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“Would you have told me if I hadn’t asked about Parker?”
Kianti nodded. “I actually decided to tell you this morning. After breakfast, of course.”
He frowned. “Why after breakfast?”
She laughed. “Well, I wanted you to eat before you ran out. I did pretty much slave over our food here, you know?”
Therin wasn’t amused and let her see the agitation tighten his gorgeous features. “You figured I wouldn’t stick around once you told me about your condition?”
“Men rarely do.” She turned to take utensils from a drawer. “And if they do, it’s not for long.”
“I don’t appreciate being put in that group, Kianti.”
“Oh, don’t take it seriously.” Her laughter bubbled up again. “It’s understandable that a man would think twice about hooking up with a woman who could die in the midst of making love.”
“Jesus.” Therin grimaced. “Do you ever stop to think that it’s not your condition that sends a guy scramblin’ but your expectation that he’ll be an ass about it that does the trick?”
Kianti didn’t have a comeback. “Would you like to eat in the kitchen or the dining room?” she asked instead.
Therin massaged the silky hair covering his head and cursed his loss of temper. Raising his head then, he watched Kianti and smiled over how smoothly it’d happened and how alive it’d made him feel when it did.
“Kitchen’s fine,” he said and moved to help her.
“I’m not an invalid, Therin,” she snapped when he took the dishes and silverware. “I can damn well set a table—you’re my guest.”
In response, he took her wrist and planted her on one of the stools. “I was only offering to help, but since you expect me to treat you like an invalid, I’ll just go on and give you what you’re looking for.”
Kianti’s mouth parted but again she found that she had no comeback. She watched Therin set out the breakfast, giving him instruction on where to find mugs, glasses and serving utensils. While he was engaged, she indulged in observing him—looks, clothing, manner—and discovered battling with her four overprotectors hadn’t prepared her for going a round with this man. It hadn’t prepared her at all.
Chapter 6
Kianti mostly picked at her food. It wasn’t difficult for Therin to notice.
“I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of treating you like an invalid, but I draw the line at feeding you.”
Her laughter was soft, but it was there. “I rarely eat breakfast.”
“Ah…bet that doesn’t sit too well with your doctor.” Therin spoke around a mouthful of perfectly seasoned eggs. “Could you help me out, anyway? Eating alone is almost as bad as drinking alone.”
Without argument, Kianti reached for her fork and stabbed a medallion of beef sausage.
“You’re a damn good cook for someone who hates eating,” he complimented.
“Thanks.” She ate a bit more of the sausage and gave a saucy toss of her head. “And I don’t hate eating. It’s just that my mornings start so early with practice and all…it’s usually time for lunch by the time I take a break.”
“Dedication indeed. Playing is certainly your passion. So does this condition run in your family?”
“My father has high blood pressure—it runs on his side of the family. But he’s the only one who has the overexertion problem. Then I came along….” She ate a bit more eggs. “In spite of my not drinking or smoking and eating right—”
“Ha! When you eat.”
She raised her mug in a mock toast. “In spite of all that, his condition became my condition. What?” she asked, noticing the secretive smile he gave.
“Just that it’s hard to believe that you could play so hard, that it affects your heart rate like that.” The smile returned. “I wouldn’t compare piano playing to running a marathon.”
“Marathon? I’d never make it past the first turn.” She poked fun at herself then and nodded. “But in defense of what I do, it is a very exhilarating craft and I put my all into it.”
“The pills must help.” He noticed her frown as if there were a bad taste in her mouth. “Kianti? The pills?” He probed. “They help, don’t they?”
She pushed away her plate. “Remember what you said about not having the right to know everything?”
“I’d say you’ve opened the door here,” he challenged and set aside his plate as well. “You’ve already told me so much, why stop now?”
