And yet, she was in his bed. So perhaps it was only a curse in part.
She snuggled up against him, her hand on his chest. “Mine,” she said.
He felt like he couldn’t breathe again, but this time he couldn’t blame the tightness of his tie.
He had made his bed. And he would use it thoroughly.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The next morningHeather had the feeling she might be staring down wrath and retribution.
So it was a shock to wake up to find a tray of coffee and pastries on her nightstand. She was surprised that he didn’t look angry. Standing there, gazing down at her, half dressed and gorgeous. Last night had been intense. And given the way things often were between them, that was saying something.
“Get dressed. We’re leaving.”
And here it was. The other shoe was about to drop. He was going to distance himself again. Become her forbidding stepbrother, rather than her passionate husband.
“I’m taking you on a honeymoon,” he said.
She sat up quickly, letting her blankets fall away. “Excuse me?”
“I am taking you on a honeymoon. I did not stutter.”
“You didn’t. But that’s not anything that we talked about.”
“No. But things have changed.”
“I have an ultrasound appointment next week.”
“I’m aware. We discussed it. But we’re going to go to the Bahamas for a few days. I have a private island there.”
“Of course you do. Is that where you take other women?”
The look he gave her was long-suffering. “It is where other people often schedule luxury vacations, but it is mine, and I wish to use it, so I will.”
Of course, luxury vacationing was literally his industry. And her first conclusion had been one that let her rest on jealousy. Because it was comfortable, honestly.
“When I think about you with other women it makes me feral,” she said, slightly annoyed with herself that she had given him that much. But they were married now. Why should she be embarrassed? Why should she feel insecure? He was hers. The end.
“You’re like me,” he said, his tone grim.
“In what sense?”
“You already know.”
She marinated on that while eating, and on the drive to the airfield. Then further on the plane. She was in love with him. She knew that. She didn’t think that he did. Nor did she think that he returned the feelings. For as much as they felt in sync when it came to sex, when she talked to him she still felt like there was a wall up between them.
So whatever commonality he was assuming, she wasn’t going to make the same assumption. Not when she could still feel that distance.
“What made you decide on this?” She decided to ask that rather than continuing to push at something he didn’t seem to want to discuss.
“Things have changed. And you and I need to come to a firm agreement on how everything is going to work. When we’re back in our lives at the estate, I imagine that will be the time. We have months before the baby is born.”
“Are you taking me on a sex vacation?”
His dark eyes sharpened, a muscle in his square jaw leafing upward. “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all. I just thought I would make sure of what my expectations were. You don’t want to bring a knife to a gunfight.”
