Wraith bent to whisper something and then she nodded, bit her little lip, and ran over to the bed. “This is for you,” she said, placing the animal gingerly on his lap. “It’s not as big as my Big Bun, so I think you should call it Little Bun.” She glanced up at Laine then back at Striker. “Or whatever you want to name him!”
Striker’s face lit up with a wide smile. “Thanks, Emmy. He’s almost as cute as you. And I think Little Bun suits him perfectly.”
Emmy beamed and hugged Laine’s leg.
Wraith leaned close to Striker’s ear. “Ya owe me $39.95 for that thing,” he muttered.
The room exploded with laughter, Laine’s tinkling higher than the others’. Roarke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side, so grateful to have her and Emmy with him.
He just needed to make it permanent.
Laine sat neck-deep in hot,bubbly water. While she hadn’t wanted Roarke to spend a fortune on a high-end hotel for them, she couldn’t hate the luxury of the soaker tub, heated tile floor, and towel warmer.
Emmy had passed out almost immediately after dinner. Her poor girl had been so tired. Emmy would certainly need therapy once they were more settled. Laine hadn’t brought up all the horrific events that had happened, but she knew Emmy was still processing everything. She needed time, and Laine would need tools to help her cope.
After returning from the hospital that afternoon, they’d ordered room service, Emmy had taken a bath, and then she’d fallen asleep in the king-sized bed.
Laine hated the idea of Roarke sleeping on the living room pullout, but tomorrow they’d all finally go to her father’s house. Heaviness weighed on her chest. Part of her was desperate to be inside the familiar walls, to feel safe and at home. The other part of her wanted to run from the memories woven into every fiber of the drywall.
And there was still a burning question.
Where did they go from here? The house was paid for. Roarke had told her he loved her. That should be enough comfort for now.
Roarke’s words continued to run through her head:That’s for me to worry about, honey.
How could she not worry about their future, though? She had a five-year-old and a life she needed to put back together into an image that included Roarke.
Rap,rap,rap
The gentle tap of knuckles on the bathroom door made her squeak. The water splashed as she jumped and put her hand to her chest. After the last week, her nerves might never settle. “Come in.”
Roarke entered and then shut the door behind him. His shoulders filled the space as he approached, slowly and deliberately. That was Roarke. He did everything with intention.
He sat on the edge of the tub and dipped his fingers into the water. “Yowch!” He yanked them out. “Why the hell’s that so hot?”
She chuckled. “I’ve got a chill.”
“How do you have any skin on your body?” His lips tipped up at the corners, and her belly swam.
“It’s not that hot,” she teased. “Do you need something?”
“You were in here for a while. Just wanted to check on you. Want me to leave you alone?”
“No,” she replied without hesitation.
He relaxed a little. “What are you thinking about?”
She blew a breath threw her lips. “Everything. Where Emmy and I go from here. It’ll be weird to see my dad’s house tomorrow.” Painful.
He nodded. “I was thinking that, too. Lots of memories. It’ll be hard.”
Sadness gripped her. It hadn’t crossed her mind that Roarke would have his own nostalgia to contend with in the house.
“I’m just confused.” She stretched her foot and caught a clump of bubbles on her toes. “It’s silly for us not to stay there when the house is paid for. I just don’t really want to, and I hate not knowing where my life is headed.”
His large palm settled on the back of her head. Intensity flared in his hazel orbs, a mosaic of desire and determination. “Are you saying you don’t want to be with me?”
She leaned forward. Water sluiced off her body and exposed her bare breasts. The brisk bathroom air nipped at her skin and puckered her nipples. “Of course not.”
