I have my family and they are always eager and more than willing to offer their opinions to me.”
His shoulders shook slightly as he chuckled, “Do you have such a large family then?”
Heaving a dramatic sigh, knowing her eyes were sparkling with love and laughter, she nodded, “I am the second oldest of nine, if you can imagine. And the oldest is my twin.”
He sucked in a harsh breath and she wasn’t sure if it was the number of kids her parents had or the mention of a twin. Squeezing his hand, she asked softly, “What of your family? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
His head moved slowly in a nod and his words were just as slow to come, “I have… several brothers but I have not seen them in many, many years.”
Tears filled her eyes as she put her other hand on top of the stone hand she held. “Do you miss them?”
“I do,” he answered quickly, unable to hide the wistfulness in his rocky voice. “But I have hopes of seeing them again. Soon.”
“That’s wonderful,” she breathed, her heart doing a little dance of joy for him.
“Yes.” He only said the one word but she could have sworn he was squirming, at least a little bit, in his seat. She really, really wished she could see his face, to study his expression as he talked. It had never occurred to her how large a role facial expression played in communication. Blowing out a breath, he murmured, “I am a twin, too. My br… my brother would have challenged me in some feat of athleticism for the pleasure of courting you.”
Heat seeped into her cheeks as she lowered her lashes, unable to prevent the smile that formed at his old-fashioned words. Glancing up at him from beneath her lashes, she asked, “Are you courting me?”
“That is what one calls it when they wish to get to know a beautiful girl better, is it not?” She heard the curiosity in his voice, the hint of amusement, and her blush deepened. “And I do wish to know you better.”
“I’m not that interesting,” she blurted, strangely flattered by the offer. “I don’t think it’s necessary to court.”
He stiffened and started to pull his hand away when she realized he took her words the wrong way. Wrapping both of her hands around his wrist, pulling with a great deal of effort, she quickly added, “I didn’t mean it like that, Roman. I’d like to get to know you it’s just…. I’ve never actually gone out on a date-date.”
There was a momentary pause before he asked, “Why is that?”
Embarrassed, she shrugged her shoulders and acted like it wasn’t an issue when it had bothered her a great deal. “Guys rarely ask me out and I’ve only asked a guy out a few times, but they always came up with some excuse to bail before the actual date. So I’ve never actually gone out on a date.”
“So, you want to… go out with me?” There was a wealth of suspicion and doubt in his voice and she wasn’t sure if she was making an even bigger fool of herself in front of this fascinating man.
“Well, I usually go out in groups,” she said. Licking her lower lip, she added, “But I don’t want that with you.”
“Because I embarrass you.” He said it so matter-of-factly, her heart broke a little bit for him.
Shaking her head, she smiled at him, “Not at all. It’s because my friends are nosy and once they get wind of you, we’ll never have another chance at this.”
“This?”
“This,” she repeated, flapping her hand around to demonstrate what she was talking about. “Just you and me getting to know one another. Without a bunch of wolves butting their heads in.”
He seemed to study her in silence, though she wasn’t sure how he was able to see from beneath the heavy cloak. She wasn’t sure if he was going to stay or go and she held her breath, hoping he remained where he was. Slowly, the stiffness eased from his arm and he relaxed once again, “I am perhaps a little sensitive to my appearance.”
“Will you show me?”
“Not yet,
His shoulders shook slightly as he chuckled, “Do you have such a large family then?”
Heaving a dramatic sigh, knowing her eyes were sparkling with love and laughter, she nodded, “I am the second oldest of nine, if you can imagine. And the oldest is my twin.”
He sucked in a harsh breath and she wasn’t sure if it was the number of kids her parents had or the mention of a twin. Squeezing his hand, she asked softly, “What of your family? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
His head moved slowly in a nod and his words were just as slow to come, “I have… several brothers but I have not seen them in many, many years.”
Tears filled her eyes as she put her other hand on top of the stone hand she held. “Do you miss them?”
“I do,” he answered quickly, unable to hide the wistfulness in his rocky voice. “But I have hopes of seeing them again. Soon.”
“That’s wonderful,” she breathed, her heart doing a little dance of joy for him.
“Yes.” He only said the one word but she could have sworn he was squirming, at least a little bit, in his seat. She really, really wished she could see his face, to study his expression as he talked. It had never occurred to her how large a role facial expression played in communication. Blowing out a breath, he murmured, “I am a twin, too. My br… my brother would have challenged me in some feat of athleticism for the pleasure of courting you.”
Heat seeped into her cheeks as she lowered her lashes, unable to prevent the smile that formed at his old-fashioned words. Glancing up at him from beneath her lashes, she asked, “Are you courting me?”
“That is what one calls it when they wish to get to know a beautiful girl better, is it not?” She heard the curiosity in his voice, the hint of amusement, and her blush deepened. “And I do wish to know you better.”
“I’m not that interesting,” she blurted, strangely flattered by the offer. “I don’t think it’s necessary to court.”
He stiffened and started to pull his hand away when she realized he took her words the wrong way. Wrapping both of her hands around his wrist, pulling with a great deal of effort, she quickly added, “I didn’t mean it like that, Roman. I’d like to get to know you it’s just…. I’ve never actually gone out on a date-date.”
There was a momentary pause before he asked, “Why is that?”
Embarrassed, she shrugged her shoulders and acted like it wasn’t an issue when it had bothered her a great deal. “Guys rarely ask me out and I’ve only asked a guy out a few times, but they always came up with some excuse to bail before the actual date. So I’ve never actually gone out on a date.”
“So, you want to… go out with me?” There was a wealth of suspicion and doubt in his voice and she wasn’t sure if she was making an even bigger fool of herself in front of this fascinating man.
“Well, I usually go out in groups,” she said. Licking her lower lip, she added, “But I don’t want that with you.”
“Because I embarrass you.” He said it so matter-of-factly, her heart broke a little bit for him.
Shaking her head, she smiled at him, “Not at all. It’s because my friends are nosy and once they get wind of you, we’ll never have another chance at this.”
“This?”
“This,” she repeated, flapping her hand around to demonstrate what she was talking about. “Just you and me getting to know one another. Without a bunch of wolves butting their heads in.”
He seemed to study her in silence, though she wasn’t sure how he was able to see from beneath the heavy cloak. She wasn’t sure if he was going to stay or go and she held her breath, hoping he remained where he was. Slowly, the stiffness eased from his arm and he relaxed once again, “I am perhaps a little sensitive to my appearance.”
“Will you show me?”
“Not yet,
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