Ryan checked his watch. He cursed quietly and sat up with a start.
“What’s wrong?” Faith asked.
“I have to go. I have a flight. I’m taking a couple DuBois Enterprises executives from Chicago to New York.”
“Oh,” Faith said, taken aback. “I hadn’t realized you’d start working so soon.”
He grimaced slightly as he glanced at her and placed his long legs on either side of the lounge chair in preparation to stand. “You don’t mind, do you? I’ll be back by the time you wake up tomorrow. I was lucky to get a contract with DuBois. It’s going to keep me busy. Extremely busy. I should be able to buy another plane soon, with as much work as Deidre and Nick are willing to send my way. I want to build a lucrative business, Faith. For the baby. For the future,” he added, his dark eyes moving over her face.
“Of course,” she said, feeling embarrassed, all thoughts of her warm welcome dinner for him fizzling to mist. Had she sounded whiny because he was leaving so soon after his arrival? She hadn’t meant to. She admired him for working so hard to build up his company. “I’ll go in with you and give you the key to the front door.”
“Thanks.” He touched her cheek and gently tucked a curl behind her ear. Faith tried to ignore the tendril of pleasure that coiled down her neck at his touch, just like she tried to ignore the fact that she was disappointed he was leaving.
After Ryan had left for the airport, she wondered why the house felt so empty. It made no sense whatsoever. She’d lived alone there for over a year, and never felt lonely. Now Ryan had blown through her front door and flown off after just an hour, and the house already felt empty in his absence.
It worried her, how easily she could get used to his presence; how much she could come to count on it.
It meant she’d be all that much more disappointed when he was gone. How much more proof did she need than tonight, that a man like Ryan wasn’t meant to stay in one place for long?
No. That wasn’t going to happen, she told herself firmly as she started down the hallway. She wasn’t going to become dependent on his being there. Hadn’t she been happy and satisfied for almost her entire adult life by calling her own shots?
So if she was so confident that she didn’t need Ryan Itani one way or another, why did she pause outside his opened bedroom door? She hesitated, and then entered slowly. She stood at the mirrored chest of drawers and ran her fingers over a leather box, a bottle of his cologne and a handsome gold watch, dressier than the black casual one she’d seen on his wrist before he’d left.
He might be in his plane at this moment, preparing to fly away from Holland. But his things were here, hallmarks of his presence, reminders that even if it was temporary, for a period of time, this was Ryan’s home.
She tried to ignore the feeling of satisfaction that tore through her at the thought, but it was just as hard to banish as her other feelings were when it came to Ryan.
* * *
She saved the dinner she’d made, in case Ryan wanted it tomorrow. By the time she made herself a grilled cheese sandwich and ate, it was getting late. She had a seven o’clock appointment at the office, so decided to retire early. She made sure some fresh towels were laid out for Ryan in his bathroom—he might want to shower when he got home early in the morning.
Now that she was pregnant, sleep came almost immediately the second her cheek hit the pillow. It took a little longer tonight, as thoughts and worries about Ryan moving in and their upcoming marriage whirled around her consciousness. Still, she was fast asleep by the time her bedside clock dial turned to ten o’clock.
She awoke with a start in the middle of the night. She just lay there, her heart racing, trying to figure out what had startled her. There hadn’t been a noise, had there? It took her panicked brain several seconds to recall that it was probably Ryan returning home from his flight. She glanced at her clock. It read 4:35 a.m. She heard a tiny squeak from the hallway floor, as if someone was walking down it with caution.
It was Ryan out there, wasn’t it? she thought anxiously.
She rose and scurried for her robe, donning it over the thigh-length nightshirt she wore. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw the light on in the kitchen in the distance and heard the sound of the refrigerator door open. Surely a burglar wouldn’t make himself a late-night snack. Even knowing it was Ryan, however, anticipation coiled in her belly as she walked around the corner into the kitchen.
He stood next to the refrigerator, the door open.
“Hi,” Faith said.
He peered around the door. The refrigerator swung closed. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to wake you. Was I too loud?”
Faith shook her head, staring. He was only wearing a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms. And by all things that were holy, she’d never seen a more beautiful man in her life.
She gaped at the vision before her of rippling, hard muscle covered by golden skin. She now could see that the tattoo on bulging, powerful-looking biceps was the Air Force logo that had been artfully depicted by the illustrator as transforming into a real eagle taking flight.
She swallowed with difficulty. Her throat had gone completely dry.
“Faith?” Ryan asked, looking a little worried.
“No, no. You weren’t loud at all. I’m just used to living alone. I must have a sixth sense, about someone being in the house,” she said, her gaze darting everywhere around the room, trying to avoid gawking at the awesome sight of his half-naked body. She cleared her throat and told herself to get a grip. “Would you like me to make you something to eat?”
“No. I was just going to make some toast or something, if that’s okay. I haven’t eaten since we left New York this morning.”
Her expression collapsed in compassion. “You must be starved.” She swept toward the refrigerator. He took a step back. “Just sit down over there in the breakfast nook, and I’ll get something for you.”