Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
“Hand,” he ordered.
I held out my hand.
He dropped some pills into it. “Ibuprofen.”
“Perfect,” I whispered.
I took the pills while he walked around turning off lights.
He came to me, divested me of the glass, then I scooted into his bed while he kicked off his slippers, pulled off the long sleeve T-shirt he’d donned somewhere along the way and entered the bed with me.
He turned out the lamp on the nightstand and turned me into his arms.
I guessed he was giving in, and we were going to talk about it later.
I settled against him.
“If we stay, you’re moving in here,” he declared into the dark.
“You’re fresh,” I teased.
“I’m not joking. This isn’t sexy teasing texting. I’m being very serious.”
He sounded very serious.
“How about I move to the Magnolia Suite? We can leave the adjoining door open.”
“No.”
I lifted up. “Ian!”
He pulled me back down. “No. We’ll talk more later, but that’s the caveat. If we stay, you’re with me.”
“This is the zaniest courtship on record,” I griped.
“I’m not courting you. I’m trying to keep your mind in one piece so you can pay attention when I fuck you. You’ll want that too, just to say.”
“Arrogant.”
“Maybe, also true.”
“I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“Good. Then sleep.”
I humphed.
Ian held me closer.
I was still holding the ice to my head, which was a good excuse not to hold him back.
I thought I’d stay awake, but I woke up from a snooze when the ice bag skidded into my face.
Ian took it and tossed it to the floor.
“Go back to sleep,” he murmured drowsily.
It was only then I slipped my arm around him.
And I went back to sleep.
Twenty-Three
THE BEDROOM
I sensed a kerfuffle and opened my eyes to see Rebecca and Harriett moving through Ian’s bedroom.
With my suitcases.
I got up on an elbow, wincing a bit due to a twinge in my temple.
“You woke her up,” Rebecca said under her breath.
“Sorry, Daphne,” Harriett said to me.
“That’s okay,” I mumbled.
“We’ll just get on with this,” Rebecca replied.
And then they disappeared into Ian’s bathroom, and, my guess, beyond, where his closet probably was (I hadn’t snooped, but I was clearly going to need to change that this morning).
I turned my head when I saw movement out of the corners of my eyes and watched Ian striding to me.
He was ready to face the day. Jeans. An oatmeal T-shirt. An army-green, shawl-collar, cable-knit cardigan.
Scrumptious.
“So it appears we’re not talking this morning and you’ve made the decision I’m moving to your suite,” I remarked.
He grinned.
Then he reached to grasp me around my ribs and hauled me toward him.
My body collided with his, and I had no choice but to hold on to his shoulders as I dangled in his grip. And then I had to do it because his mouth came down on mine.
I had no thoughts of morning-breath kisses when his tongue swept inside, and I became aware that he’d been holding out on me the night before.
This kiss was hungry, no…greedy, demanding and commanding, and I was powerless to do anything but wrap my arms around his neck and give all he required.
And he required everything.
He lifted his head, and it took a couple of seconds, but eventually my eyes fluttered open.
“Good morning,” he murmured, those throaty two words rasping in a delightful way over my skin.
“Morning,” I replied.
He sat me in bed, sitting there with me, my hip to his, pressed tight, our arms still wound around each other.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
“Better,” I didn’t lie.
His gaze lifted to my temple. “Your head?”
“It’s okay.”
“They’re here mostly so you have your things to get ready and not have to go back to the Rose Room,” he explained. “And now, fast, give me five reasons that will convince me I should allow you to stay at Duncroft.”
As good as his kiss was, it wore off quickly on the word “allow.”
“Allow?”
“I said fast, Daphne. If you don’t convince me, I’m bundling you in my car in your pajamas and driving you to London myself. Jack or Sam can drive your car down.”
I studied him and realized he was dead serious.
Okay, last night had freaked me, but it seemed it had freaked Ian more.
“Reason one for you to stay,” I began. “You need to talk to your dad.”
It wasn’t my place to say, but that didn’t negate the fact it was plainly past time for those two to have a sit-down and iron things out.
I wasn’t going to get into the whole Lou thing. I hadn’t had time to think on it, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever tell him, and that sucked. I didn’t want to keep anything from him. It felt like a lie, holding that secret.
But the truth was, I didn’t want to do it, mostly because I didn’t want him to think badly of Lou. Though, I had to admit, I also didn’t want him to have more fodder to think badly of his father.