“Why not?”
“I just don’t. I have lots to do and an equal amount of nervous energy to go along with it. I don’t know, maybe I just don’t know how to relax.”
“You should try reading. It helps me relax.”
“I read plenty.”
Faith shook her head. “Not proposals and contracts, Ryan. Books.
Fiction. For fun and pleasure.”
He pulled an escaping tendril of her hair through his fingers. “I have something else in mind for fun and pleasure, and it doesn’t involve reading.”
With a quick step back, Faith grasped her coffee cup and headed toward the sink. “I’d like to take a look around the house and grounds today, if that’s all right.”
Ryan came up behind her and placed his cup in the sink. But instead of moving away he stayed put, his breath teasing the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck. He trailed a finger down the side of her neck. Certain she was going to collapse, she focused on breathing normally.
“I think you’re avoiding the subject of sex,” he teased, lightly blowing on her neck.
She felt the goose bumps trail down to her curling toes. “No, I’m not.”
He grasped her shoulders and turned her around. “I agreed not to have sex with you for two months, Faith. I didn’t agree not to talk about it.”
The last thing on her mind was talking about it, thinking about it or experiencing it. Not now. The mere thought of being that close to Ryan melted her insides. The casual touches and glances he’d given her last night and this morning flamed a yearning she hadn’t known existed.
Right now that was all she could handle.
His body hovered inches from hers, his hands lightly stroking her arms. It wasn’t her he wanted, she reminded herself. It was her body—a baby-making machine that would free him from the bonds of his grandfather’s will. And that was all she’d ever be to him. To think anything else would be foolish.
“I can’t right now, Ryan. We…we agreed to wait.”
Ryan dropped his hands and stepped back. She turned around to face him now that he had given her some breathing room.
The warmth she expected to see, that she’d felt from his voice when he touched her, was gone. Had she hurt him with her rejection? How was she supposed to know what to do? This was unfamiliar territory, and she didn’t know the ground rules.
“Fine. Look around,” he said. “If you have questions, Leland will help you.”
Faith nodded and Ryan walked away. She’d noticed his furrowed brow and knew he’d been disappointed. Now she felt guilty, although she didn’t know why.
So many things to learn. That’s why she needed time to figure out how she was supposed to act around him. Everything had changed yesterday—first the wedding, then last night. Both their lives would be different now.
She spent the rest of the morning wandering the house and grounds.
It was truly a magnificent place, with five bedrooms and four bathrooms, each room larger than most people’s apartments. At least larger than hers.
The staff had their own home adjacent to the main one, except for Leland and his wife Margaret, the head housekeeper. They stayed in the main house on the ground floor.
Faith found Margaret when she entered Ryan’s bedroom—
correction—their bedroom. Best not to think about that right now, although she knew she’d have to by tonight.
“Good morning, Mrs. McKay,” Margaret said brightly. A petite woman in her early fifties, Margaret was friendly and welcoming. Faith had always liked Margaret. The woman didn’t know how to frown. Perennially cheerful, she was the exact opposite of Leland’s staid demeanor. Maybe that’s why they made a good couple—they complemented each other.
“Good morning, Margaret,” Faith said as she tentatively entered the room. “Just thought I’d pop in and take a look around.”
“Of course you can. This is your room. I’m just straightening up in here. Would you like me to leave?”
Faith shook her head. “Not at all. Go ahead and continue what you were doing. And call me Faith, please.”
Ryan’s room was even larger than the one Faith slept in last night. A king-sized four-poster bed centered the room. The dressing area and bathroom were separate from the bedroom. Two oversized walk-in closets were positioned at opposite ends of the dressing area. Faith stepped into Ryan’s, marveling at his collection of clothes, both business and casual.
Which meant the other closet was hers. When she walked in, Margaret was hanging Faith’s clothes.
“I didn’t know my things had arrived,” Faith said and picked up a couple hangers. “Let me help you.”
Margaret looked horrified. “No, Mrs. McKay, I’ll take care of it.”
Obviously, Margaret wasn’t going to call her by her first name, either.
Despite the woman’s continued protestations, Faith helped her unpack.
It felt good to be doing something normal again, something familiar. It didn’t take long anyway as Faith’s wardrobe was fairly limited to her work suits and a few casual clothes.
When they were finished, Margaret left and Faith was able to explore the rest of Ryan’s room.
There was a small sitting area to the left of the bed, with a plump, cushioned window seat built into a bay window. Two small lamps were mounted on the wall adjacent to the window. There was even a bookshelf nestled underneath the window seat, although it was empty.
Faith could already imagine herself relaxing in front of the window, reading and drinking a cup of tea. She sighed in pleasure at the thought.
Reading was her passion, and she spent almost all her free time engaged in the fantasy world of someone else’s life. Her favorites were romance novels, where the heroine found the man of her dreams, and despite trials and tribulations, always ended up happily-ever-after.
Not the way real life worked at all, which is why she loved to read them. At least her favorite characters found their soul mates.
But reading could wait for later. Right now she planned to enjoy the warm day and heated pool. She changed into her swimsuit, threw on a long sundress and headed outside.
It was blissfully warm as she opened the back door and stepped onto the covered patio. Fragrant flowers bloomed. Faith inhaled the sweet jasmine twining around the latticed arbor. Summer was coming, and despite the unpleasantly hot weather during those months, it was still her favorite time of year.