Page 61 of Entranced
“Oh.” Anastasia, with her hair blowing into her eyes, held the door open with a hip as she balanced a tray of dried flowers. “Excuse me.” She didn’t need to go any closer to feel the tempers rattling like sabers in the air. “I’ll come back later.”
“Don’t be silly.” Sebastian nudged Mel aside—none too gently—and took the tray from his cousin. “Morgana’s in the shop.”
Hastily, Ana brushed her wayward hair away from her face. “I’ll just go tell her I’m here. Nice to see you again, Mel.” Ingrained manners had her offering a smile. Then her gaze fixed on the ring. “Oh. How beautiful. It looks like …” She hesitated, flicking a glance at Sebastian. “It looks like it was made for you.”
“I’m just kind of borrowing it for a few weeks.”
Ana looked at Mel again, and her eyes were kind. “I see. I doubt if I could bear to give something that wonderful back. May I?” Gently Ana took Mel’s fingertips and lifted her hand. She recognized the stone as one Sebastian had owned and treasured most of his life. “Yes,” she said. “It looks perfect on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, I only have a few minutes, so I’d better let you finish your argument.” She tossed Sebastian a quick smile and went out into the shop.
Mel sat on the edge of the table and tilted her head. “Wanna fight?”
He picked up her half-finished beer. “There doesn’t seem to be much point in it.”
“No, there’s not. Because I’m not mad at you. I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything this big before. Not that I’m afraid I can’t handle it.”
He sat on the table beside her. “Then what?”
“I guess it’s the most important thing I’ve ever done, and I really … I really care about making it work. Then there’s this other thing.”
“What other thing?”
“This you-and-me thing. It’s important, too.”
He took her hand in his. “Yes, it is.”
“And I don’t want the lines between these two important things to be blurred or mixed up, because I really care about … I really care,” she finished.
He brought her fingers to his lips. “So do I.”
Sensing that the mood was friendly again, she smiled. “You know what I like about you, Donovan?”
“What?”
“You can do stuff like that—kissing-my-hand stuff. And not look goofy doing it.”
“You humble me, Sutherland,” he said in a strained voice. “You positively humble me.”
***
Hours later, when the night was quiet and the moonlight dim, she turned to him in sleep. And in sleep her arms slid around him, her body curved to his. He brushed the hair back from her temples as she nestled her head on his shoulder. He rubbed his thumb over the stone on her finger. If he left it there, let his mind drift, he could join her in whatever dream her heart was weaving. It was tempting, almost as tempting as waking her.
Before he could decide which to choose, he had a flash of the stables, the smell of hay and sweat and the distressed whicker of the mare.
Mel blinked awake as she felt him pull away. “What? What?”
“Go back to sleep,” he ordered, reaching for a shirt.
“Where are you going?”
“Psyche’s ready to foal. I’m going to the stables.”
“Oh.” Without thinking, she climbed out to search for her clothes. “I’ll go with you. Should we call the vet?”
“Ana will come.”
