Page 17 of Mine to Keep

He brought out two glasses and a bottle, which had already been opened for them.

Laila took a sip of the white wine and hummed. “This is very good.”

He settled on his side, bracing his upper body onto his elbow as he ate. It was a bit unnerving when his eyes never strayed from her.

She ate as much as she could before setting her plate to the side. She looked around the area, drinking her wine as she waited for him to finish eating. Laila caught sight of hismovements out of the corner of her eye and turned his way. He was putting everything back into the basket except the wine and tarts.

He got comfortable again. “I would like you to tell me what damage was done from the accident you had when you were a child.”

She swallowed. “Oh, well, I fell off the horse and hit my head on the hard ground. My mother said I was unconscious for a long time, and I didn’t wake until I was in the hospital.”

“I’m sorry that happened, Pet. You must have been very scared.”

Laila nodded. “I was.”

“So, whose idea was it to pretend to be brain-damaged enough that you acted like a child?”

She swallowed. She had thought about waiting a few more days, but she hadn’t realized how astute her husband was.

Laila cleared her throat. “It was my mother’s idea.”

“Why?” he asked.

“She was afraid my father would sell me out and make me marry one of his friend’s sons. My mother told me she didn’t like the ones she’d met, and wanted me as far away from them as I could get. She could do only so much.”

“And your father never caught on?”

She shook her head. “No. He didn’t really pay attention to me unless he wanted me to meet someone.”

“Did it work?”

Laila nodded. “Yes. Amazingly well. Every man he brought to meet me was turned off within minutes.”

He smirked.

“You kept it up after your mother passed?”

Laila nodded. “Especially then. It was the only way I could protect myself.”

“I’m curious as to why your father would send you to me.Did he not think I would send you back when I saw you act childish?”

“From what I overheard, your father owed my father and agreed to take me off his hands. I’m sorry to say you’re the one it affected the most.”

“And you?” he asked.

“I knew very quickly that you were a good man. The way you took care of me when I got here drugged and passed out told me a lot. You could have had a servant or hired a nurse to do it.”

He shook his head. “You were mine from my first look at you. There was no way I would have trusted anyone to take care of you.”

“Thank you.” She could feel herself blush when she remembered he had taken off her clothing and seen her naked. Most of the emotion was embarrassment, but there was a part of her that wanted to know if he liked what he saw.

There was no way she’d ever ask him that, though.

Chapter Eight

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as her face turned a bright red. He knew what she was thinking, and he found her innocence so charming.

He finished his glass of wine and refilled it before topping hers off.

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