Page 120 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

“Yes. Just...restless.”

He held out his own glass. She took a sip, her eyes drifting shut as she made a noise of appreciation he felt all the way to his groin.

“What’s wrong?”

Thunder clapped once more. She stood, rubbing her hands on her bare thighs as she moved over to the decanter.

“Do you mind?”

He stood and crossed to her.

“No. But seeing as you’re my guest,” he said with a soft kiss on her lips, “I’ll get it.”

He poured her a glass, watched her fingers tighten as she accepted it and took a healthy sip before moving back to the ottoman.

“Is it the storm?”

She waited a moment, then slowly nodded. “I used to be scared of them. Now they don’t bother me if I’m awake. But if they wake me up, it takes a while to get back to sleep.”

“What did you do to get over your fear?”

She stared down into her glass. “I just...did.”

He frowned. “What about your parents?”

“My mother was usually out at some function or another. My father told me to be brave.”

Anger surged through him.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

He set his glass down on the table next to his chair and held out his hand.

“Come here.”

She stared at his hand. For once her emotions were transparent and vivid. Fatigue, weariness, embarrassment.

But what made his pulse pound and his heartbeat quicken was the naked longing in her eyes.

Slowly, she set her own glass down and stood. He held his breath, waited until she was right in front of him, before he clasped her hand in his and gently tugged her down onto his lap. She curled into him, her face falling against his neck as he wrapped his arms around her and let his breath rush out as his body shuddered.

Home.

The thought appeared unbidden. The word inspired no memories, no recollections of a house or a castle or some other place. But he knew its meaning, knew in that moment that home would be wherever this woman was, so long as she was by his side.

“You’re safe.”

She leaned back slightly, her lips just a breath away from his.

“I know. I’m with you.”

The trust she placed in him, her surrender, rendered him speechless. He cupped the back of her head, kissed her with a gentleness that seemed to surprise both of them. His other hand drifted down, tugging at the buttons of the shirt she wore. Revealing her freckled beauty inch by inch until the shirt whispered to the floor.

Before he could move, she stood. Pushed him back into his chair and knelt before him.

“Esmerelda—”

---