Page 28 of Claiming His Wife
He held her tighter and said, “I missed you too babe,” against her ear.
She only looked up at him for a brief second and turned her head away to fix it on a point over his shoulder. She decided to not respond to what he said. There was no point in repeating herself. The reasons why she couldn’t stay were so obvious, starting with him and ending with her new life in Seattle. Many miles away.
“Guess what else I missed?”
“Kissing me?”
Lilah snapped her head back at that and her brown eyes settled on his lips. She licked her lips and averted her glance then.
“No, my sister. I missed her so much. I didn’t know how much until I saw her and how much she’s grown up. She was about fifteen when I left, and now she’s twenty,” she stated ruefully.
“Five years is a long time, of course she changed. We all changed.”
Kalilah sighed at the tone and allowed herself to sway in a slow circle, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. She could get lost in his embrace if she wasn’t careful. Everything about him intoxicated her.
“She’s changed so much that she’s almost a stranger, but then she does something and I see remnants of the sister I knew.”
“She’s changed a lot, especially after she came back from New Brunswick, but not in a negative way.”
“She seems older somehow, like she has more wisdom or something.”
He agreed with her observation, a bit of guilt driving him.
“Did my parents say why she went away to boarding school? It just seems so unlike them to send her so far away from their reach.”
“Your parents were pretty evasive about that, but they finally confided that she was having a hard time at school and hanging around ‘a degenerate’, so they thought it best that she went away for a while.” He shrugged, and Kalilah rolled her eyes.
***
“I think I know what I want to do while I’m waiting.”
“Waiting…?” The change of topic was abrasive when all he was really following was the movements of her body. He allowed his hands to gently roam her back.
“For the annulment.”
He winced at that reminder. He didn’t want to think about an annulment, not when his arms were wrapped around her. Mine! Of course, he sounded like a barbarian, but he didn’t particularly care.
“What would you like to do?”
“I want to find a volunteer position, maybe at a shelter, or any organization that offers services to women who are at risk.”
“That’s a terrific idea.” Good. He hoped that if she built a strong enough base here, she’d want to stay and not return to Seattle.
“I think so too, it’s time I gave back to the community I grew up in,” she smiled.
“Then you should do it and, like I told you before, if you need anything let me know. I’ll help in any way that I can.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He tugged her even closer to his chest. He wished he could kiss her and touch her in all the places lovers touched each other. He wondered what would happen if he moved his hand a little lower. Would she get spooked and bolt from his arms, or allow him to continue the gentle exploration? They continued to dance slowly, Finn all the while wishing he could have more liberties with her.
“I’ll have to find a condo. Hotels are nice, but they’re not suited for everyday living.”
“What if I find you a condo? You can have one of my newly-built, fully-furnished condos tonight.”
“I want the opportunity to find my own place.”
“As you wish then,” he trailed off at that point. “I think you’re doing a good thing, sharing your strength of will with people who need assistance. It’s a lot to take on, and I think you’re incredible for doing it. Not everyone is as empathetic, or even cares as much as you do.”
