Miranda's Dragon by Toni V. Sweeney

Author:Toni V. Sweeney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wordwooze Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Miranda awoke lying facedown on the bed, naked, the breeze from the open doorway blowing across her back.

What happened? Where’s my nightgown?

Raising her head, she blinked at the bright sunlight making a golden circle on the threshold as the previous night’s memories came rushing back.

Kit, standing in the doorway...barefoot, shirtless...wet jeans clinging to his hips like a second skin...

Did he come back? Did he make love to me after all?

She was certain if that had happened, she’d remember. Rolling over, she caught at the damp hair clinging to her shoulders, winding one curl around her finger.

Is that why I feel as if something wonderful happened? As if today is really and truly the first day of the rest of my life.

Sighing, she sat up, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and got out of bed. The wet nightgown lay draped over a chair, her robe beside it. Picking it up, she carried it into the bathroom and hung it on a wall hook. Then, she filled the tub.

She’d barely settled in the water when there was a knock at the door.

At her call, Nikolas came in.

“Randa?” He ran into the bathroom, skidding to the edge of the tub. “The strangest thing has happened.”

He was panting slightly as if he’d hurried up the stairs.

“What is it, Nik?” She hoped this time she appeared more nonchalant about his being here.

“I…” He looked around, saw the bench and pulled it closer to the tub, dropping onto it. “I think Papa went swimming in his clothes last night.”

“What?” She barely managed to smother her smile, pressing the sponge to her face, words muffled through it. “What makes you think that?”

“I found his boots and sweater lying by the pool. Both were soaking wet.” Nikolas looked puzzled. “You don’t suppose he got drunk and fell in? I’d hate to think that.”

He’s worried about Kit. Miranda was touched by Nikolas’ concern. Should she tell him what really happened?

Should she say, Actually, Nik, I pushed your father into the pool, because I’m falling in love with him, but I don’t want to be another notch on his gunbelt.

That wouldn’t do.

“I’m sure that’s not what happened. I don’t think your father would overindulge like that.”

“Neither do I,” Nikolas agreed. “After all, he was a hahn once, you know. They aren’t allowed to drink.”

Miranda remembered Niki telling her that…had to be in possession of all his faculties at all times…and Kit had definitely been that last night.

“He’s continued following their practices. Once a hahn, always a hahn, he says.” The boy looked thoughtful. “There’s only one time I remember ever seeing Papa drunk, and that was when Cyntis died.”

Another display of how much he loved her, Miranda thought grimly. Trying to drown his guilt in a bottle, to numb the self-hate he’d felt that she’d died bearing his child.

“He must’ve been devastated.”

“Devastated?” Nikolas shook his head.

He slid from the bench onto his knees by the tub, the beautiful green eyes still holding the shock of seeing his father out of control.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.