He winced at his poor choice of words. “Well, maybe this night will be different.” He walked to the door. “Goodnight, Lilly.”
“Goodnight, Father.”
He left the room and jogged back downstairs, where he found Marina walking away from the front door. Her sisters had just left. She was smiling and humming softly to herself, and the sight of her made his heart beat faster.Have I ever seen her this happy before? Perhaps I should have arranged for her sisters to visit sooner.
She grinned when she saw him. “Is Lilly asleep?” she asked.
He nodded. “I’m sure she fell asleep as soon as I left her room.”
“Excellent,” she said. She smiled dreamily. “Today was so wonderful. Thank you for inviting them. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until they were here.”
“You can invite them any time you want. You do not need my permission.” The words were out of his mouth before he could think about them, but he did not regret them. It was only reasonable.
She raised her eyebrows. “Really? I thought they could only visit whenyouinvited them.”
I did say that, didn’t I?He enjoyed his peace and quiet, but it never should have been at the expense of his wife. “This is yourhome, too. You can invite whom you want. Just inform me in advance.”
Her smile was bright and sunny. It was beautiful, but it only made him feel more guilty because she rarely smiled like this, at least when it was just the two of them.
“I need to apologize,” he said softly.
Her brow furrowed slightly, but she did not say anything. Instead, she waited for him to continue.
“I remember you saying you felt invisible. That is my fault. I should have been more respectful of your feelings and listened to you more. Despite my best efforts, I can be irrationally stubborn at times.”
A wry smile tugged her lips as she stepped closer to him. “Sometimes?”
He breathed out a laugh and ducked his head, which brought their faces closer together. “Yes. Sometimes. But I don’t want you to feel invisible here. I need you to know that I appreciate everything you do for Lilly. For me.” His gaze dropped to her plump, soft lips. He had barely felt them during the wedding ceremony. Now that felt like a tragedy.
She licked her bottom lip, looking a little nervous. But she did not step away or break eye contact with him. “For you?” Her voice was a mere whisper.
You’ve made my life better. You’ve shown me that marriage does not have to be a nightmare.The words stuck in his throat. The thought of saying them made him feel like he was cutting himself open, and he could not do that. But she still looked up at him, waiting for a response and looking so beautiful …
All of his thoughts, rational and irrational, were scattered. Unable to restrain himself anymore, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers.
A shiver ran down his spine as he kissed her. He inhaled sharply, breathing in her sweet, gentle scent as he pressed a hand to the small of her back.
Marina let out a surprised noise that quickly turned into a sigh as she kissed him back. Timidly, she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and held them as if to steady herself.
The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but it was enough for Evan to commit every detail to memory.It is not enough. I could get a lifetime of kisses from her, and it would not be enough.He pulled away from her and studied her expression to make sure he had not made a horrible mistake.
She looked almost awestruck as she stared up at him with a flushed face. Her lips were red and slightly swollen from the kiss, and the sight of her made her all the more tantalizing. “T-thank you,” she said.
He raised his eyebrows at her, unable to stop the rush of satisfaction from making her trip over her words. “You’re thanking me for the kiss?”
She looked away. “It was unexpected.”
Concern filled him. “Was it wrong? I will not do it again if you are not willing.”
“No!” she said quickly. “I-I mean, it was not wrong. I liked it.”
“Good. So did I.” He cleared his throat and looked away, feeling flustered all of a sudden. “Good night, Marina,” he murmured before spinning on his heel and walking away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Marina spent the next three days thinking about the kiss. It was better than anything she ever could have imagined. She had felt so faint on her wedding day that she barely remembered the brief brush of his lips for the ceremonial kiss. As far as she was concerned, it was her first kiss.
If only it might not be my last.She thought as she watched Lilly set up her table for tea time.
