“Well then.” Clearing his throat, he spread his arms wide.“Have at it.”
With a superiorlook, she pulled the sheet to his waist. Her gaze roved over himand he responded, his cock twitching under the covers. She lookedfascinated, as if his body was the most interesting thing she’dever seen.
He could tellthe exact moment she found the first scar.
Her fingerstraced the past twisted into his flesh, the scar tissue bumpy. Shemade a sound of distress.
He wiped a tearfrom her cheek. “I thought you wanted to explore me.”
She swallowed,and raised her tremulous gaze.
“Itdoesn’t hurt so much anymore,” he told her.
“Butit still does?”
Reluctantly, henodded. “Dr. Griffiths thinks it always will, and he’s not beenwrong so far. There are things I can do, though, exercises and thelike. It’s why I play football, and why I swim in the heath, and Iundertake lifting weights, and stretch my muscles, and—”
She placed afinger over his lips, silencing him.
“Ioverreacted, you know,” he said against her finger.
Her brows drew.“Pardon?”
“Atthe ball. To your proposal about Oliver and Lydia. Ioverreacted.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “It was perhaps not the bestplan.”
“Perhaps not, but I did not react well. I should have calledon you the next day. I should have...but then...” He rubbed a handover his face.
“Your brother returned.”
Hand still overhis eyes, he nodded. “Maxim returned.”
She was silent amoment. “Do you wish to speak of it?”
“Notparticularly.” Lowering his hand, he exhaled. “I don’t know how Iwas supposed to feel.”
“However you felt, I suppose.”
“Notespecially helpful, Sera.”
“Ihave never had a dead brother return. I find I am quite unable toimagine what it would be like.” She cocked her head. “I have beenpresented with an unknown sister, in fact, a whole raft of siblingsI had no knowledge of. Do you believe it comparable?”
The corner ofhis mouth lifted. “Maybe.”
“Well then, I declare myself an expert and posit to you yourreaction was exactly appropriate and you must worry yourself aboutit no further.” She nodded decisively.
He could notstop his smile. She looked so very determined, and so serious, andhe could not be happier she was here with him. “What do you thinkabout my feeling resentful Harbor did not also walk through thedoor?”
“Well, for one, I do not believe Roxegate House would havebeen his first port of call after returning. Second of all, itstands to reason.”
“Why?”
“Youdid not just lose one brother—I am not wrong in supposing LordHarbor was as a brother to you?”
Slowly, he shookhis head.
She nodded toherself. “As I thought. You lost Lord Maxim, and then you lost LordHarbor. It must have been devastating, Stephen.Youmusthave been devastated. To have Lord Maxim return, against all reasonand nothing short of a miracle, I should think it would be naturalto wish the other loss undone. To wish for Lord Harbor’s return.And, with the realisation he wouldn’t, all the grief you felt athis passing would have come flooding back.” She placed a hand onhis cheek. “I would think such a reaction as yours whollyappropriate.”
