“Seriously—Ican sleep on the couch or the floor or wherever,”Isaid, shrugging to showIdidn’t care.Ifinished rinsing the mugs and looked around.“Isthere a dishwasherIcan put these in?”
Vivienne looked surprised.
“My—you’re domestic,” she said and pulled open the appliance.Ithad a hidden door, disguised to look like a cabinet—no wonderIhadn’t been able to find it.Shecleared her throat.“Your, er, girlfriend must have trained you well.”
“Oh,Idon’t have a girlfriend,”Isaid.“Nowife either,”Ifelt compelled to add, thoughIdidn’t know why.
“Really?Ahandsome young man like you?”Shelooked surprised.
“Nope.Iwas in a long-term relationship with a girlIwent to college with—we almost tied the knot.”Ishook my head.“Butthen it all kind of fell apart.”
“Oh?”Sheraised an eyebrow.“Doyou mind me asking why?”
“Well, it turned out she was seeing someone else behind my back.”Iraked a hand through my hair.“Eversince then,Ireally haven’t wanted to dive back into the dating pool—you know?”
“Of course not.I’mso sorry,” she said, andIcould tell by her eyes that she really was.“That’sterribly painful.”
“Not as much as you might think,”Isaid.“Imean, it’s true we were all set to get married, but we hadn’t started picking out venues or anything yet.Andeven thoughItold myselfIlovedJennie—that was her name—after she left,Ifound thatIdidn’t really miss her, you know?”Itried to laugh.“Iknow that makes me sound like a cold-hearted bastard.Idon’t know why it didn’t affect me more.”
“Maybe she just wasn’t the right girl for you,”Viviennesaid.Sheshrugged.“I’msure theMoonGoddesshas the right person waiting for you, somewhere down the line.”
“Yeah, wellI’min no hurry to meet her just yet,”Isaid, smiling.“Rightnow,I’mjust happy to be here with you.”
Her face lit up with a smile—andIdo mean it lit up.Hergold-ringed eyes practically glowed and the expression made her so beautifulInearly forgot to breathe.
“Well, thank you,Kor.I’mhappy to have you.”Sheshut the dishwasher door and smiled.“Comeon—it’s getting late.Letme show you to your room.”
And then she walked out of the kitchen, andIfollowed, trying really hard not to stare at her lush behind and trying even harder not to wonder what she might look like without her robe.
SEVEN
VIVIENNE
I ledKordown the long hallway that connected the kitchen to the rest of theEastWing.Iwasn’t quite sure which roomIwas going to put him in—Ionly knewIwanted him close to me.
Only because it was so spooky at night in the bigManor, now thatIwas alone though,Ihastened to reassure myself.Therewas no other reason to have him close—none at all.
We passed by many guest bedrooms, butIdidn’t putKorinto any of them.Henoticed the number though and commented on it.
“Oh yes,”Itold him.“WolvertonManoris able to sleep fifty guests, though we never had nearly that many people stay with us.”Isighed.“Ialways thought it was ironic that my late husband built himself such a huge house that could hold so many guests when all he ever wanted was to stay home away from people.”
“SoUncleCarterwas kind of a hermit, was he?”Korasked, raising an eyebrow.
I nodded.
“I guess you could say that.Wenever had dinners at our dining table which could seat a hundred or parties in the massive ballroom in the center of the house.Mostlyit was just him and me and the servants rattling around in here like a few balls in a pinball machine.”
“That sounds very lonely—especially if you andUncleCarterdidn’t, er, get along,” he offered.
“We didn’t,”Isaid bluntly.“Mylate husband was…not a very affectionate person.Andto be honest,Idon’t think he liked me very much.Andthat dislike only grew afterIfailed to give him an heir.”
I didn’t know whyIwas being so open with him about my life and my past—it really wasn’t appropriate to dump my trauma on his broad, young shoulders.Buthe seemed interested and was not put off at all.Thatwas nice—and really unusual.Atleast for me.
Kor shook his head.
“I’m sorry to speak ill of the dead, but he sounds like a real bastard.”
I bit my lip.Ireally shouldn’t speak ill of my late husband either, butKorwas right in every way.
