He shrugged, as if it didn’t matter. He was in a strange mood, but for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why. Shouldn’t he feel relieved she was better? She knew he had been worried about her. In moments of clarity, she had been aware of his constant care. The concern on his face had been evident.
“Is something the matter?” she asked, going for the direct approach. She didn’t have the energy to guess.
He just looked at her with those dark, unfathomable eyes, an undercurrent of emotion she couldn’t name swirling in its depths.
“We can talk about that later. Would you like to take a bath while I order breakfast?”
Now that he mentioned it, embarrassment swamped her. She was a mess. Her hair was stringy and plastered to her head, her nightclothes clung to her body, wet with sweat. She must look a fright. And smell even worse.
“Yes, please.” She sat up in bed and had to pause for a moment to gather her strength. He was by her side, supporting her with his strength before she even got out of bed.
“I’m filling the bathtub. Do you need help bathing?”
There was nothing sexual about the offer. He was talking with the same nonchalance one might use to offer a cup of tea. She shuddered. Not because she could entertain sexual thoughts at the moment, but his chilly indifference cut deep.
“No, I’m fine.”
He nodded and closed the bathing room door. She wasted no time in shedding her rumpled and sweaty nightgown and sinking into the blissfully warm water. After washing her hair, brushing her teeth, and donning a clean nightgown and warm robe, she felt almost normal again.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, the aromas of coffee, bacon, and freshly baked bread greeted her nose and made her stomach rumble. She saw the table by the window was laden with covered dishes and a coffee service. Dariux was already sitting at the table. He gestured to the empty chair.
“Breakfast?”
“Yes, please.”
She sat down, trying for the moment to ignore the tension emanating from Dariux. What had she done? She knew that before she fell ill, they had not parted on the best of terms. She had been furious at him for his stubborn rejection of love, but that was an old disagreement. He wouldn’t be acting with such simmering anger over that, would he? But what else could it be? She had been sick and half out of her mind for the past four days. He wouldn’t hold a grudge for something she might have done while hallucinating, would he?
Despite the tastiness of the food, she couldn’t enjoy it. She had to face whatever he had against her head on.
“Would you tell me what the problem is now?”
“Must there be a problem?”
“Judging by your attitude since I woke up, I daresay there is.”
He stared at her for an uncomfortably long moment that made her feel like squirming in her chair.
“Are you sure you are up to this conversation now?”
“I don’t know, Dariux. I have no clue what you have against me, but I know I can’t stand another minute of this silent animosity.”
As an answer, he stood from the chair, went to the dresser, and retrieved something from the top drawer. When he silently placed the small box on the table between them, she understood with no words.
The color leached from her face, and her gaze snapped to his, meeting cold, hard eyes. Oh, God. He was never supposed to find out. She should have thrown out the damn pills. How stupid. How careless of her.
“It is not what you think,” she began, aware it was a lame line.
“Oh? What I think is that you didn’t take the contraceptive pill as we agreed. So we have been having unprotected sex and you could be pregnant right now. Tell me, Kalli, is that not it?”
“Well, yes. But it was not on purpose. I-I forgot. And then it was too late. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
“How considerate of you.” His tone dripped with sarcasm, making her own temper rise.
“You need not worry about it. It was my mistake, and if something comes of it, I will deal with it on my own.”
“The hell you will!” he said, planting his hands on the table and leaning forward with such ferocity that she leaned back, frightened of him for the first time.
“I know you don’t want entanglements. I’m offering you a way out.”
