Page 174 of Bleeding Hearts Duet

Chapter Thirty-Two

Brighton

“How long do you think we have to stay and keep mingling?” I asked.

Ryland paused and shot me a worried expression. “Are you getting tired?”

I smiled and shook my head. “No, I was just wondering when I can take my husband back to our room.”

He laughed and continued to hold me in his arms while we moved in time to the music. “Someone’s being greedy. You know how much I like that.”

I glanced at Matt and Nicole as they danced beside us, and I’d never seen her look happier. I hoped that it would last. I hoped that all the bumpiness was behind us now.

Norma danced with Ted, who’d made the journey to Florida as well. It took me by surprise at first though it probably shouldn’t have. He was the closest thing Ryland had to family. My heart squeezed in my chest when I looked up into his blue eyes. He looked as at peace as I’d ever seen him and I wanted him to stay that way forever.

Almost as if he could sense my train of thought, a dark look passed over his face.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said quietly. “I’m just… happy, baby girl.”

I nodded and swallowed down my fears. He didn’t have to say anything else because I knew his were the same. He’d told me once that happiness was fleeting, and as much as I didn’t want to believe that, I had to wonder if it was true.

I couldn’t let any of those thoughts have real estate inside of my brain. Ryland and I had a fresh start, and I wanted to put everything else behind us.

“Come on.” He reached down and threaded his fingers through mine. “I think we’ve mingled long enough.”

***

“Brighton, tell me what’s wrong.”

Ryland sounded worried, but he had no reason to be. I wrung my hands together and bit my lip to keep my voice from shaking. “It’s nothing. I’ll be out in just a minute."

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, wondering for the hundredth time if this was ridiculous. I’d never worn lingerie in my life. Well, not like this anyway.

The sheer white babydoll that looked great in the photos online only served to flaunt my growing belly, and I wondered if Ryland would even find it remotely sexy. The larger I got, the more I started to worry that at some point he would stop finding me sexy at all. I knew it was a ridiculous train of thought. I was growing a human, and my body had to change to accommodate that. But whether it was logical or not, those fears were still there.

“Brighton,” Ryland’s voice carried from the other side of the door. “If there’s something wrong, just tell me.”

I took a deep breath and twisted the knob.

His eyes met mine and then trailed down my body. I realized it was silly of me to worry because right away I saw the hunger he couldn’t hide.

“You are so fucking beautiful.” He gripped my hips in his hands and tugged me closer. My belly bumped into his, and I laughed.

“I was nervous,” I admitted.

“Why, baby?”

His hands smoothed up my sides and then dipped beneath the silk cups to play with my breasts. I could hardly think when he did that.

“I just didn’t know if you would like it,” I said. “Because I’m getting bigger, and I feel weird about it.”

“Brighton.” He burrowed into my neck and wrapped his hands around my waist to squeeze my ass. “You’re having my baby. You couldn’t be any sexier if you tried. You’re supposed to get bigger. I want you to get bigger. I want you healthy and happy. I’ll never stop thinking you’re beautiful, you only grow more so every day.”

I reached up on my toes and pulled his lips to mine, kissing him softly. “Thank you, Ryland. For everything that you’ve done this week. For today. I can’t believe you’re my husband.”

“Say it again,” he pleaded.

---