“We could,” Matthew said slowly. “But this has always been the nursery on this side of the house.”
“On this side of the house? There was more than one nursery?”
“Previous generations haven’t exactly had the same access to contraception as we have.”
“Oh, yes, because contraception worked for us.”
“In contraception’s defense, you didn’t use it properly.”
I nodded slowly. “Fair point.”
His body shook with a quiet laugh, and he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “But yes, there was more than one nursery. Mostly out of necessity if there were guests—there was one for the guests to use for their babies and their staff.”
That made sense.
“As time went on and the public side of the house needed more and more maintenance, the primary living quarters became this side of the house,” he went on. “This has been the nursery for one-hundred-and-fifty years.”
“I guess this is the nursery, then.”
“If you’re not happy—”
“Well, you should have thought about that before you sob-storied me into it.” I sighed, stepping away from him. “You’ll have to get someone in to look at the room, won’t you? Maybe the others if we’re going to keep on falling through floors.”
“You didn’t fall through the floor,” he said slowly. “Only a little bit.”
“A little bit is still a little bit.” I wrapped my arms around my waist with a sigh. “Do you still have your old nursery furniture?”
“If it’s not in here, it’ll be somewhere. Why? Do you want to use it?”
“Do we have a choice?”
“Yes, we do. A lot of it really is old furniture that might not be good.”
I perked up. “Really old furniture?”
“That was a mistake,” he muttered. “Yes, really old furniture. I think there’s a Scotch dresser in storage, and the crib my parents used for me was first used for my great-grandfather.”
I stared at him. “Those. I want those.”
“I forgot about your old furniture love.”
“Oh, my God. The chair you bought me can go in here!”
Matthew blinked.
“Do you think Bethan gets rocking chairs? Or comfy armchairs that are old?”
“I fear I’ve created a monster,” he said slowly. “We can ask her to keep an eye out.”
“And a footstool.” I looked around. “Ooh, maybe a nice lamp. Something timeless.”
“I have created a monster.”
I held up my hands and headed for the door. “If my future grandchildren are going to live in this room, it’s going to be pretty.”
“So what you’re telling me is that it’s your way or the highway.” He followed me out, making sure to close the door behind him.
“It’s always my way or the highway,” I retorted. “Except the marriage thing. That was your way.”
“And it’s working out wonderfully, if you ask me.”
“Just as well I didn’t.”
He laughed and grabbed me, snatching me back against his body. My back was flush to his front, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, holding me completely still.
“That was rude,” he muttered in my ear.
“Wonderfully is a bit of an exaggeration. We haven’t killed each other yet.”
“That’s the exact reason I said it was going wonderfully. I had you pegged for trying to kill me at least three times by now.” He brushed his lips over the side of my jaw, just beneath my earlobe. “I thought for sure I was done for with that pregnancy test.”
“I’m biding my time,” I murmured, tilting my head to the side. “I’ll get you when you least expect it.”
“Mhmm. I’m sure you will.” He diverted us at the top of the stairs, turning us in the direction of our room.
Our room.
When did it become our room?
That was a new one.
Matthew kissed my neck again, and a shiver ran down my spine. It was the middle of the afternoon, but he didn’t seem to care, and he reached around me to the door handle as soon as we got there.
“What are you doing?” I breathed as he released his tight hold on me, sliding his hands down my body to my waist.
“Giving you a reason not to kill me.” His lips moved swiftly down my neck to my collarbone, and he crept one of his hands up, pulling back the collar of my t-shirt.
Anticipation fluttered through my body, and I inhaled as his fingers twitched against my skin. He slipped his other hand under my shirt and flattened it against my stomach, once again pulling me against him. The heat from his palm spread slowly across my body, and when he brushed his thumb across my stomach, I stilled.
An extremely uncomfortable heat washed over me from my head to my toes, and a familiar yet unwelcome clench tightened my tummy muscles.
Matthew paused. “Eva, are you all right?”
“Nope.” I shoved him away and ran out of the room, almost tripping over my own foot in my haste to get to the bathroom. I made it to the toilet just in time, but I wasn’t quite quick enough to get my hair out of the way.