Smiling, she slid her hand low over his belly, watching his eyes close with relief—for her sadness was almost too much to bear beneath his gaze. They had wasted what they might have had and yet she knew that one word from him and she would have given their marriage another chance.
But Laszlo was only talking about the past. Words like if and could’ve held no promise of a future they might share. Her throat was suddenly thick and tight with tears, and then she felt his hand curl underneath her and, closing her eyes too, she let the fire building inside her consume her misery...
Later, running her hand lightly over his hair-roughened skin, still intoxicated with happiness at how much he’d wanted her, Prudence buried her face against the hard muscles of his chest.
‘You smell gorgeous,’ she murmured. Tilting her head back, she met his eyes. ‘Like woodsmoke and lemons and salt, all mixed up.’
Laszlo held her gaze and then gently kissed her on the lips. ‘How is that “gorgeous”? It sounds like kippers to me.’
Laughing softly, she cuffed him playfully around the head and then, giving a shiver of pleasure, snuggled against him. She felt ridiculously happy and safe. Outside the sun was shining weakly, and she could hear birds singing, but it was what was inside his room that mattered. Just her and Laszlo: perfect and complete. Here they could laugh and kiss and touch, and the uncontrollable, intrusive demands of the outside world would just pass them by.
Drowsily, she pressed herself against him.
She didn’t remember falling asleep. With a sigh, she rolled over onto her side and, opening her eyes, found Laszlo, fully clothed, sitting on the edge of the bed watching her.
‘You got up...’ she murmured sleepily, stretching out under the sheets.
Smiling, he lowered his head and kissed her—a teasing caress of a kiss that made her feel hot and tense, made her want him all over again.
‘Why don’t you come back to bed?’ She sat up, the sheet slipping down over her body, exposing her breasts, and watched his gaze darken and grow blunt and focused. She shivered with anticipation.
‘I want to....’
He ran his fingers over the smooth, flat curve of her abdomen and she swallowed as a prickling heat spread over her. ‘But...?’
He glanced at her regretfully and then shook his head. ‘But I can’t. I just went downstairs to grab some food and my uncle collared me—now I’ve got to paint the barn with my cousins.’ Glancing from her breasts to her reproachful face, he groaned. ‘Don’t look at me like that! If I don’t go down they’ll come looking for me—’
Glancing towards the door, he frowned and picked up one of his sweaters from a nearby chair.
‘In fact, I wouldn’t put it past them to come barging up here anyway. Let’s get you decent.’
Prudence frowned. ‘I can just get dressed and go.’
She watched his face shift, grow hesitant, and then he shook his head slowly.
‘No. I don’t want you to leave.’
Her heart gave a tiny leap. His desire for her to stay was obviously nothing more than that: desire. But he clearly didn’t want her to leave, which was something.
Feeling suddenly wicked, she leant against the pillow and let the sheet slip even lower. ‘Won’t they knock?’ she asked mischievously.
He glared at her. ‘No. They won’t. Now—arms up,’ he said firmly.
Pretending not to notice how aroused he was, Prudence raised her arms with exaggerated slowness. Swearing softly under his breath, he slid the jumper down and over her head.
‘That’s better,’ he said, breathing out. Grimacing, he shook his head. ‘You are going to pay for that later, pireni.’ His body stiffened painfully as he heard her breath quicken. ‘Damn it!’ Shaking his head, he laughed softly. ‘You have got to stop taking advantage of me. Or at least feed me first. If we hadn’t missed lunch I’d never have gone downstairs and Kajan wouldn’t have collared me.’
Food. Lunch.
/> Prudence stared at Laszlo, frozen in horror as her stomach suddenly gave a loud grumble of complaint.
‘Oh, no! W-we missed lunch!’ she stammered, staring at him in dismay.
Laszlo shrugged.
‘It’s cool. I saw Papi and told him you were lying down.’
She gaped at him. ‘Up here?’ she squeaked. ‘You told him I was in your bedroom?’ Her cheeks felt suddenly hot, and she felt panic rising like a storm inside her.