Page 36 of The Innocent Carrying His Legacy

Ivy’s gaze was wary, the pulse at the base of her throat beating very fast. Then she said with a trace of defiance, ‘I told you that I was a foster child, that no one cares about foster children and they didn’t. Or at least, they didn’t care about me. I was the only one in the home who was never adopted. One by one all the other kids were, including my friend, Connie, but not me. Never me.’ A flame of anger and a deep pain burned in her eyes. ‘For some I was too quiet. For others I was too loud. I had too many behavioural issues or I was too old. Nothing was ever right about me and nothing I did made any difference. And now you’re telling me I’m all these things, things I’ve never been to anyone else, and I...’ She took a trembling breath. ‘I can’t believe you, I just can’t. Because I’ve been wrong before, Nazir, and you never get over the disappointment. Never.’

His gaze narrowed and for whole seconds but what felt like minutes, she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t read the expression that flickered across his granite features. It was something fierce, she knew that, but what it meant she had no idea.

She’d given too much away, hadn’t she? She should never have opened her mouth, not when everything she said revealed more of the sharp, jagged pieces of herself that she tried to keep secret. That she didn’t want to show anyone, let alone him.

But there was something about him that seemed to draw those things out of her. Something in his deep, authoritative voice and in his sharp, penetrating gaze. In the firm hands he put on her, in the way he wouldn’t let her hide, wouldn’t let her run. Wouldn’t let her no-nonsense, sometimes prickly manner put him off.

He demanded things from her that she’d been certain she’d never give anyone and yet here she was, giving them to him in much the same way as she’d given him her virginity.

He drew passion from her, he drew fire. The same passion and fire that she’d fought down and kept hidden, because it was all part of her desperation. The deep neediness of wanting to be something to someone that she couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard she tried. The need to be accepted and loved. To be chosen.

But she’d never been chosen and to think that he might actually choose her...well, she couldn’t accept it. Once she’d had some interest shown in her by a lovely couple, who’d made the effort to get to know her. They’d taken her out for a couple of day trips then had taken her back to their house, shown her a room they’d decorated for her. And she’d allowed herself some hope that finally she’d have the family she wanted, only for the adoption to fall through. The couple had changed their minds, she was told. There had been no reason given, but Ivy knew why.

It was her. It was always her. There was something wrong with her.

Her muscles tightened in readiness to pull away, but before she could he let her go and stepped back. His expression was impassive and yet his blue gaze burned hot.

‘Let me show you the pool,’ he said, and it was not a request.

‘But I—’

He said nothing, holding out his hand to her, making it clear that he expected her to take it. And she found herself doing exactly that, the warmth of his fingers closing around hers and the firmness of his grip easing something that had become far too tight inside her.

Without a word, he drew her from the living area and down a hallway, the dark wooden parquet illuminated in the evening light. The walls were pale, and heavy beams of dark wood crossed the ceiling above. A selection of the most beautiful hand-knotted silk rugs had been hung on the walls, giving the place a rich, luxurious feeling without it being suffocating or over the top. She’d never been in a place like it.

The hallway eventually led out onto a stone terrace with the mountain soaring upwards behind it. The terrace ended at a deep, intensely blue pool fed by a gentle waterfall that cascaded down the side of the mountain. The rock gleamed and glittered blue and white and pink from the mineral deposits left by the water, and the flames from braziers that had been lit around the side of the pool made the glitter more intense.

It was the most beautiful place Ivy had ever seen.

Nazir let go of her hand and turned towards the pool. Then, without any fuss, he began to strip off his clothes, casting them onto one of the white linen-covered loungers grouped around the pool.

Ivy blinked, her mouth going dry as the intense, masculine beauty of him was revealed. He was broad, heavily muscled, and powerful. His skin was a deep bronze, the flickering of the braziers outlining the broad planes of his chest and the chiselled ridges of his stomach. His shoulders were wide, his waist lean, his legs long and powerful. He was a perfect physical specimen in peak condition. Here and there, the bronze skin was marred by white scars of different shapes and sizes, and it hit her, almost forcibly, that these were signs of a life of violence. Because of course they were. He was a soldier, wasn’t he? He commanded an army.

Once he was naked, he strode to the pool with that athletic predator’s grace. A set of stairs led down into the water, but he didn’t use them. Instead, he paused at the side of the pool and then dived in, leaving barely a ripple. A second later, he surfaced, pushing his black hair back from his face as he turned towards her. Then he held out his arms, the blue-green flame in his eyes offering a challenge.

It was clear he wanted her to join him.

A streak of heat went through her. It was too tempting to resist and he probably knew that. And really, she should just ignore him. But the needy thing inside her wouldn’t let her, and before she was even conscious of it she’d begun to undress, first peeling off her T-shirt and then her bra. She took off her sandals, pushed down her yoga pants and her knickers, and then stepped out of them.

He watched her, the flame in his eyes leaping higher, his attention turning intent, making her mouth even drier and her cheeks feel hot. Resisting the urge to cover herself, she walked to the edge of the pool, hoping it was with the same unselfconscious grace that he had.

He followed her every movement, his expression not so impassive any longer but sharp with open masculine hunger. He liked what he saw of her, that was obvious, and he made no attempt to hide it.

Ivy wished she could dive as he had, but she’d never had swimming lessons. She could float and do dog paddle, but that was about it, so she turned to the stairs that led down into the pool.

Nazir moved suddenly, coming over to the edge where she stood, raising his arms to her. ‘No. Come to me, Ivy,’ he murmured.

She wasn’t sure why he wanted to take her down into the water himself, but, feeling awkward, she lowered herself to sit on the side of the pool and then leaned forward towards him. His hands settled on her hips and suddenly she was weightless, surrounded by deliciously warm water and the hotter, harder feel of his body against hers as he drew her to him.

She took a shaky breath, because she couldn’t touch the bottom and there was nothing to hang onto except him. But his arms surrounded her, pulling her tighter against him, urging her legs around his waist, her breasts pressed against his iron-hard chest. Part of her instinctively wanted to push him away, to get some distance, but there was no distance to be had. It thrilled at the same time as it disturbed her.

His gaze held hers and the strangest feeling of security began to move through her. Left with no choice but to allow herself to be held, Ivy relaxed into him. His skin was slick and warm, and he was so strong. It felt as if he could hold her for ever if he wanted to.

He didn’t speak, moving slowly backwards towards the softly falling waterfall that fed the pool.

‘Don’t worry,’ he murmured. ‘It’s warm.’

Her hands were somehow on his powerful shoulders and she was gripping him tightly. ‘I’m not worrying.’ She glanced up at the waterfall, the drops of water glittering in the light. ‘It’s beautiful.’

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