Love Reacquainted by Kate Rolin

Author:Kate Rolin [Rolin, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-08T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

It was the second morning after Christmas and Olivia sat at breakfast with only Josef. She went through the motions of eating for his sake. She didn’t want to alarm him, but she tasted nothing, each bite making her feel more nauseous than the last.

She had felt this way ever since yesterday when she had been summoned to Cyrus’s study immediately after breakfast. He’d been absent, much to her disappointment, but as she had made her way to his study she had assumed an explanation and another kiss awaited her.

She pushed open the door and looked around. She’d not been in this room before. Off to her right she noticed what must have been his wedding portrait before her gaze landed on him. He stood looking out the window with hands behind his back which was to her now. She couldn’t help but smile as she walked towards him, not after the previous night.

“Good morning, Cyrus. I was worried after you weren’t at breakfast, but…what’s wrong?”

Olivia stopped short. Cyrus had turned as he heard her approach and the look on his face was so shocking she froze. It looked as if anguish and anger both flashed in his dark eyes, and the dark circles underneath told Olivia he never went to sleep at all. A shadow of stubble indicated he hadn’t bothered to shave either.

Cyrus stood there for what felt like an eternity, drinking in the sight of her. She had on that pretty lilac morning gown again and those blue eyes regarded him with concern as she bit her lower lip, her forehead creased with worry. He felt he was going to be sick at what he was about to do, but it was for the best—for them both.

Olivia watched as he worked his jaw. He stood ramrod straight, hands still clasped behind his back she could no longer see.

“Olivia, I need to speak with you. About last night…”

She smiled, thinking he felt guilty for what almost happened between them. “Cyrus, you mustn’t worry about me. Last night, it was one of the best nights of my life.”

“Olivia—please! Don’t make this any harder for me than it already is!” He raked a hand through his dark and gray-streaked hair that hung loose at his shoulders.

Olivia blinked, stunned. “What are you talk—”

“Don’t you see? Nothing can ever happen between us. We need to stop before this gets out of hand. I’m…I’m sorry I allowed my…” —he wouldn’t say feelings—“attraction to you to get out of hand.”

“Cyrus, this is more than a mere physical attraction.”

“Whatever this is, it has to stop. It can’t go anywhere anyway. Why, I’m old enough to be your father! Even if we married, you’d be the subject of gossip for marrying an old man for years to come. And then, eventually, I would leave you a widow, too young once again.”

“Cyrus—really! Women much younger than myself marry men much older than you all the time. It’s not unheard of. And you should know I don’t care about gossip! You’re younger than my father would be anyhow.

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