arrangement?”
“Yes, it does.” She touched his cheek. “You have to know it’s gone beyond just an arrangement, Griffin. I hope and pray Daniel made it back, and that someone at the Museum can find a way to use the orchid to help Grace.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “I’ve done all I can, but without you, none of it would have been possible.”
A frown creased his brow, and for a moment his eyes clouded. “It is no longer an arrangement, but an obligation.” He took his hand away from her stomach.
“Oh, no. God, no.” She reached for his hand, kissing his fingers, putting his warm hand back on her body.
“No, Griffin. Not an obligation. You’re not a task I need to check off my list, or something I have to do. I want this. I want your child.”
He looked down at his hand, then moved it in a slow circle over her skin, his touch incredibly gentle.
“I love you, Griffin. You’re a stubborn, arrogant man. But you’re honorable, and you’ve shown me what that means. This whole thing started as an arrangement, but for me…it’s changed my life. You’ve changed my life.”
As she spoke, Griffin’s face underwent a transformation, a series of conflicting emotions crossing through his eyes. He hesitated, and for a moment she thought she’d gone too far again, pushed him into his controlling alpha-male role again.
But instead he leaned over, kissing her with such tenderness it took her breath away. Then he moved down, kissing her stomach. That undid her and the tears slipped out of her eyes. He lifted his head, eyes glowing with unshed tears.
“You have awakened a part of me that has been dead, that I thought would stay dead.” His voice was just above a whisper and she knew better than to interrupt.
“I told you I had a mate, that she and our child were killed. With her death, I died, but kept living. There were times I wished I had died with her. Finally the pain of her death faded, but there was nothing left inside me. Until you.”
He touched her cheek briefly, then lay down beside her, pulling her against his body. “You’ve given me a second life, Addison. A happier future.”
The light had left the hut, the air carrying the warmth of the day, but with a chill that crept into the hut. But the shiver that coursed through Addison had little to do with the temperature. Griffin’s words were more than she’d ever thought she’d ever hear from him. She curled her back against his broad chest, and he pulled one of the pelts over her shoulder.
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity she was safe and warm, with a man she loved, who would fight to the death for her. It all seemed like a dream. Not the standard fairy tale little girls told themselves, but a dream nonetheless.
She was almost asleep when Griffin spoke.
“I cannot tell you I love you, Addison. Not yet. I will fight for you, protect you, always.” His voice broke in the darkness. “I just cannot say the words.”
She shifted in his arms, turning toward him. In the dark she touched his face and felt the tears. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him gently.
“I don’t need to hear you say the words. If you can, when you can, then you will. For now, this is perfect.”
The dark closed around them and she fell asleep in Griffin’s arms. Even though it was far too soon to even consider a child, she had the sense something had changed, a fundamental shift had happened. It was more than telling Griffin she loved him, or his words to her. It went deeper.
She snuggled closer to his warmth, dreams of a child filling her mind.
Chapter Eight
He woke in the night, his desire for Addison almost overwhelming. She was sleeping curled away from him. For a moment he hesitated, not wanting to wake her. But the ache in his loins, in his heart, was too much to ignore.
With a hand on her shoulder, he turned her onto her back. She stirred, murmuring something with his name. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled
“Yes, it does.” She touched his cheek. “You have to know it’s gone beyond just an arrangement, Griffin. I hope and pray Daniel made it back, and that someone at the Museum can find a way to use the orchid to help Grace.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “I’ve done all I can, but without you, none of it would have been possible.”
A frown creased his brow, and for a moment his eyes clouded. “It is no longer an arrangement, but an obligation.” He took his hand away from her stomach.
“Oh, no. God, no.” She reached for his hand, kissing his fingers, putting his warm hand back on her body.
“No, Griffin. Not an obligation. You’re not a task I need to check off my list, or something I have to do. I want this. I want your child.”
He looked down at his hand, then moved it in a slow circle over her skin, his touch incredibly gentle.
“I love you, Griffin. You’re a stubborn, arrogant man. But you’re honorable, and you’ve shown me what that means. This whole thing started as an arrangement, but for me…it’s changed my life. You’ve changed my life.”
As she spoke, Griffin’s face underwent a transformation, a series of conflicting emotions crossing through his eyes. He hesitated, and for a moment she thought she’d gone too far again, pushed him into his controlling alpha-male role again.
But instead he leaned over, kissing her with such tenderness it took her breath away. Then he moved down, kissing her stomach. That undid her and the tears slipped out of her eyes. He lifted his head, eyes glowing with unshed tears.
“You have awakened a part of me that has been dead, that I thought would stay dead.” His voice was just above a whisper and she knew better than to interrupt.
“I told you I had a mate, that she and our child were killed. With her death, I died, but kept living. There were times I wished I had died with her. Finally the pain of her death faded, but there was nothing left inside me. Until you.”
He touched her cheek briefly, then lay down beside her, pulling her against his body. “You’ve given me a second life, Addison. A happier future.”
The light had left the hut, the air carrying the warmth of the day, but with a chill that crept into the hut. But the shiver that coursed through Addison had little to do with the temperature. Griffin’s words were more than she’d ever thought she’d ever hear from him. She curled her back against his broad chest, and he pulled one of the pelts over her shoulder.
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity she was safe and warm, with a man she loved, who would fight to the death for her. It all seemed like a dream. Not the standard fairy tale little girls told themselves, but a dream nonetheless.
She was almost asleep when Griffin spoke.
“I cannot tell you I love you, Addison. Not yet. I will fight for you, protect you, always.” His voice broke in the darkness. “I just cannot say the words.”
She shifted in his arms, turning toward him. In the dark she touched his face and felt the tears. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him gently.
“I don’t need to hear you say the words. If you can, when you can, then you will. For now, this is perfect.”
The dark closed around them and she fell asleep in Griffin’s arms. Even though it was far too soon to even consider a child, she had the sense something had changed, a fundamental shift had happened. It was more than telling Griffin she loved him, or his words to her. It went deeper.
She snuggled closer to his warmth, dreams of a child filling her mind.
Chapter Eight
He woke in the night, his desire for Addison almost overwhelming. She was sleeping curled away from him. For a moment he hesitated, not wanting to wake her. But the ache in his loins, in his heart, was too much to ignore.
With a hand on her shoulder, he turned her onto her back. She stirred, murmuring something with his name. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled
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