In Her Own Time Read online

  “Yes, sweetheart, I will stay as long as you want me.” I didn’t just mean in that moment.

  I open the bar fridge when I get back to my room and open a beer. “Cheers to becoming a dad, arsehole, don’t fuck it up.”

  Firing up the laptop I flop back down on the bed making myself comfortable whilst I search online bookstores. After reading a couple of reviews I purchase the recommended books, arranging for delivery to the hotel and shut it back down.

  I lay in bed, resting the back of my head on my hands, as I stare up at the ceiling, Beth’s pregnancy was a complete game changer and I needed to come up with a way to show Beth I was serious about her and being around for the baby. If it had just been the two of us and I had been able to convince her to give me a chance then at the end of the day if she decided I couldn’t make her happy then I would let her walk away, but now we have a third person involved I need her to realise that no one else will make her happy the way I will. How the fuck was I supposed to be able to do that?

  The next morning my focus is on getting the project wrapped up with Harvey and Julia. Before I leave the hotel suite I draft an email to Walter, updating him with the status, as well as advising him of my intention of taking time off.

  Before I have a chance to leave my rooms Walter is on the phone to me.

  “You’re taking leave, what is this about Nash?”

  “I’m entitled to annual leave, Walter, and I plan on using some of it.”

  “How long were you planning on taking?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know but it needs to be as soon as this project is wrapped up.”

  “Right, well can you let me know how long once you’ve decided; I can shuffle things around here as best as I can but I can’t do it indefinitely. I had planned on sitting down with you next week when you returned, as we do have a few things we need to discuss and I had wanted to do it in person.”

  “Walt, what is going on? Is it not something we can discuss over the phone?”

  After a heavy sigh he fills me in, “The board met on Tuesday after the meeting with the partners at Margison, and it was discussed that the work you are doing in Australia could be the opportunity they wanted to expand in that direction. They had been exploring other options, and right now it seems that Australia is the most viable direction to head in.”

  “Okay,” I drag the word out, still not following what Walter was trying to say. “So what are you saying, Walt?”

  “They expressed that they wanted you to head up the office there.”

  “Is this a joke?” I blow out a long slow breath, the universe is finally giving me the answer I could’ve been looking for, given this will actually work.

  “No, Nash, they are serious. Your commitment to the project has impressed them. They wanted to speak to you on your return, but now you don’t plan on coming back straight away they might reconsider, they indicated they wanted to move pretty quickly on this.”

  Fuck! The possibility of taking some time off to spend with Beth seems to be fading away to just a dream.

  “How long can you put them off?”

  “What could possibly be more important that you would need to put the board off, Nash? This is a huge boost for your career.” I note the impatience in his voice, I meet his with my own. It shouldn’t matter the reason, I was entitled to the time and I wanted to take it.

  “I need some personal time, Walter.”

  I hear him sigh, and I get the feeling he is waiting for me to reconsider and ask him how high when he tells me to jump, but not this time. “I will see what I can do. I’ll be back in touch.”

  “Walter, one thing before you go.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “It’s about Gemma. That girl needs a pay rise; can you do something about that?”

  “Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

  The presentation with Harvey, Julia and the other partners couldn’t have gone better. Normally I’d have a couple of lingering butterflies, some final nerves I hadn’t been able to settle, but today I was confident and invested elsewhere, so getting through the presentation was merely a formality because as soon as it had wrapped I was on to focusing on bigger things.

  I call Beth as I’m heading toward the elevator bank.

  “Hi.” She greets me; the sound of her voice was welcome and forced a grin to my lips.

  “Hi. How are you feeling today?”

  “I’m fine, and look I meant to call you and say thank you for last night.”

  “It’s no problem. I was wondering if you would let me take you out to dinner.”

  “Not tonight, Nash, I’m tired and I ache, and can’t stomach anything other than vegetable soup with dry crackers at the moment.”

  “In that case, will you let me come around and take care of you then?”

  “I don’t know, I really just want to go home and lay on the couch.”

  I’m at the door to her office and can see her shutting down the computer. “Is that what blue means?”

  “Blue?”

  “Your shoes.” She spins around in her chair to face me at the same time she drops the phone from her ear.

  “No, they are the lowest shoes I own. I feel like I have been hit by a truck and I don’t want to add to my body’s revolt by raising it by a couple more inches.”

  “Beth, I’m taking you home and I won’t be taking no for an answer, so if that means I need to carry you out of here then I will.” I step toward her to prove to her how serious I am, her eyes go wide and her lips part, I am desperate to kiss her. “Beth?”

  “Hmm?” Her eyes are on my mouth before they flitter back to meet mine.

  “Are you going to make me carry you?”

  “No. I am not a child.” She pouts, and it only makes me want to kiss her more, harder and deeper than would be appropriate for a workplace.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Beth

  When I get home Nash insists I relax on the sofa while he orders delivered take out.

  “Do you ever cook?” I ask him, tucked under the soft blanket on the couch.

  “Like with a stove and stuff?”

  “Yeah, pots, pans or even a toaster?”

  He rolls his eyes at me as if my question was completely absurd. “I can make toast, sweetheart. I spread some mean jam too, in case you ever have cravings for strawberry jam on lightly toasted bread, then I am your man.”

  My man? If only I could trust that to be true beyond the point of jam on toast.

  “So you’re quite a technical breakfast cook then?”

  “Yes, one might say that.” He lifts my feet to slide in under them, uncovering my feet he begins to massage them.

  “Can I ask you how often you impress women with your culinary breakfast skills?”

  “Are we back to asking me about the women I have been with, sweetheart?”

  “No, well yes, kind of I guess.” I suck my lip into my mouth, nibbling the skin. Cringing at hearing the truth of just how experienced Nash was with women. I watch as the tip of his own tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip.

  “If I said I was celibate before you I doubt you would believe me, you have already claimed I have a harem of sluts remember.” Tucking my feet away again, he stands only to kneel in front of me. Taking my hands in his.

  “I remember. So does that mean you aren’t going to tell me?”

  “How many men have you had breakfast with, Beth?” He counters, turning the question back on me.

  I should’ve been expecting that since I had initiated the line of inquisition, but I hadn’t been prepared to answer it myself. “None, I’ve never been asked to stay for breakfast.”

  “So what makes you think I have?”

  “I’m well aware of your charm, Nash and I’m also acutely aware of how good in bed you are. Clearly.” I pat my stomach where our baby was growing.

  “Acutely aware huh? Does that mean you are thinking of me naked right now? Maybe a few flashbacks?”

  “Maybe.” I
challenge him with an arched brow. In one movement, his body is on mine, caging me in against the cushions. A nip at my ear shoots my pulse racing.

  “Sixteen.”

  “Sixteen?”

  “That is how many women I have slept with, sweetheart. None of them have been invited for breakfast.” There is a knock on the door, but he doesn’t move away from me, instead, he nuzzles my neck. “None of them have caused my dick to get hard from the sound of their voice or smell of their perfume.”

  There is another knock, longer, louder and more insistent now. Nash curses under his breath and leaves me to answer the door. I can feel my heart almost beating out of my chest; the blood is rushing in my ears.

  He comes back into the room a short time later with a grocery bag.

  “Hungry, sweetheart?” I certainly am now, but not for soup.

  I follow him into the kitchen and wrap my arms around his waist, whilst he is fussing with the bag. Tugging his shirt free from his waistband I slide it up his back.

  “Sweetheart, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m satisfying my appetite.”

  “Beth, stop.” He spins to face me and places his hands on my shoulders. “I can’t believe I am saying this to you, but you need to stop.”

  “Give me one reason to. Or are you no longer interested in me now I am pregnant?”

  He drops one hand from my shoulders, takes my hand in his and holds it to his groin; I can feel his dick hardening through the fabric of his pants. “Beyond interested. You are the sexiest and most infatuating woman I have ever met, but right now I really want you to have something to eat.”

  “Fine! I’ll eat something, but I do not appreciate being bossed around.” And in complete betrayal of my body, my stomach growls. Nash raises an eyebrow at me as the corner of his mouth curves into a knowing smirk.

  The soup was delicious, and I had managed to keep it down, Nash was clearly pleased with himself.

  “Nash, can I ask you something?” We were cuddled on the couch watching some ridiculous comedy on the TV.

  “Sure, anything.”

  “What do you see happening next?”

  “Well, I thought I might go make some tea.”

  “No, stud, with this.” I lay my hand over my stomach.

  “Well, I was going to wait to tell you but I spoke to Walter this morning actually, he’d met with the board and they have been considering expanding overseas, with Australia being their first choice.”

  “I don’t really understand what you mean, so you’ll be traveling here more? I already told you that I can’t have you here part-time. I can’t have you here one minute and leaving the next. It’s not going to work like that, is that how you think this will work?”

  “Hang on, Beth, we’re back at this place again?” His tone causes me to sit up straight to look in his eyes. “Are you issuing me an ultimatum?”

  “No. Geez. I’m just saying I don’t want to be selfish with your time when you could be out screwing whoever you want to, or at least having the choice to. We aren’t married, we’re not even dating for Christ’s sake. I know asking you to be here is asking a lot; maybe too much, your job is demanding and so is having a baby. I don’t want you to give up on living your life because it was my choice to keep the baby. Having a baby is going to change so much about your life, Nash.” With every word my stomach churns. “I’m offering you an out.”

  “I don’t want an out, Bethany.” His eyes narrow at me, taking me all in as if he was weighing up his words carefully.

  “Then what do you want?”

  “I want this baby with you. I want you to give us a chance. ”

  “I can’t see how it can work.”

  “This new position is likely to be based here, nothing to say I will be traveling nearly as much.” He runs his hands through his hair, frustrated. “Do you want to give us a chance, Beth? That is the only question right now.”

  Did I? “What does it involve? Maybe I need to weigh up the pros and cons.”

  “You want to treat me like a business proposition?” His face relaxes.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “So what did you have in mind?”

  “I have no idea, this is all new to me!”

  “New to me too, sweetheart.”

  “I promise not to run away from you, but stay and talk to you. How is that?”

  “Talking and staying is good. But speaking of staying,” I see him flinch, I can’t believe it, he’s planning on leave already! “I’m going to need to go back to London, soon. I’m waiting on Walter to come back to me with the details to know exactly when.”

  “You’re leaving? Well, that is a con.” I quip, with more acid in my tone than I intended.

  “I’m not leaving, it’s a business trip. I don’t know exactly when yet or for how long, but I promise you it will only be as long as necessary and not a day more. Therefore I would call that one for the pro column.”

  “Will you be here for the first midwife appointment?”

  “Yes, no matter when or how there is no way I would miss it, sweetheart.”

  “Okay, Nash. Will you stay with me the weekend?”

  “I can’t believe you even have to ask. I will show you how this can be a pro for the both of us. But isn’t that how this all started in the first place?”

  “You don’t have to look so smug about it. Con.”

  Waking up on Saturday morning wrapped in Nash’s arms was beginning to feel comfortable and that was scary; I enjoyed feeling the warmth and strength of his arms draped around my waist. Holding me tight, like it was just the three of us in this little world we’d created. It painted a pretty picture, of a life I didn’t know could exist but I was still waiting for the shoe to drop and for the dream life of the perfect family to turn to smoke. Waking me abruptly from the illusion.

  “Nash?” I needed to get up to pee.

  “Mmm?”

  “I need to get up to use the bathroom.” His hand starts to slide lower on my stomach, the tickling sensation is almost more than I can bear.

  “Nash, stop, I really need to pee.”

  “Fine, but I have every intention of starting something with you when you get back.” Nash murmurs against my hair before removing his arm, allowing me to escape.

  When I return to the bed Nash appears to have gone back to sleep, I snuggle back in with him watching his chest rise and fall with his breathing.

  “Sweetheart, are you watching me, again?” Without moving any other muscles he lifts one eyelid to look at me. In a flash, he rolls over and pushes me back into the mattress. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it is rude to stare?”

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you, Nash Gibson, that it is rude to poke?”

  As soon as the meaning of my comments registers Nash throws his head back to laugh.

  We don’t wake again until it is almost lunchtime, this time Nash is watching me when I open my eyes.

  “Hey, hello. You know how creepy this is?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been made aware. Only this morning actually.”

  “Oh, is that so?” I ask him, innocently as if the whole scene was something new to me.

  “Yes it is, now I don’t know about you but I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, now you mention it, I could really go for some jam and toast.” I state while keeping a straight face.

  “That just so happens to be my specialty. Stay here and I’ll be back.” He plants a quick kiss on my lips and I watch as he climbs from the bed, he slips my silk dressing gown on before he leaves the room.

  I lay back against the pillows, listening to the sounds of Nash whistling in the other room and it occurs to me that I’m happy. Genuinely, can’t wipe the smile from my face, contented, endorphin satisfyingly happy.

  Maybe it really was a sign that things could actually work for us.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Nash

  “Walter, I assume you’ve spoken to the board?”

  �
��Yeah, that is why I am calling, Nash, given your request for leave they have drafted a contract and emailed you a copy to review, then when you finish your leave we can discuss the nuts and bolts.” It was the best news I’d heard today, a real check in the box I needed in the plan for our future.

  “That sounds reasonable, Walter.” I downplay my excitement but I couldn’t wait to tell Beth, knowing I didn’t need to leave for a couple of weeks would be a huge weight of both off our shoulders. “I truly appreciate it.” I decided to invite her to lunch, and then I can break the news to her there.

  I’d taken Beth to work before heading back to my hotel room, working on tying up some loose ends and as promised, the draft of the contract had come through for me to look over.

  Nash: I have news, and I want to take you to lunch. Pick you up at 1?

  Beth: You’re being bossy, we both know I don’t respond well to that.

  Nash: Let me make it up to you then by taking you to lunch today at, say 1 o’clock?

  I am waiting downstairs when Beth appears from between the opening elevator doors. I pull her into my arms as she reaches me, and cover her lips with mine. It had been far too long since I had kissed her last.

  “Whoa, stud, that is a whole lot of PDA right there.” She pulls back but stays locked in my arms.

  “Is there something wrong with that?” I lace my fingers through hers and guide her toward the waiting car. “Come on, I have a reservation for us and I can’t wait to share the news with you.”

  “So you’re telling me that you don’t need to leave yet?” I’d just filled Beth in about the draft contract, and how there was no need at the moment for me to head back to London.

  “Not yet I don’t. I will need to in a couple of weeks but for now I’m staying in Willow Bay.” Reaching across the table, I take her hands in mine. “Now, I am going to be here when you have your first appointment with the midwife, and I want to go with you.” Her smile is the only reaction I needed from her; there was no way she was going to that appointment on her own. I was keeping my promise and could practically cartwheel over the idea.