Davin
Davin stood watching her for a moment before stepping away. He walked a few paces before stopping in front of the other door, gently brushing his fingers over the wood. Sadness crashed through him. The memory took over, slamming into his mind like a wave, with no way to protect himself from it.
There she was, her red hair cascading down her back, her cheeks pink from exertion. Paint splattered her clothes from where she had been working on the nursery. She stood, her head thrown back as she laughed, hands threaded in his hair as he knelt at her feet, his face pressed against her barely rounded belly. The baby kicked him. Jerking back, he laughed too, before springing to his feet. Lifting her, he spun in a circle. His family. Everything that was right in his world was there in that one little room.
The Gods had brought her to him, had blessed them with the tiny babe growing in her stomach. He had never been happier. “I love you, Nila,” he said, raining kisses on her face. Her eyes, bright with tears brought on by her laughter, crinkled. “I love you too, Dav.” Stilling, he held her in his arms, one hand cupping her belly. “I can’t picture a world without you in it. The two of you.” She smiled up at him, going up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his mouth. “I would never leave you for all the realm, Davin Monroe. You are stuck with me. Us.” The last word said as she placed her hand atop his.
His eyes glistened with unshed tears. He furiously blinked them away. “But you did leave. Both of you.” He murmured. It never got easier, the pain he felt when he thought of them. It had been two long years, and it still felt like yesterday that she was in his arms. Shaking his head to clear the memory, he turned and walked away, down the hall to the washroom, quietly shutting the door behind him.
After finishing his business, he slipped back into his bedroom. The bed was large, and Alex looked tiny curled up in the center of it, the blankets tucked in around her. Davin noticed that she had changed out of her clothes, putting on the shirt he had left out for her. Her day clothes draped over the wooden chair in the corner of the room. He hadn’t even noticed that she had changed, consumed as he was by his memories.
She was the first woman to be in his bed since Nila. He had slept with women since her, but never in his home, his bed. Slipping out of his shirt, Davin slid beneath the blankets, making sure to keep distance between himself and Alex. Rolling onto his back, he threw one arm over his head, staring at the ceiling.
Alex let out a tiny whimper, a shiver traveling her body, leaving goose flesh in its wake. Davin glanced over at her. She sometimes had nightmares. More than once, she had called out in her sleep, unable to hide her pain. Her face was pinched in misery as she slept. Reaching out a hand, he brushed her hair away from her face. Her expression smoothed, as if his touch chased her demons away. She moved, rolling into him, pressing her body against his. Her face now rested on his shoulder, hand splayed across his chest. Davin sighed, but wrapped his arm around her, pulling her more firmly against him, his other hand coming up to cover hers on his chest. Closing his eyes, Davin let his thoughts drift. His last thought was of her, the smell of her hair, the storm clouds in her eyes, before oblivion pulled him under.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Black Rose
Alex
The smell of breakfast woke Alex from a deep sleep. Stretching, she groaned, wishing she could stay in bed for just a few more minutes. Spoiled. She had been so damn spoiled in Varon. Her body protested her movements, wanting to fall back into sleep, but her bladder had other ideas. Sitting up, she let out a yelp as she saw Davin.
“I was starting to be concerned that there was a wild animal in the room with all that noise.” Davin mused from where he leaned against the door frame, trying not to laugh at her. She ignored his comment and hurled a pillow at his face, wincing at the sharp pinch in her side.
“You shouldn’t attack a man who is just trying to make sure you’re fed!”
A second pillow flew at his head. That one more forcefulthan the last, but it proved to be her error. She’d thrown the only two pillows on the bed, leaving her nothing to lie back on.
“Fine. I’m up. You happy?” she grumbled. For all her talk about getting out of there early, Alex’s body had denied her that chance.
“Yes, actually.” Davin replied. “Come eat, and then I’ll head into town.”
Alex watched him saunter away, wishing that she had another pillow to hurl at him. She knew she should be grateful but teasing him was too easy. Making her way to the washroom, Alex cleaned up and dressed for the day ahead, taking note of the pain and weakness that were ever present in her side and forearm. Flexing her fist, she strained to rotate her arm. It was stiff and resisted the movement. Three weeks should have been plenty of time to heal, and the skin had, but it was as if the tissue underneath were swollen and inflamed.
When she finally made it to the kitchen, Davin was placing a fresh cup of coffee on the table next to her plate. After three weeks on the road with him, she’d gotten used to their routine and accustomed to his presence. But the intimate setting, sitting at his little breakfast table, in his home, had her feeling uncomfortable and on edge.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked as she sat, her chair scraping across the wood floor.
“Like a log, though I could probably sleep for a week straight before I start to feel human again.”
“Then you should rest more today. You need your strength back. I will be leaving after breakfast for town anyway. Tell me what you need.”
Alex swallowed before responding. “No need, I’m fine. I’ll go.”
He didn’t respond right away but she knew if she looked up, he would be glaring at her. If he thought that was going tochange her mind, then he’d have to pay more attention to the kind of woman she was.
“I’ve been gone for weeks and need to replenish,” Davin argued.
“The horses need to be taken care of, so we both can’t leave for the day, and I need to get word out to my battalion anyway. I’ll just make a stop after and grab what you need.” Alex countered.
“Why don’t we just go together? We could…”
“No.” Alex cut him off, then soothed the harsh word with an explanation. “I have someone I need to meet.” She didn’t elaborate, hoping he’d drop it. Seeing the fight go out of him, she knew she had won. Why did that not sit well with her?
“I see,” Davin said, his expression guarded. “I won’t get in your way.” He cleared away their plates. “At least take some of my coin. I won’t have you buying my supplies.”
Letting out a breath laced in frustration, Alex practically growled. “I do not need your coin. I can handle it.”
