Page 49 of Unraveled

He lifted one hand and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Feeling better?” he asked softly.

“Mmm.” She nodded slightly and stretched out her legs but didn’t offer anything else.

Carter grinned. “We’re not even married yet and you’re already getting headaches?”

Her eyes slitted open to glare at him, but he could see the faint flicker of a smile at the corner of her lips. “In your dreams, Cross,” she quipped, then closed her eyes again.

“Are you always this cranky when you first wake up?” he teased gently.

Carefully avoiding her damaged shoulder, he trailed his fingers gently down her arm to the dip of her waist and swept his thumb over her stomach. “I wonder what you’ll be like a couple months in.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she blinked at him. “A couple months in what?”

“When you’re expecting our first kid.”

Her eyes widened before she schooled her features into a remote expression, and one eyebrow ratcheted toward her hairline. “Our first?”

“Yep. I’ve got it all planned out.”

She snorted. “Do you now?”

She pressed her lips together to quell the smile threatening to break over them, and he grinned in return. “Sure. Been working on this for a while now. Date a little while longer⁠—”

“We’re not dating now,” she pointed out.

It was his turn to lift an eyebrow. “You’re living with me.”

“Temporarily,” she corrected, “and only out of necessity.”

He waved her defense away. “For now. Anyway, date for a few more months, then convince you to marry me.”

“Sounds like a long shot,” Audrey interjected, and he threw a mock glare her way.

“Don’t interrupt. I figure we’ll be married for a year or two before we start trying, so I’m not too old to play with the kids.”

She blinked. “Wow. You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”

“Are you always this pushy?”

He grinned. “I think you knew the answer to that when you hired me.”

She rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t contain the tiny smile that flitted over her lips. “This is true.”

“What do you think?” he asked. “Did I miss anything?”

Her eyes held a glimmer of challenge as she looked up at him. “And, what? Am I supposed to put my career on hold to raise these imaginary children of yours and take care of the house like a good little wife?”

His face turned serious. “Not unless you want to. Do you really think I’ll try to make you give that up?”

She studied him for several seconds, then finally shook her head. “No. I don’t think you would do that.”

Her answer filled him with relief, and he brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Audrey?” Her brows lifted slightly in question, and he met her gaze. “I want to kiss you.”

It was both a declaration and a question. He wanted to push her, but never pressure her into something she didn’t want. She hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded. He slipped his fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head, then dipped his head and kissed her softly. Just once, just enough to show her how much he cared.

He lightly slapped her hip. “I’m gonna head down and start dinner. Come on down whenever you’re ready.”