“I see you got roped into babysitting,” he commented, amazed that the baby could sleep through the loud music blaring out of the speakers.
“I offered my services.” She glanced down and drifted her fingers over the soft tufts of blond hair on the little girl’s head in a loving gesture. “Jennifer was getting fussy and I thought I’d give Jo and Dean a break so they could enjoy a few dances without worrying about the baby.”
“That was nice of you.” Then again, he wasn’t surprised. The woman had a generous, giving heart.
She shrugged. “Considering the very busy day she had, all it took was a few sips of milk from her bottle and she was out like a light.”
Noah highly suspected that Natalie’s maternal instincts had a lot to do with why his niece was cuddled so trustingly in her arms, as well. He experienced a twinge of envy as he took in the way Jennifer’s cheek was pressed to Natalie’s soft breast. He knew from personal experience just how comfortable those twin pillows could be.
He looked out toward the dance floor, finding his sister and brother-in-law enjoying the tunes being played. Jo was obviously teasing Dean over something that made the other man unexpectedly grab her around the waist and twirl her around in a series of fancy dance moves, which made Jo laugh out loud. Her blue eyes sparkled, and Noah loved seeing his sister so happy, and no longer allowing past mistakes to dictate her future. Both Noah and Cole had Dean to thank for Jo’s transformation and considered him as much a part of the family as another sibling.
“Jo and Dean seem to be having a good time,” he said, speaking what was on his mind.
“Hmm, so am I,” Natalie replied, her gaze never leaving the baby in her arms. She pressed a finger against Jennifer’s tiny palm and the little girl instinctively clutched Natalie’s finger in her sleep. Natalie sighed, the sound rife with longing. “Isn’t she just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?”
Leaning close, Noah nuzzled Natalie’s neck, inhaling deeply of her warm, feminine fragrance tinged with the scent of baby powder. “After you, yes.”
She shivered and cast him a look filled with sensual promise…for later. “You know how to say all the right things, don’t you.”
He grinned rakishly. “I speak the truth.”
She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to Jennifer. “Just look at her, Noah. She’s so perfect.”
“That’s because she’s sleeping,” he said, a teasing inflection in his tone. “You obviously haven’t been on the receiving end of her crankiness. Jen takes after her mother. When she’s in one of those moods, she reminds me of Jo when she’s ticked off.” He shuddered for effect.
Soft laughter escaped Natalie. “You are so bad.” She met his gaze, suddenly growing serious. “Holding her in my arms, I realize that I want a big family someday, especially since I was an only child and didn’t have any siblings. I want that, for me and our children.”
Our children. Oh, wow. Her reference to them having babies together struck him square in the chest, toppling him a bit off balance emotionally. He wanted things with Natalie that he’d never dreamed possible, never allowed himself to believe could be his. A wife. Babies. A family of his very own. It all seemed so close, so within his reach…yet they were living a lie, and their relationship was still precarious at best.
“What about you, Noah?” she asked, her question definitely calling for an answer, especially since she believed they were engaged to be married and a discussion about kids would be perfectly normal. “Do you want a big family?”
He swallowed hard and dredged up the most honest response he could put together. “Yeah, when the time is right, I would love a big family.”
She gave him a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “I’m glad we agree on that.”
Minutes later, Jo and Dean came up to the table, breathless and looking like newlyweds themselves, and Noah was grateful for the interruption, which distracted Natalie from more talk about babies.
“I think us old married folk are going to head home and put the little one to bed,” Dean said.
Noah witnessed a shared look between the couple and saw Dean’s excuse for what it was…the chance to spend a romantic evening with his wife. Noah understood, because he couldn’t wait to get Natalie alone, either.
Natalie brushed her lips over Jennifer’s brow, then glanced up at Jo. “If you ever need a babysitter, just let me know. I absolutely adore her.”
“Thank you for the offer. And judging by how content she looks, I think the adoration is mutual.”
Dean gathered up his sleeping daughter while Jo collected the baby paraphernalia on the table and dumped it into the diaper bag. With one last goodbye, the trio exited the party, leaving Noah and Natalie sitting alone at their table.
Just as the band switched to a slow ballad, Noah picked up Natalie’s hand and caressed his thumb over her knuckles. “How about one last slow dance before we head home, too?”
She nodded and stood. “I would love that.”
He led her out to the parquet floor where only a handful of other couples were enjoying the music and pulled her tight into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and flowed into him, breasts to chest, thighs to thighs. He splayed a hand at the small of her back and aligned their hips, too. Their bodies brushed with every movement, heightening the awareness between them.
Natalie looked up at him, her gaze searching his in the dim lighting. “Noah…when are we getting married?”
Her unexpected question startled him for a moment. Then frustration settled in. It was getting more and more difficult to keep up the pretense between them, to continue to let Natalie believe something that just wasn’t real, no matter how much Noah wished otherwise. “We haven’t set a date yet.”
“Maybe we should,” she said, smoothing her hand beneath his suit jacket, her palm coming to rest over his rapidly beating heart. “That way I can have something to look forward to and start planning.”