“You arranged breakfast?” she asked, completely stunned. “What time is it?”
“It is way beyond time for breakfast, so I had it brought up to us.” Austin grinned.
He was proud of his decision. He never stayed long enough with a woman to have breakfast with her.
“Did the maid see us?”
When he saw Deena’s stricken expression, he could not help but laugh.
“Dee, we are married. Or did you forget?” He raised a brow at her.
“Oh, yes…I suppose I did forget.” She looked embarrassed.
Austin reached for the tray as Deena sat up straight and clumsily covered herself with the sheet.
“Tea first, or chocolate?” He struggled not to look at her perfect body outlined beneath the silk sheets.
“Chocolate,” she said immediately.
Austin’s lips twitched as he poured a cup, added a spoonful of sugar the way he’d seen her do at the breakfast table, andhanded it to her. She took it with both hands, cradling it like something precious.
Deena cleared her throat. “Last night was?—”
“Exquisite,” Austin finished for her. She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “Were you about to say something else?”
“No, I still…feel like I should do more for you.” Her hands trembled slightly as she held the cup.
Austin steadied her by placing his hand gently over hers. “I do not expect you to return the favor, especially when it comes to…that.”
Deena visibly relaxed. “But what if you regret it, and what if someone offers to…satisfy you?”
“I do not regret last night, or any other night spent with you.” He thought back to the meadow, where it all began.
He spoke the truth but not the whole truth. Austin did not want to admit that no one else would satisfy him ever again. It was too soon to confess that.
“We should eat; you will need your energy for the day.” He winked at her; Deena blushed and nodded eagerly.
They ate in companionable silence for a while, bread torn and shared, jam licked from fingers, fruit fed to each other between soft laughs. Every brush of their fingertips felt sensual, and every shared glance carried the weight of last night. Austin could hardly believe that a simple breakfast could feel so…intimate. He did not want to leave her side and could lay with her the entire day.
“It is nice when we team up instead of… being against each other,” Deena said suddenly.
Austin set his teacup back on the tray, confused by her words. “I was never against you, Dee.”
She looked up at him. “It felt like it. For a while.”
He frowned at her.
“I think you are mistaken. It was you who was against me.” He pointed out, and this time she frowned at him.
“But that was never my intention,” she argued.
“Yes, but do not mistake your actions with mine. I was merely against the choice you thought you had to make. But I was never againstyou.” Austin did not mean for his voice to rise, but he was tired of being wrongfully accused.
Deena’s gaze dropped. “My choice?”
“Yes, your choice to either save your friend or ruin me.” Austin slowly began to regret bringing up the topic as Deena crossed her arms over her chest.
She was starting to retreat from him again, but he had to voice the truth.
