Chapter 15

"Here we are." Nolan's hand on my back guides me into the townhouse. "Make yourself at home, Leo."

On my first visit here, all I saw was the bedroom upstairs. When I ran away, I didn't stop to take in my surroundings. As I do so now, I can't help but be overwhelmed by the sheer opulence.

"Wow, this is so…" My eyes dart around, drinking in the furnishings and the beautiful artwork that adorns the walls. "Lavish."

And here I thought Nolan's rooms at his family's estate were opulent. I've never been in a place this grand before, and he expects us to live here?

A twinkle fills his eyes as he watches me take it all in. "You hate it."

I hug my elbows, afraid to touch anything. "No, it's great."

"The designer I hired to decorate it ran with the budget, which I now see was a mistake. After our experience with that tiny couch at the suite, I realize aesthetics over comfort isn't what's best for us." He gestures to the front room. "You have free rein to make this place comfortable, since we'll be spending most of our time here rather than at the family house."

Anxiety shivers through me. "I don't know. My style isn't billionaire chic. If you want to redecorate, hire a professional."

"A professional did this." He pulls me close, his arms encircling me. "I want you to make this your home, too, Leo. You're going to be waddling around, swollen with our baby, filling these rooms with happiness and building a life for us."

His words send a shiver down my spine, a mixture of excitement and fear.

He's so sure that I'm pregnant, that his vision is a guarantee. But what if there's no baby? What will happen if Nolan no longer has an obligation to keep me by his side?

Nolan told me to believe in him, but the part of me that's had my dreams crushed too many times won't allow me to just focus on the warmth of his embrace and the promise of a shared future.

It's why I've held off on sending in my employment applications or signing up for the next semester at university. There are three days until the doctor returns, three days until we find out if a child will forever bind our lives together.

Whatever the outcome, my heart will always belong to Nolan. But we've never exchanged words of love. It's too soon to expect it, but it leaves me so uncertain of where I stand.

Nolan nuzzles my hair. "Hey, what are you thinking about so seriously?"

"Just trying to wrap my mind around remodeling an entire house." The sun casts a warm glow through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the front room, illuminating the cream-colored walls and the ornate furniture that looks more decorative than user-friendly.

Among such luxury, l feel out of place, like an intruder in someone else's home.

Which I am.

"Leo?" Nolan tips my head up, his green eyes searching mine. "Are you okay?"

I force a teasing note into my voice. "Just wondering if you screwed all the windows shut."

His eyebrow arches. "Do I need to?"

"Might make for an interesting conversation the next time your family wants to threaten me." The words come out harsher than I intended, and I offer him a strained smile. "Sorry, that was a poor joke."

"No, you have every right to be upset." He caresses my cheek. "Meeting them was a lot, and now I'm throwing house plans at you. You're overwhelmed."

"Yeah, a little." My voice cracks, and I drop my gaze.

"I promise they're not so bad when they're not in overprotective mode. Just give them time." He hefts my bag higher on his shoulder. "You've had a long day. We can talk about ideas for our home in a few days."

A few days? I stiffen. Is he pushing it off until after the doctor's appointment because he has reservations?

He studies me for a moment before gesturing toward the stairs. "Let's get you unpacked. You can pick which side of the closet you want."

I try to sound lighthearted as I follow him up to the second level. "Are you sure there's room for me with all your suits?"

He reaches back to grip my waist. "Tease me now, but just wait until your pregnancy outfits push my clothes into the guest room next door."

I tense, and a heavy sigh leaves him.

In the bedroom, he drops my bag and draws me over to the bed, sitting me down on the edge.

He kneels in front of me and takes my hands. "Hey, it's okay to be anxious."

I lean forward to rest my head on his shoulder, trying to tamp down the fears gnawing at me. "I haven't shown any signs."

He strokes my back. "It's too early for that."

"I'm craving junk food." I roll my face into his neck. "Could that be a sign?"

"That I'm feeding you too many healthy meals? Yes, and I hear you regarding the restricted diet." He cups the back of my head. "The cook only comes twice a week, and she's not expected for two more days, so we can order your pizza."

I nibble on his throat. "Extra pepperoni and cheese?"

A rumble rises from his chest. "Whatever you want."

I bite his ear. "With a side of chicken wings?"

His hand fists in my blond strands, and he lifts my face to his. "Keep doing that, and you'll be on your back with your legs wrapped around me until morning."

I strain toward his lips. "Pizza is the breakfast of champions."

His grip on my hair tightens. "You're pushing it."

"We can search the kitchen for a blender and buy frozen strawberries and bananas." I hook a finger into the top button of his dress shirt and pop it open. "It will balance out the grease."

With a hand on my chest, he pushes me back and crawls onto the mattress. "Was that in your presentation?"

I wrap my legs around his waist. "Are you asking for a sneak peek at my spreadsheets?"

"I'll order groceries later." Hunger in his eyes, he leans down, his mouth covering mine.

Hours later, I wake up to moonlight shining through the window and Nolan missing from the bed.

Confused, I sit up and rub my eyes. Did he get called out for work?

I check for the note he usually leaves if he needs to go somewhere while I'm asleep, but don't see one.

What woke me up?

I reach across the mattress to touch the rumpled sheets left by Nolan's body and find them still warm. He hasn't been gone for long, and his phone is missing from the nightstand.

Maybe he got a call, and that's what jarred me from sleep.

Awake now, I slip out from under the covers. A delicious ache rises from my hips, and I rub my lower back as I shuffle to the closet to pull one of Nolan's shirts from a hanger. My bag of clothes still lies on the floor where Nolan dropped it. We never got around to unpacking or ordering groceries.

The soft material slips over my head, and I lift the collar to breathe in the clean scent of his fabric softener. I can't wait for everything of mine to smell like him.

Despite the satiation that filled my body when I passed out in Nolan's arms, my dick twitches with interest, and a smile spreads over my face. If Nolan just got up, then he's still in the house for me to go find.

On silent feet, I pad out of the bedroom and down the hall. I remember seeing an office on our way through the house. That's where he'll most likely be, which means there's a desktop to break in.

As I near the stairs, my steps slow at the sound of Nolan's deep rumble. "I told you not to come here, Jade."

"I wouldn't have to if you came to meet me as planned."

I recognize Phoenix's voice, whose real name must be Jade. He was nice to me, but now the familiarity in his tone makes my stomach twist with unease.

"You know why I couldn't make our appointment."

Dropping to the floor, I creep to the top of the railing and peer through the rungs.

Below, Nolan and the stripper formerly known as Phoenix stand close together in the foyer, their bodies relaxed in a way that reveals how comfortable they are with each other.

When working as a server, I never saw Nolan even give this Jade a passing glance, so why do they look like they're more than boss and employee?

Jade flips his long hair over his shoulder. "How long before you know if you knocked him up?"

Bile rises in my throat. Why does Jade know I might be pregnant? Why would Nolan talk to him about our situation? Then I remember how my suppressants went missing from my locker. Did Jade have something to do with that? No, he tried to help me. Didn't he?

"The doctor will be here in two days." Nolan grips Jade's arm and propels him toward the door. "You need to leave."

"Why?" Jade wiggles free. "Afraid Leo will catch us?"

Nolan's hands clench. "Yes."

"Then you should have left him at the family house." Jade straightens his form-fitting jacket, which I now notice is far nicer than what he wears to the club. "How long do you plan to keep this a secret from him? He's going to find out about us, eventually."

Nolan leans past him to yank the door open. "Get out."

"Fine, but I expect you to come see me in the morning." Jade wags a finger at him as he strolls out onto the porch. "No more neglecting me while you play house with Leo."

"Goodnight, Jade."

"Goodnight, Nolan." The pretty stripper blows him a kiss. "Love you."

Nolan hesitates in the process of closing the door. "Love you, too."

I slap my hand over my mouth to muffle my gasp and scramble back to the bedroom. My body trembles as I shrug out of Nolan's shirt and kick it under the bed to hide it before diving back beneath the covers.

Tears trickle down my cheeks as an empty ache opens in my chest, threatening to consume me.

Nolan always said I belonged to him, but he never said he belonged to me, and now I know why.

Someone else already owns his heart.