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Merripen stood and towered over her, his expression unfathomable "Who was the doctor you saw in London, Win? How did you find him?"

Then she understood Her sto breaths "There was no doctor," she said "I didn’t see the need for it"

"You didn’t see the need," he repeated slowly

"No Because-as Julian said later-I could go froive me the answer I wanted"

Merripen let out a breath that sounded like a scrape in his throat He shook his head "Jesus"

Win had never seen hier She moved toward him with her hand outstretched "Kev, please, letvisibly to control himself

"I’m sorry," she said earnestly "I wanted you so ht if I told you about having seen another doctor, it would… well, push you a bit"

He turned away from her, his hands clenched

"Itto think above the desperate pounding of her heart "It changes nothing, especially after today"

"It uttural tone

Ro manipulated by their women And she had broken Merripen’s trust at a time when he had been particularly vulnerable He had let down his guard, had let her inside But how else could she have had him?

"I didn’t feel I had a choice," she said "You’re impossibly stubborn when your e it"

"Then you’ve just lied again Because you’re not sorry"

"I’ry, and I understand howswiftness, seizing her by the upper ar face descended close to hers "If you understood anything, you wouldn’t expect id and tre in darkness She gulped a deep breath beforeto say stubbornly, "I’ll see as ather a full variety of opinions, and you can calculate the odds But no one can predict of a certainty ill happen And none of it will change how I intend to spend the rest of my life I will live it onI won’t be an invalid any longer Not even if it iving her a little shake "Least of all from a wo tears She wondered in furious despair why fate seemed determined to withhold froranted "You arrogant Rom," she said hoarsely "It’s not your choice; it’s mine My body My risk And it may already be too late I ripped her head and pressed his forehead to hers, his breath striking her lips in bursts of heat "I can’t do this," he said raggedly "I won’t be forced into hurting you"

"Just loveuntil she felt his rowls as he licked at her tears He kissed her desperately, savaging her mouth with a wildness that ainst hers, she felt the prodding of his arousal even through the bunched layers of their clothes It sent a shock of response through all her veins, and she felt her inti wet She wanted him inside her, to pull him deep and close, to pleasure him until his ferocity was soothed

She reached down to the stiff length of hiroaned into her asp, "Take me to bed, Kev Take me…"

But he shoved away frolance, and he left the rooes fro air was fresh and heavy with the proh the half-openof Cam and Amelia’s room Cam awakened slowly as he felt his wife’s voluptuous body snuggling close to his She always slept in a nightgown made of modest white cambric, with infinite numbers of tucks and tiny ruffles It never failed to stir hi what splendid curves were concealed beneath the deown had ridden up to her knees during the night One of her bare legs was hooked over his, her knee resting near his groin The slight roundness of her stonancy had low about her these days, a burgeoning vulnerability that filled hi that the changes in her were caused by his seed, a part of hi

He wouldn’t have expected to be this enthralled by Amelia’s condition In the eyes of the Rom, childbirth and all related issues were consideredevents And since the Irish were notoriously suspicious and prudish when it came to matters of reproduction, there wasn’t ht in his wife’s pregnancy But he couldn’t help it She was thecreature he had ever encountered

As he patted her hip drowsily, the urge to oard and caressed her bare botto the fine texture of her skin

As parted, inviting ainst her cheek "What a good little wife you are," he whispered in Roh as his hands slipped over her war her, kissing her breasts His fingers played between her thighs, teasing wickedly until she began to breathe in quiet moans Her hands clutched at his back as he ry for the warm, elcome of her-

A tap at the door A muffled voice "Aain "Amelia?"

"One of my sisters," Amelia whispered

Cam muttered a curse that explicitly described what he had been about to do, and was apparently not going to be able to finish "Your faan in a dark tone

"I know" She flipped back the bedclothes "I’m sorry I-" She broke off as she saw the extent of his arousal and said weakly, "Oh dear"

Although he was usually tolerant when it came to the Hathaways’ multitude of quirks and issues, Ca

"Get rid of whoever it is," he said, "and co robe over her nightgown and hastily fastened the top three buttons As she hurried into the adjoining sitting roo robe flapped behind her like theintently There was the sound of the door to the hallway opening, and so roo voice, and the anxious response of one of her sisters Win, he guessed, since Poppy and Beatrix would only awaken this early in the event of sos Ca interest in all the concerns, large and s faood to him It hearkened back to his early childhood, when he’d still been allowed to live with the tribe Fa to share A

After a few minutes, the fe that Ahed and left the bed

He dragged on so room, and saw Amelia on a small settee with Win Who looked wretched