Page 133 of Stars in Umbra
His possessive care of her on Eden II had blown her away.
Rina had learned that Mo’s brand of romance was a quiet, relentless approach, a language spoken in actions rather than grand gestures.
Most moments they were alone, he would pull her onto his lap, her body settling against his as if it were the most natural place in the world.
The act alone was a spark that ignited a familiar warmth within her.
His forehead-to-forehead touches became a cherished ritual, a silent moment of connection that was often punctuated by the soft, ticklish brush of his nose against hers.
He had a habit of brushing her stray strands of hair from her face or tucking them behind her ear, a simple caress that spoke volumes.
Then there were the small, almost imperceptible smiles he reserved just for her.
Also, the subtle, slow winks that made her soul swoon, a silent, knowing look that promised a world of things she didn’t yet dare to name.
When he made love to her, it was with such freakin’ incandescence that it left her wrecked each time.
Also complicating matters was the fact that her parents adored him and welcomed him like he’d always belonged in their world.
She, the hardened soldier, the tactician, the commander, was being melted by a man who had no idea how much he’d already disarmed her.
In the mix now was a baby, an innocent life that had the potential to either drive them apart or bring them together.
Which way would it go?
She found no answers in the paddocks, but still she walked their perimeter for a while, then slipped back home to work in her bedroom.
He came looking for her just before dusk.
She didn’t sense him at first, lost as she was in her thoughts on the terrace off her chamber, studying the light change over the fields.
She jolted when his arms encircled her from behind, his face buried into the space beneath her ear.
Rina exhaled, letting herself fall into him, just for a moment, into the solidness and gravitas of his presence.
Her head tilted back against his chest, and his clasp closed around her like a shield.
‘You were quiet today,’ he murmured, voice rough with need and yearning. ‘I missed you.’
She swallowed the knot in her throat. ‘Just a lot on my mind.’
His lips brushed her temple, then rested on it.
She didn’t speak again, and neither did he.
For a spell, they just stood swaying, observing the dusk bleed into indigo, the shadows creeping over the hedgerows and horses grazing in the distance.
She decided not to tell him.Not yet.
Not while he still carried the burden of his fractured past.
Not when they were still hunting the source of the controller, and the world around them remained on the brink of collapse.
For now, she would let this moment be what it was.
A memorable, heartfelt embrace.
Later, when the storms quieted, she would share everything with him.
