Chapter 23

A couple of weeks later, after yet another party, the journey to the city and back to the castle was painfully silent. Lea tried once or twice to engage Dave in conversation on the drive home, but he only answered in monosyllables and seemed preoccupied with his thoughts. He rarely touched her. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding all contact, even eye contact. Was he still regretting their lovemaking? He had been so tender and considerate afterwards that a hope had sprouted in her chest that maybe he would agree to deepening their relationship. Had he weighed up the potential consequences and decided it wasn’t worth it?

That she wasn’t worth it?

Why? Was she not enough?

On the drive back to the castle, Dave drove with clenched hands and jaws, his forehead creased in a perpetual frown, which didn’t nurture her fledgling hope one little bit.

‘You know, we’re not going to be very convincing as a married couple if we don’t even exchange a few polite words now and again,’ Lea said.

He flicked her a glance. ‘Sorry. Did you say something?’

She gave a humourless laugh. ‘I’ve been trying to make conversation with you ever since we left the hotel after yet another boring party from the museum. You’ve barely spoken four or five words to me. I guess the honeymoon is definitely over, then?’

He flinched at the word ‘honeymoon’ and his hands tightened like clamps on the steering wheel. ‘I can’t tell you how much I regret what happened. I hate myself for hurting you.’

‘I wish you’d stop making such an enormous deal about it. So what if we had sex? Even perfect strangers have sex with each other. Besides, no harm has been done.’

His gaze swung her way again. ‘Hasn’t it?’

‘Of course not.’ Lea surreptitiously squeezed her legs together, secretly enjoying the pull of still tender muscles that his intimate presence had caused. She had relieved their love making numerous times, remembering each touch, each caress, each kiss that had set her flesh on fire and left it thrumming with pleasure. Her body ached to feel his presence again and to experience more of his magical lovemaking. To explore the sensuality that had erupted so naturally between them and show her a world of heady and erotic delights she hadn’t known existed. She kept her hands planted on her lap, but she longed to place her hand on his thigh like a lover would.

The rest of the journey continued in mutual silence, but just as they approached the long driveway leading to the Brathellae estate, Dave let out a stiff curse, not quite under his breath.

‘What’s wrong?’ Lea asked.

‘That’s Mary’s car,’ he said, indicating the flashy red sports car ahead of them on the driveway. “What? Why is she here?” Lea looked ahead to see the sports car’s wheels spinning over the gravel, spraying stones.

"Hell, if I know,” Dave was steady, reliable, and cautious—someone who thought before he acted.

‘Have you spoken to her since we got married? I mean, about us going to Chicago?’ Lea asked. The word was still a novelty to her, even though she wore his ring on her left hand.

‘I sent an email. I gave up on the phone—she hardly ever gets back to me when I call or text.’ The weariness in Dave’s tone spoke of a long and frustrating history between him and his sister. ‘I told her we’d formed a relationship and decided to get married.’

Nerves in Lea’s stomach unfurled and fluttered their razor-sharp wings. It was going to be difficult to convince his brother that their marriage was genuine when Dave was so determined to keep his distance from her. ‘But she would have seen the will, surely? Won’t she have already put two and two together?’

“I don't know. It doesn’t change the fact that our marriage is legal.’

Lea bit down on her lower lip. ‘I’ll try not to let you down.’

He flashed her the briefest of rueful smiles, but it didn’t take the shadows out of his eyes. ‘That seems to be my job. Letting people down.’

Dave helped Lea out of the car a short time later, placing his arm around her waist as his sister sauntered over to them. “Hey there, lovely couple? Surprise? I came here to check with Lea's aunt about something,” Mary asked and looked at them with a knowing smirk.

Mary smiled back and nestled against Dave’s side, and he caught a whiff of the flowery fragrance of her hair, stirring his senses and making him long to bury his head in those silky chestnut tresses as he had when they had made love. He tried to block the images of that night, but they flashed up in his mind, causing his blood to pound and thicken, dragging at his lower body with a tight primal ache.

Mary swept her gaze over them with an elevation of her eyebrows. “How is the rest of the honeymoon, Lea?”

Dave felt Lea stiffen beside him, and he wanted to thump his sister for being such a tease. He drew her closer to his side and sent Mary a warning look. ‘If you don’t stop teasing my wife, you won’t be welcome here, Mary. Got that?’

Mary raised a brow.

‘Your wife? That is very sweet of you.” Mary threw her head back and winked at Lea.

“Really, sis?” Dave said. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse us, Lea is tired from travelling, and—’

‘I bet you guys are tired. Any plans on having a baby soon?”

Lea’s eyes widened.

“Mary—”

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. But do not forget about my offer, okay? Church wedding. Tyler and I are waiting. The kids are waiting, even Chase and Amaya.”

Dave gave Mary a warning look. And if he were to be honest with himself, that spark of attraction had started way earlier than the afternoon in the north tower. Way, way earlier.

Lea’s cheeks were a bright shade of pink, and yet he was proud of the way her chin came up and her grey-green gaze stared at Mary with something Dave couldn't fathom. It was longing and hope. And it made him uncomfortable.

“The baby will come into the picture soon.”

“Oh goodness, that's good news.” Mary winked at her again, tossed her car keys in the air, and deftly caught them, her expression teasing. ‘I give you guys a year, tops.’

That’s all I want, Dave thought.

And Dave led Lea into the castle without a backward glance as his sister roared down the driveway with a squeal of tyres over the gravel.