Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
She whimpered. An indulgent chuckle left him.
His lids lowered and she stared at his insanely long, curved lashes. How did a man look so flipping handsome? She wanted to touch him, learn him. Enjoy him.
With his knuckles, he nudged her plate toward her. “Eat.”
She’d barely taken her first bite when the door opened and the rest of the younger ones crowded in, already talking and laughing. Rosamunde watched them interact as they all filled their plates and sat down around the table.
Keely winked at her as she claimed a seat across from Rosamunde. “I see you’re up as early as we are. I hope my brother is being nice to you.”
“Of course. He is polite as always.”
The entire room erupted in laughter. Bryn gave them all a rude gesture, which had Rosamunde snickering behind her hand. He snapped his gaze to her.
“Are you laughing at me too, lioness?”
Rosamunde rolled her lower lip before shrugging and nodding. “Yes.”
A bark of laughter escaped him at her honesty. The sight of a light flush moving up her smooth skin kicked him in the groin and he adjusted himself, watching her. Realizing he had a huge problem when it came to Miss Fletcher, he took a deep breath and forced his gaze away.
Unfortunately, that put his gaze on Falcon, who watched him with a knowing, not to mention smug, expression. It was when he didn’t smirk however, that Bryn felt a kernel of fear unravel within him.
Fear? What the hell do I have to fear?
The second his subconscious flashed an image of Rosamunde he stopped it, not willing to accept what his brain was trying to tell him.
He was leaving for America and that was final.
His eyes drifted back to his right, to the woman who had taken up permanent residence in his brain once more. She laughed with Elonne, her smile doing strange things to his stomach and heart.
Damn it.
After they finished eating, all of them headed out to the entryway and dressed warmly to go outside in the cold. More snow fell but it was much like they were young kids again, playing in the snow, tossing balls at one another and making angels.
Pride filled him at his family including Rosamunde, not treating her like spun glass and giving her the same snowballs to the face everyone else got. He stood on the sidelines as those he considered siblings played with Isabella’s children.
In his periphery, he noticed Rosamunde heading toward the tree line. Where are you off to, lioness?
It wasn’t a problem, she was always welcome to walk around Heartstone. Canting his head to the side, he watched her walk through the snow. It had to near the tops of her black boots.
Were her feet warm enough?
“You could always follow and ask her.”
Fuck.
His father stood next to him, arms crossed and legs spread as he braced against the wind as it ticked up its speed. Dark hair streaked with gray stirred from the gusts whipping around them, but his father still moved with the ease of a younger man.
“It shouldn’t matter to me, Papa.”
“But it does, more than you are ready to admit to yourself.”
Bryn nodded, not even bothering to attempt to hide that he was following her with his gaze. “I’m leaving and she’s engaged.”
A low rumble emerged from his father. “Against her wishes because her father is a damn fool who put his own needs and desires above those of his family.”
“Not all that different from the majority of those in the upper crust.” Bryn shifted a bit to keep her in his sight.
A deep sigh. “Trust me, son, I’m all too aware of that. But this man is ignoring the fact that he’s the one who cheated on his wife. I know, also not uncommon, but then he had her pass Rosamunde off as hers, only to turn his back on her now, because his wife refused to sacrifice any of her daughters. And he won’t do anything to his heir.”
Bryn didn’t speak again, merely walked away and after Rosamunde. A low thrum of laughter followed him briefly only to be swept away in the wind and he shook his head.
Of course his father would find this amusing.
This place was stunning. She’d barely gotten anywhere but her heart pounded from the majestic view. The landscape was covered in ice and snow, wind whistled through the bare trees and it should have made her shiver yet invigoration flowed through her.
Continuing on, she paused on the crest of a small hill and glanced down into the dip below her. A wooden bridge crossed a frozen river, tall, browned grasses covered in frost hummed as the wind made them sing. Small swells of snow twisted in delicate funnels. Soft light glinted off the ice and the crystals dotting the landscape.
Tucking her hands in her pockets, she closed her eyes as she lifted her head to the winter sun with a deep inhale. Unlike at her childhood home, this air didn’t make her cringe.