Page 168 of Pride: The Rogue
If he reached his arms out, he could hold her. That whisper of rosewater that clung to her filled his senses, and he inhaled deep of the heady scent.
I want you more than I’ve wanted anyone or anything.
I love you.
She, on the other hand? He could not make heads or tails of what she was thinking, and it was eating him up from the inside out.
Latimer and Livian spoke at the same time.
“Lach—”
“Livian—”
They instantly stopped.
He took a deep breath. “Please,” he motioned to her, allowing her to speak first.
Livian moved her gaze over his face. “Why are you here?” she asked softly.
“To see you,” Latimer said, finding his way as the words were finally coming. “I wanted to see you. Ineededto.”
Her eyes glittered. “I…see.”
That gave him pause.
The matter-of-factness in her tones indicated she did, in fact, see, but nothing in her voice, expression, or dazzling irises gave any hint of happiness.
He creased his brow. What was she…?
Livian drifted close, and when she spoke, she did so in the hushed tones of a woman clever enough to know her protective kin were close at hand, and straining to listen.
“I am fine.”
What exactly did that mean? Was she saying she was better off without him? When had he ever been at sea and so confused aboutanything?
“Fine?” he echoed dumbly.
A pretty, pink blush filled her cheeks, the becoming color chased away that deathly pallor of before. “I am…not with child,” she said, her voice so hushed it took a moment for his mind to register what his ears had heard.
Not with child. Meaning, there’d be no wee babe born of the times they’d made love.
“I’ve had my menses.”
“Oh,” he said stupidly, his voice wooden and hollow to his own ears.
It was for the best. She would have felt trapped and scared and lost, and would likely have taken his offering for her, as him feeling obligated to do so.
Even knowing that, however, didn’t erase the enormous stab of regret for the child who’d not be.
“Not that I expected you would marry me because of that,” Livian said on a rush, misinterpreting the reason for his silence.
Her words sent an arrow through him.
“As I said from the beginning, Lachlan, when I asked you to make love to me, I didn’t hold any expectations.”
The poison-filled barbs kept coming. “You should have,” he rasped. “You absolutely should have.”
His beautiful, warrior princess bristled. “I beg your pardon?” she asked indignantly.
