Lacybourne Manor (Ghosts and Reincarnation #3)(125)
The thought jarred her to her senses and she replied quietly, “I didn’t think.”
“Sometimes you don’t,” he muttered this on a weary sigh and she was stunned to hear that this was said non-judgementally, devoid of insult or even mild annoyance (well, perhaps, there was mild annoyance but it was very mild annoyance).
And, because of that, because he understood that failing of hers and accepted it (with only very mild annoyance), Sibyl very nearly blurted out right then and there that she loved him.
But, luckily, before she could, Colin pulled her back into bed with him and settled himself behind her, his arm wrapped around her and his body pressed down her length.
Then he asked, “Why were you up?”
His deep, velvet voice rumbled through her and she decided she loved that too.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she explained.
“I gathered that,” he muttered drily in return.
She smiled and she decided she loved that about him too and she didn’t even know what that was.
Then she whispered, “My family is leaving tomorrow and it makes me sad.”
“Your mother is staying,” Colin offered in consolation but his arm tightened comfortingly and his breath stirred her hair and her love bloomed even more. That thing inside her she thought was long since ash, she knew now, was alive and flourishing.
“My mother is staying tomorrow and that makes me worried,” she replied.
She felt his body shake gently with his chuckle and her smile deepened at the thought that she was able to make him laugh and she decided she loved that too.
“At least things will be more interesting with her around,” Colin remarked.
He had that right and he likely didn’t even know how right he was.
But he would find out.
“I think we can barely cope with things getting much more interesting,” Sibyl countered.
Colin made no response.
With his silence, she settled deeper into him and nestled her bottom into his groin. When she’d done this, finally, she relaxed.
But when he next spoke, all relaxation fled.
“Now, why don’t you tell me why you really couldn’t sleep?”
Her eyes grew round in the dark.
“How did you…?” she started.
He cut her off before she could finish. “You’re an immensely bad liar.”
She tensed for a moment then heaved a sigh but kept her silence.
Maybe (she hoped) she could wait him out.
“I asked you a question,” he reminded her.
Apparently, she couldn’t wait him out.
Sibyl remained silent. She’d avoided the “Royce Discussion” so far, she wasn’t going to court it now.
His hand shifted to cup her breast.
“Do I need to make you talk?” His voice was silky smooth and utterly dangerous.
She felt whirls of desire, and dread, spread through her both at the same time. The last time he did that… well, she didn’t want to think of that.
“No.”
“Then let’s have it.”
She hesitated and then said quietly, “I was thinking of Royce.”
It was his turn to tense but he did it better than her, mainly because his hand was still cupping her breast and the reflexive action caused his grip to tighten splendidly.
It didn’t last long before he released her, moved and turned away. She felt some confusion at his retreat before the dim light on the bedside table came on.
By the time Colin came back to her, she’d rolled onto her back and he looked down at her from his position on his elbow.
“Why did you do that?” she queried.
“I want to see your eyes,” he answered simply.
“I’d rather talk in the dark,” she informed him honestly.
Actually, Sibyl didn’t want to talk at all but, since apparently she couldn’t avoid it, she would vastly have preferred to say what she was had to say in the dark.
“I don’t particularly care,” Colin returned.
She gasped at his words. His face was hard and unyielding and she couldn’t understand it.
“I don’t know why this is such a big deal to you,” she grumbled, feeling her anger build and trying to control it.
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.”
“You kissed him.”
“It was you.”
His face went from hard to stony and his voice was a dangerous rumble when he reminded her, “It wasn’t me.”
“Okay, then, it wasn’t you but I didn’t kiss him,” she tried and his eyebrows shot up so she finished, “He kissed me.”
“It made you cry.” It was an accusation and somehow she was stung by it.
Because of that, she retaliated, “Well, it was beautiful. Beautiful enough to…” She saw his jaw clamp and the now-familiar, telltale muscle leap. “Colin, it was you…”
“It wasn’t me and we both bloody well know it,” he bit out.
She stared at him and then brought her hands up to her face, pressing her fingers into her forehead and beginning to count to ten.
He interrupted her at three.
“Put your hands down, Sibyl.”
She did, quickly, and just as quickly she shot upright, making him rear back to avoid her smashing into him. She hauled the sheet up to her chest, even though she was still wearing her father’s robe but somehow she felt vulnerable and needed its protection.