep this a secret. He had a right to know. She honestly had no clue what Nash would say, what he would do. A baby didn’t necessarily affect his line of work. Hers, on the other hand...

She’d been burned so badly before and had fought hard to overcome the public scandal that ensued. How would he handle being thrust into the limelight?

Lily groaned. Once the story broke, the press would circle her like vultures—and they would make her private life a top headline. People were starving, homeless, fighting wars and the media opted to nose their way into celebrities’ lives and feed that into homes around the world rather than something that was actually newsworthy.

Lily loved being an actress, loved the various characters she got to tap in to and uncover. But she hated the lack of privacy. A girl couldn’t even buy toilet paper without being spotted. Lily prided herself on being professional, doing her job and doing it well, and staying out of the media’s greedy, sometimes evil, clutches...a nearly impossible feat.

“You okay now?” he asked, his breath tickling the side of her face.

Nodding, Lily stepped away, immediately missing the warmth of his body, but thankful the dizziness had passed. Over the past couple months she’d actually come to crave his touch, miss him when he wasn’t near her. She should’ve known then she was getting in over her head where this virtual stranger was concerned. Their passion had swept her into a world she’d never experienced before. How could any single woman turn away from a man who touched her beneath the surface, who looked so deep within she was certain he could see in to her soul?

A physical connection was something she could handle. But all of those nights of sneaking around, of giving in to their desires had caught up with them. Now they would have to pivot away from the sex-only relationship and actually talk about the future...a future she’d never expected to have with this man.

With her back to him, Lily tried to conjure up the right words, the words that would soften the blow, but really was there a proper way to tell someone they were going to be a father? No matter how gentle the words were, the impact and end result would still be the same.

“Nash—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Nash took hold of her shoulder, eased her around and framed her face with his firm hands. Hypnotized by those vibrant blue eyes, she said nothing else as his mouth claimed hers.

And that right there was the crux of their relationship. Passion. Desire. Instant clothes falling to the floor.

Some might have said having a secret affair in the stables on a film set was not the classiest of moves, but Lily didn’t care. She’d been classy her whole life...now she wanted to be naughty. The secret they shared made their covert encounters all the more thrilling.

Who knew Hollywood’s “girl next door,” as they’d dubbed her, had a wild side? Well, they’d caught a glimpse of it with the scandal, but she had since reclaimed her good girl status. She certainly had never been this passionate with or for a man. Definitely not the jerk who had used her and exploited her early in her career.

Before she’d become a recognized name, she’d fallen for another rookie actor. He’d completely blind-sided her by filming her without her knowledge. Their most intimate moments had been staged; everything about their relationship had been a lie. After that scandal, Lily had to fight to get to where she was now.

Nash’s arms enveloped her and Lily was rendered defenseless as his mouth continued its assault on hers. Her arms slid up the front of his shirt, taut muscles firm beneath her palms.

He eased back slightly, resting his forehead against hers. “You sure you’re feeling okay? Not dizzy anymore?”

“I’m okay,” she assured him, clutching his T-shirt.

Nash’s lips nipped at hers. “I missed you today. I kept seeing you and Max together. It was all I could do to ignore the way his arms were around you. His lips where mine should be.”

Chills spread over her body. Tingles started low in her belly and coursed throughout. That hint of jealousy pouring from Nash’s lips thrilled her more than it should...considering this was supposed to be a fling.

“We were acting,” she murmured against his mouth. “You know we’re playing a young couple in love.”