eyes met his and she realized he was still thinking about what she’d said. Was he missing his parents? How sad. Funny that he’d never told her about them at all.
“How could they have left this beautiful house?” she asked him.
“You should have seen it when I was a kid. The estate was twice this big and the condition was ten times better. Financial reverses did my father in about fifteen years ago.”
That made her curious. “Where did they go?” she asked. “To the continent?”
“No.” He flashed her a quick look. “Believe it or not, they went to Florida and bought a condominium and have been quite happy ever since. I don’t think they’ll ever come back.” His eyebrows knit together and he looked at her as though he found that hard to believe.
She nodded, suppressing the trace of a grin. “Some people like sunshine on the water.”
“As opposed to fog and rain clouds?” His smile was quick and humorless as he described the usual weather in Ambria to a T. “I suppose.”
They were standing very close and he turned, putting his hand on her shoulder for a moment, as though to balance himself. Then his face changed and he moved closer, leaning in, spreading his fingers over the small of her back.
“You did say you were married, right?” he asked, his voice low and musical.
“Yes.” She looked away. “Technically, I’m married.”
He touched her chin with his finger. “No hope of getting back together?”
She met his crystal gaze and shook her head. “No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Good.” He pushed her hair back behind her ear. “Because I want to kiss your neck.”
“What?” She reacted, but she didn’t really pull away. How could she when every nerve in her body was reacting as though violins were playing?
“Don’t move, now,” he said in a soft, half-teasing voice. “I’m a sick man, you know. I must be humored.”
“That’s outrageous.” But she was laughing low in her throat. “And it’s cheating, too.”
“I’ll have to plead guilty to that.” His breath was warm on her skin. “But something about you makes me crazy. I can’t stay away.”
His face was nuzzling her neck by now, and then she felt his tongue, sending shivers all through her system.
“Mykal,” she said, and her voice almost sounded like a whimper. She turned her face and he brushed his cheek against hers. And then he’d pulled back, as though nothing had ever happened.
The look in his eyes as he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand was heavy with a sensual vibe that made her blood feel like maple syrup. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” he said simply.
Shock slashed through her like a lightning bolt and her eyes went very wide. How could he tell? No one knew. She hadn’t told a soul and she was still so thin from the prison camp ordeal.
“I…uh…no…” she stammered.
“Don’t worry. I can keep a secret.” His wide mouth twisted in a half smile. “But I thought I could tell when you were helping me to the bed. I could sense it.” He looked at her with a sense of regret. “I hope it’s true. You should be very happy.”
She glanced away, but her throat was choked and there was no way she could force out any words. How on earth could he tell? She’d been sure it would be weeks before anyone would see it. Did he remember…? But no, there was nothing to remember. He’d never known. She hadn’t even known until she was in the prison camp.
Was it because he was the father? Did he have some special, magical sense of his own child? It seemed impossible. And yet…
He led her to a guest room and showed her the view along the other side, one that was partly lit with electric lights. She followed him willingly. It was almost as though he’d hypnotized her now.
“Take a look out here. There’s the duck pond. Too bad it doesn’t look like anyone’s maintained it for a long time.”
She loved the quaint setting.
“How could they have left this beautiful house?” she asked him.
“You should have seen it when I was a kid. The estate was twice this big and the condition was ten times better. Financial reverses did my father in about fifteen years ago.”
That made her curious. “Where did they go?” she asked. “To the continent?”
“No.” He flashed her a quick look. “Believe it or not, they went to Florida and bought a condominium and have been quite happy ever since. I don’t think they’ll ever come back.” His eyebrows knit together and he looked at her as though he found that hard to believe.
She nodded, suppressing the trace of a grin. “Some people like sunshine on the water.”
“As opposed to fog and rain clouds?” His smile was quick and humorless as he described the usual weather in Ambria to a T. “I suppose.”
They were standing very close and he turned, putting his hand on her shoulder for a moment, as though to balance himself. Then his face changed and he moved closer, leaning in, spreading his fingers over the small of her back.
“You did say you were married, right?” he asked, his voice low and musical.
“Yes.” She looked away. “Technically, I’m married.”
He touched her chin with his finger. “No hope of getting back together?”
She met his crystal gaze and shook her head. “No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Good.” He pushed her hair back behind her ear. “Because I want to kiss your neck.”
“What?” She reacted, but she didn’t really pull away. How could she when every nerve in her body was reacting as though violins were playing?
“Don’t move, now,” he said in a soft, half-teasing voice. “I’m a sick man, you know. I must be humored.”
“That’s outrageous.” But she was laughing low in her throat. “And it’s cheating, too.”
“I’ll have to plead guilty to that.” His breath was warm on her skin. “But something about you makes me crazy. I can’t stay away.”
His face was nuzzling her neck by now, and then she felt his tongue, sending shivers all through her system.
“Mykal,” she said, and her voice almost sounded like a whimper. She turned her face and he brushed his cheek against hers. And then he’d pulled back, as though nothing had ever happened.
The look in his eyes as he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand was heavy with a sensual vibe that made her blood feel like maple syrup. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” he said simply.
Shock slashed through her like a lightning bolt and her eyes went very wide. How could he tell? No one knew. She hadn’t told a soul and she was still so thin from the prison camp ordeal.
“I…uh…no…” she stammered.
“Don’t worry. I can keep a secret.” His wide mouth twisted in a half smile. “But I thought I could tell when you were helping me to the bed. I could sense it.” He looked at her with a sense of regret. “I hope it’s true. You should be very happy.”
She glanced away, but her throat was choked and there was no way she could force out any words. How on earth could he tell? She’d been sure it would be weeks before anyone would see it. Did he remember…? But no, there was nothing to remember. He’d never known. She hadn’t even known until she was in the prison camp.
Was it because he was the father? Did he have some special, magical sense of his own child? It seemed impossible. And yet…
He led her to a guest room and showed her the view along the other side, one that was partly lit with electric lights. She followed him willingly. It was almost as though he’d hypnotized her now.
“Take a look out here. There’s the duck pond. Too bad it doesn’t look like anyone’s maintained it for a long time.”
She loved the quaint setting.