The air seemed to still, the vines silent witnesses as the confession hung between us.
And then he smiled.
Chapter Seven
Leighton smiled. Smiled!
That was the first shock. Instead, his lips curved, slow and knowing, as though my confession had been nothing more than a clumsy slip at the dinner table. His eyes held no accusation, no hurt. Only something... softer. Something I couldn't name.
"You knew," I whispered, more accusation than question.
He gave a short nod. "Of course. Magnus told me."
Heat surged to my cheeks, shame and panic twining together. "Leighton, I... I never meant for it to happen. I thought he was..."
He pressed a finger gently to my lips, silencing me with that tender, steady touch. "Not here, not now," he murmured, his voice low, filled with something that made my chest ache. "Wait until we're back at the house. Then we'll talk.WithMagnus."
The name alone sent my stomach tumbling. I should have pulled away, should have argued, demanded to explain myself, but instead I let him twine his fingers with mine. His hand was warm, grounding. His grip, steady and sure. My heart stumbled and raced, hope stirring in me despite the confusion.
When we returned to the house, Magnus was already waiting as if he knew what had occurred in the fields. He leaned casuallyagainst the mantel, his dark eyes sweeping over me with that unreadable intensity.
Leighton guided me inside, closed the door, and didn't release my hand.
"Lisa," he said gently, "there's something you must understand. Magnus and I... we share everything." His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "We've always known we wanted a woman who could love us both. A wife who could be ours. Together."
The words struck like lightning, impossible to grasp. My mouth went dry. "Together?" I managed, shaking my head. "That's... that's not done. It isn't," I whispered the next word, "proper."
Magnus pushed off the mantle, his smile predatory and slow. "Proper sounds rather boring, don't you think?"
I couldn't help myself. Really, it was out of my control. "Not a few hours ago you were praising my logical and practical mind, now you're telling me proper is boring."
He chuckled. Chuckled!
"Darling girl, I'm going to have so much fun with you," he threatened before stroking my face with a rough finger. "We don't need proper. We need a match for both of us. We need extraordinary. I believe, if you let yourself, that could be you."
Extraordinary. Me. The word touched me in a deep, dark place I didn't want to acknowledge.
Leighton stepped closer, his warmth surrounding me. "We're not asking you to understand it all right now. Only to trust us and give us a chance."
"And to trust yourself," Magnus added, his gaze lowering to my lips. "Because you want it, Lisa. You know you do."
I shook my head in denial. "No! I... No, I don't know."
But my body betrayed me, trembling under their combined nearness, my breath catching as though some hidden part of me had already said yes.
They saw it.
Of course they did.
Leighton squeezed my hand, his eyes never leaving mine. "We'll take care of you. Both of us. You won't be torn between us, forced to choose, or left wanting. With us, you'll be whole."
The room spun, my heart pounding loud enough I thought they must hear it. Shock warred with temptation, fear tangled with want.
I was supposed to say no. To run. To cling to everything I'd been taught about what was proper.
Right?
"How would it even work?" I whispered, my voice threaded with anxiety, anticipation and need.
