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‘What did the OB say when you saw him last?’
‘That I’m a good size,’ Merida said. ‘That back pain is normal.’
‘You’ve got back pain?’
‘A bit—just in my lower back,’ Merida said. ‘It might be the baby’s heels.’
‘It’s all your ligaments stretching,’ Ethan said. ‘In preparation.’
He turned to her and gave a triumphant smile at his new knowledge.
Merida couldn’t help but smile back. ‘Have you been reading?’
‘I have.’
She was inordinately pleased. ‘When?’
‘Well, given that I’m a married man, I knew I couldn’t hit the clubs in Dubai, so I bought a book at the airport.’
‘A baby book?’
‘A pregnancy book. Scared the life out of me,’ he admitted. ‘Did you speak to Naomi?’
‘Yes, she’s coming on the first of December and she’ll stay until the end of January.’
‘That’s good.’
The baby had stopped moving and she removed Ethan’s hand.
‘Goodnight, Ethan.’
He reached over and turned out the light. She heard the slide of his zip as he kicked off his trousers and got under the covers.
And of all the things she had ever done, this was the hardest, for she felt alone even as she lay by his side.
‘I saw you on the television,’ Ethan said into the darkness.
Merida rolled onto her side. She didn’t reply.
‘You were very good.’
And still she did not reply. It was safer to pretend she was asleep.
Ethannevercajoled. Yet he couldfeeltheir mutual need. The air beneath the sheet hummed with want, and the heat between them felt as if it choked him.
They had always worked well in the bedroom.
It had to be a start.
Even if she held her guard in every other area, he knew he could win with this.
Merida screwed her eyes closed as he rolled onto his side.
‘Where does your back hurt?’ he murmured as he ran a finger the length of her spine.
But it didn’t feel remedial in the least. In fact, it made her want to bring up her knees.
‘Where?’ he demanded, and Merida gave up pretending to be asleep.
