Title: RARE AND PRECIOUS THINGS
(The Blackstone Affair Book 4)
Author: RAINE MILLER
hosted by: The Book Avenue
The fourth part in the New York Times bestselling series, The Blackstone Affair: A bright beginning for two damaged souls fighting for their hard-won love, and the promise of a new hope to secure their happily ever after.
Fresh from an idyllic honeymoon along the Italian coast, the Blackstones prepare for the birth of their precious baby and the challenges of settling into a new home. But things get complicated when specters from the past reappear to threaten the very foundation of their relationship. Ethan and Brynne will have to fight harder than ever for each other. Rare and Precious Things is the story of two people who both need the other in order to be complete, but learn just how "rare" their brand of love is when they have to risk everything in order to hold onto it.
I watched Brynne putting on her makeup and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I hoped she didn’t notice me staring because I didn’t want her feeling self-conscious. I knew she was a little because her body had changed so much. She was more beautiful to me now than ever though. Our little blueberry had grown right along with my girl.
“You’d better start getting ready or we’ll be late. Hannah and her plans wait for no man…” she trailed off, never taking her concentration away from the mirror where she was applying some kind of dark smudge around her eyes. She had on a short black lace getup that made me hard just looking, but she was only halfway dressed. Best to stick with the plan or we’d never make it to my Dad’s birthday dinner on time. I tried to force in some non-arousing thoughts about work.
“I’d much rather look at you though, Mrs. Blackstone,” I told her.
She made a soft sound. “Well my ass is getting bigger by the second, in direct competition with my belly. I hope my ass doesn’t win. At the end of this gig, I just want the baby, not the extra ass.” She looked up into the mirror at me, her expression giving away little of what was on her mind. Still so mysterious, my girl was. I loved that aspect of her though. Made me even more determined to get as close to her as I possibly could so I could touch and taste and absorb every available molecule. My need for Brynne was still as strong as ever. I had no doubts that would ever change either.
“Your arse is perfection and you’ll never hear me complaining ‘bout a bit more of you to grab hold of.” I gave her a slow wink and a lecherous grin. “From back here, you don’t even look pregnant.” I came up behind her and plastered myself against her body, my hands sliding forward to rest on her bump. “I have to do this to really know you’ve got anything here.” I splayed my palms over the firm rounded swell of our baby growing safe inside her.
She leaned back and rested her weight against me. “Oh something’s there all right,” she said, “that you put there.”
I grinned behind her. “I really enjoyed doing that by the way.”
“I seem to remember that you did,” she said dryly.
“Oh you enjoyed it too, Mrs. Blackstone.” I slid my hands around back to her grip her bum. “Mmmmm…you feel perfect to me,” I mumbled.
“Did I ever tell you how much I love when you call me Mrs. Blackstone?”
“You have not, but I’m delighted you love your new name.” I spoke toward her image in the mirror. “I know I love the sound of it. I know I love that my name is now your name. I love a lot of things…that I didn't have before.”
She reached her hand up to hold my cheek, still looking at me in the mirror. “You’re getting a new name too. We have someone coming to us soon who will know you only by one name, and it’s not Ethan.”
“Dad.”
“Yep. You are somebody’s dad now.” She smiled softly, a mixture of happiness and maybe a little sadness at the thought of her own father. “You’ll be the best ever…” she whispered.
Brynne always amazed me in her generosity—her ability to be so lovingly giving even in the face of her grief and loss. Brave. Strong. Magnificent. I kissed her on the back of the neck and rested my chin on her shoulder, both of us staring into the vanity mirror at each other. “I love the sound of it—Dad. I’m a dad and you’re a mum.”
“We are indeed.”
I returned my hands to her belly. “I love our little grapefruit in here.” I turned her around and held her face in my two hands. “And I love you, Mrs. Blackstone.”
“I love you more,” she said.
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