Page 246 of Labor of Love

Ryland spread his hands in front of himself. “Dante said you had a scare.”

“It was nothing.”

“Should you be out of bed?”

Lothian motioned for Ryland to sit. “As long as I’m off my feet, the midwife said it was okay.”

“And the baby?”

Warmth spread through Lothian’s chest. “He’s fine as well.” He cupped the swell of his stomach.

Ryland’s golden gaze followed the movement. “I’m glad. And I’m sorry. When I left, I didn’t mean to make you think I wanted nothing more from you than bedding.”

A bubble of hope bloomed in Lothian’s chest, but he swallowed it. “What else was I supposed to imagine when I woke alone?” He hated the hurt in his voice, though he knew it was the true cause of his anger toward Ryland.

What they had shared had felt special, and waking alone had made him feelcheap.

Ryland sighed. “You have to know how hard it was for me. I couldn’t stand it any longer.”

Lothian stiffened. “Couldn’t stand being with me any longer?”

Ryland cursed and stood. He closed the distance between them and slid his arms around Lothian. Lothian wanted to melt into that embrace, but he remained still. Ryland leaned in and ran his nose along Lothian’s throat, breathing deeply, as if he couldn’t get enough of Lothian’s scent.

“No, you little idiot. I couldn’t stand being there and not claiming you. It took the last shred of my willpower to leave you.” He brushed his mouth over Lothian’s. “I wanted—wantyou so much I can hardly stand it, but I promised myself I would let you come to me, to make the final decision.”

The words struck Lothian like a blow to the chest. He gasped as he finally understood what Dante had been trying to tell him. Ryland was waiting. For him. Fresh tears stung his eyes and this time he let them fall.

Ryland kissed them from his cheeks.

Lothian let himself cry. He relaxed into Ryland’s hold and wrapped his arms around the alpha, pressing his hot face into Ryland’s tunic. Ryland’s hands stroked his back in comfort. When he was all cried out, he looked up at the alpha. He must look a mess, but Ryland was smiling at him.

“What do we do now?”

He brushed his hand over Lothian’s cheek. “First, we get to know each other, like we should have done months ago. And then, when you’re ready, you let me claim you. We can have a Bonding Ritual first, if you prefer.” He waved his hand as if that part was incidental. Poor Ryland. He had no idea Lothian had been planning for the day of his bonding since his eleventh year.

He chuckled. “And the baby?”

Ryland slid a hand between them to cup Lothian’s belly. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

5

“Where are we going?” Lothian fiddled with the tie binding his eyes. “And why do I have to wear this?”

Dante batted his hand away. “It’s a surprise. Now that you’re finally back on your feet, I thought it might be nice to get out of the house for a bit.”

Agnes had allowed Lothian to go off bedrest the day before, and hewasitching to do something other than read and sleep. The first few days had been nice, relaxing even. Ryland had stopped sending posies, thank goodness, and instead wrote to him every day. Though Lothian had agreed to let Ryland be around more, he was still being cautious with his heart. He only let the alpha visit every few days. They sat in the drawing room and talked.

Lothian had learned that Ryland came from a big family himself, with four siblings—three sisters and a brother. All three of his sisters were omegas and had children of their own. His brother was a beta who had gone into the clergy. Ryland told stories of the chaos of having so many children so close in age, but it only made Lothian laugh.

It was pleasant to spend an hour or so in Ryland’s company, but Lothian hadn’t forgotten all the nights of crying. He wasstill reluctant to let the alpha into his life. Apparently, he’d been moping. Dante suggested this outing to cheer him up and get him out of the house now that the danger had passed.

The carriage rocked to a stop, and Lothian’s heart kicked up a beat.

He strained his ears to see if he could recognize where they were. The quiet afternoon was filled with the buzz of insects, the clucking of chickens, and the whickering of horses. The air was scented with hay and wildflowers. He reached for the blindfold.

“Can I take it off now?”

Dante stifled a laugh. “Yes, you may remove it now.”

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