Fourteen
I swing my door open and find Roarke right outside. “Uh, good morning. Afternoon, I mean. Clarina said you wanted to talk?”
“Hello, my love.” He bends forward and kisses my cheek. I freeze and tell myself not to shrink away. “You’ve recovered from last night’s festivities, I see?” he adds.
I step back to let him in. “No need to bother with the ‘my love’ nonsense. No one else is around to hear you except Clarina.”
“Oh, but you are my love.” Roarke gives me a sly grin as he walks past me into the room. “Or, at least, I hope you one day will be.” He nods briefly to Clarina as she curtsies and leaves the room. He turns slowly on the spot, looking around, and I almost expect him to walk into the bedroom and start looking for Dash. But then he smiles serenely and sits at the table b
