Page 119 of Merciless Desires

I sit on a loveseat by myself and keep quiet for the rest of the plane ride. I’m starving, but there’s no food on board. Just water. When my stomach growls, Darragh finally notices me.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I have plenty of food at the house. I’ll make you something to eat when we get there.” He exhales, hands splayed on the granite table in front of his lounge chair. “I’m sorry for my outburst before. I’m wired.”

“You and me both.” I swallow down more water.

He stands, moving to sit beside me on the loveseat. “May I?”

I scoot over. “Sure. I have no idea how I smell.”

“You were in jail. I get it.” His hand hovers over my stomach. “Can I feel the baby?”

If he’s interested in the baby, maybe he’ll take care of us. Darragh’s heavy palm sends a feeling of warmth, melting the ice in my veins from months, no years, of torture with Cormac.

“Any bleeding? Spotting?”

“No.” No, Doctor…

“How often does he kick?”

“In the morning… Wait, he?”

He smiles. “It’s just a guess, but you’re carrying low, and you’re still utterly gorgeous. With girls, women tend to carry high and steal their mother’s beauty.”

“You think I’m pretty, looking like this?”

“I see a faint resemblance of what you looked like when I last saw you.” His eyes land on my lips. “You were your father’s seoid.”

“His what?”

“His treasure.”

I scoff. “That was a long time ago.”

“Besides the stress lines on your face, you look healthy.”

“As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t do any more shit. I promise.”

“I believe you.”

“I tried to eat healthy.”

“The ultrasound will tell us all we need to know.”

We…

What did I get myself into?

We land in the dark, starless Seattle night, and an Escalade waits for us. I tremble, getting into the back passenger seat. “I’ve never been to Seattle.” My voice quivers from the cold.

Darragh takes off his coat and wraps it around my shoulders. His nose brushes mine, and our eyes lock. A moment sparks between us, the tension charged and confusing.

I shrink back. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He sounds affected by our moment, too.

We drive for a while until the SUV pulls up to an amazing house. I grew up in a mansion, but this is different. It’s not a compound like Papa’s sprawling estate. The entire block is filled with similar large Victorian houses boasting wraparound porches and looks like a friendly neighborhood. I get a glimpse of why Darragh preferred to live like this and not like our families back home.

Our families. We’re the same in so many ways.

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