He cupped her offered hand in his and felt the delicate bones tremble. Such a simple thing to touch another’s hand. He’d touched hers often enough, but never like this, with each brush of skin creating a new sensation of intimacy. He turned the pouch upside down and out tumbled the sparkling contents. Earrings in the shape of cascading stars.
“Lana, you fell from heaven and straight into my life. What a lucky man I am.”
Unmoving, she stared down at them. Uncertainty shifted Wynn’s surge of confidence. Had he done something wrong? Was it too much too quickly? “I know you’re more accustomed to imperial jewels—”
“These are more precious than any royal jewel. You gave them to me.” Tears studded her long lashes as she looked up. She fitted the earrings into her ears, the largest star resting at the top as the smaller stars dangled along her jaw.
Wynn touched one of the trailing stars. “
“
“I have one more thing.” He popped off the leather box’s lid and took out the record. An impulse purchase from the newly opened
music store next door to his London hotel. Shiny and black, this record had been propped in the display window waiting to
catch his eye. Waiting to be played for its rightful master. Placing it on the turntable, he lowered the arm and touched the
needle to the grooves. Tchaikovsky’s
A smile curved her mouth. She stepped slowly back from him, her eyes never leaving his as she pulled the ribbon tie from her hair and shook out the mass of silvery waves reaching nearly to her waist. Wynn sucked in a breath. He’d never seen it entirely loose before. She became a candle flame dancing in the breeze, alive and carefree, spinning about with her gaze seeking to find him in the blue darkness. How amazing was the human form when given to the creativity of its abilities, but none so mesmerizing or alluring as her in this simplistic beauty. Limbs stretching out, spine curved, neck elongated. His living fire. Would he be consumed if he touched her?
Svetlana spun to a halt. Waves of hair fell over one side of her face. “This was originally intended as a
He went to her and slipped his arms around her waist. Her chest pumped up and down from the exertion of her lungs. Without thinking, he lowered his lips to press a kiss to her pulsing carotid artery just under her jaw.
She shivered. “Is this how you check a woman’s heart rate?”
“Not usually, no. But then, I can’t help myself with you.”
“You’ve been remiss in your duties, Doctor.”
“Apologies for the delay, my lady. A misstep that I should like to remedy as often as possible.”
Her eyes slanted up to him. The brightness burned into him, carving out the hidden recesses. “We seem to be out of step more times than not.”
From the day she’d limped into his hospital it seemed. Just off balance from one another yet stable enough to keep them wobbling instead of fixing themselves to firm ground. All he’d ever wanted was to keep her steady.
“When we first married it was for convenience, and I told you I wanted nothing in return, but I do want more. I want you. Always. Because I love you.” Heart pounding, he touched his forehead to hers. Time was created for this moment. Where nothing existed beyond her and him. “Will you have me, Lana?”
Her hands moved up his chest and cupped his face. “Yes.”
Wynn swept her into his arms and turned to the grand staircase. The soft blackness of the sleeping castle wrapped them in
anticipated embrace as
Chapter 27
Sunlight filtered through the partially drawn drapes, spotting hazy orbs around the room. Svetlana rolled over and stretched in bed, feeling light and heavy all at once. Touching one of the star earrings still dangling from her ear, she turned her head to gaze around the unfamiliar chamber. Wynn’s room. Her nightdress trailed over the arm of the leather chair. One slipper had landed near the fireplace while the other lay forgotten by the closed door, and her robe had disappeared altogether.
A note with her name scratched across the front lay on the bedside table next to her.