He couldn’t say why the sight pleased him so much.
“Thanks,” she said as he handed over the new toothbrush. He couldn’t stop staring at her as she wet the brush, squeezed on a glob of toothpaste, and leaned closer to the mirror to inspect her teeth as she brushed.
“What,” she mumbled around her mouthful of soap. “Why are you staring?”
Nick chuckled. “Sorry. It’s just not every day that I get to see you like this.”
She spit in the sink and cupped her hand under the faucet to rinse her mouth. “Like what? A hot mess?”
He shook his head. “Normal. Human. You look adorable.”
She wiped her face on his towel and then flicked the light off. “Now I know you’re lying. There’s nothing adorable about this.”
He pulled back the comforter and she slid beneath it, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she yawned. When he turned the light off, she sat up straight.
“Wait? Where are you going? You aren’t going to…”
Nick turned the light back on. “Raina Winters,” he said mockingly. “Did you think I was going to get you half-naked in my bed and then take advantage of you while you’re too weak to resist me?”
Raina stared at him for a minute before saying, “Well, yes.”
Nick leaned down and took her lips in a soft kiss. He swallowed her soft moan, teasing her lips with his until she opened for the first stroke of his tongue. Her hands tangled in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer as she kissed him back.
Just before he lost his mind, he pulled back and nipped her bottom lip gently.
“One of the things a husband does is put your needs ahead of his. You need to sleep on this decision.”
Raina cupped his cheek. “I’ve already decided. Let’s get married.”
Nick was quiet for a moment, then he nodded. “Okay. I’ll wake you early tomorrow and we’ll fly to Vegas. I’ll go book our seats now.”
Then he turned the lights out and left her alone in his bed.
* * * * *
LATER THAT NIGHT, Ridley got into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. Jackson was still in the shower, so she had a few minutes to brood before he came back.
What was I thinking telling Nick all that?
As much as she loved her future brother-in-law, she was well aware of his faults. He was so used to women throwing themselves at him that a woman like Raina, who was genuinely hard to get, had to present an unusual challenge.
One he couldn’t resist trying to conquer.
But what if it was more than that? Ridley couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, but there was something about the way Nick looked at her sister. Something that made her think his continued attempts to romance Raina were about more than just sex. He watched her when he thought no one else was looking and his eyes revealed more than the words coming out of his mouth.
“Okay, I was going to just let you stew in peace, but I can’t take it anymore. What’s wrong with you?”
Ridley turned to see Jackson standing in the doorway that connected to the en suite bathroom, rubbing the water from his arms with a towel. Her mouth went dry as she followed the path of a single drop down his muscular chest, below his belly button…
“As much as I appreciate your distraction, I actually want an answer to this question,” Jackson remarked dryly.
Ridley reluctantly pulled her gaze up to meet his eyes. Good grief, the man was fine. Too fine for his own good. It was scary at times to think what her life would be like if she’d turned left instead of right, or done anything that would have prevented her from coming to Virginia last month. She would have missed out on the best thing that had ever happened to her. She was just trying to make sure that Nick and Raina didn’t miss their chance. Which made a little bit of meddling okay, didn’t it?
“Nothing. I’m just thinking about everything that happened tonight. The tabloid picture and then that awful pres
s conference. And then Nick going on stage. I’m just worried.”
Jackson threw the towel over his shoulder and walked across the room stark-naked to rummage through his dresser. “I know she’s your sister and worry comes with the territory, but Nick would never hurt her. Plus, I think we might need to be more worried about Nick.”