The Ivory Key by Rita Clay Estrada

Author:Rita Clay Estrada [Estrada, Rita Clay]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-11-05T07:12:52+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

She had been right—Armand was upset by the news she had delivered. Thinking she had dozed off, he'd crept from her side and gone for a walk. She glanced at the small black watch on her wrist. A long walk, apparently; he'd been gone almost three hours. It was after noon, and the sun was at its warmest. She knew that if she looked she'd probably find him down at the cliff, skipping stones or just staring into the water.

Damn it! Didn't he know that she needed to comfort him? And comfort herself, as well...

She loved Armand, and she wanted to be with him for as long a time as he had left. She didn't know how or when she had fallen in love, but there certainly hadn't been any brilliant light that flooded her with truth and knowledge. Instead, love had seeped slowly into the very core of her being, growing from a seedling to an oak, until it filled every corner of her mind and body. It was something she just knew, and now she could not deny it to herself.

Imagine being in love with a man who was a chauvinist before Chauvin! A smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. Armand was born to lord it over women—all women. It was his nature. But it was also a sign of the times—his times.

There was something good about his attitude, though. At first she couldn't quite put her finger on it. But then it came. He was strong. And that strength gave her a feeling of sweet security she had never felt with any other man. He was protective without being possessive. Strong without being overpowering. He could speak in the softest of whispers, yet project great authority.

The sound of crackling leaves brought her head up. Her gaze darted among the trees, only to lock onto the startling blue eyes of the man who filled her thoughts. Neither she nor Armand moved.

Little by little, every muscle in her body became taut. His expression was more eloquent than any words could have been, telling her that they were meant to be together for whatever time was left.

Her eyes spoke volumes, too, telling him she needed him close to her. Expressing feelings she was only just beginning to grasp.

She watched him as he walked toward her with a grace that was part animal and part man. His every muscle and bone worked together to create a masterpiece of motion that almost took her breath away.

Armand sank to the ground across from her. He cleared his throat then reached out, his fingers lingering to limn the outline of her ear. “Are you so uncertain, my Hope?”

“Yes.”

“Of me, or yourself?”

She looked up. “Both.”

“And do you not believe that I could be unsure also?” Sadness touched his eyes, revealing a deep vulnerability that almost shocked her. “I am the one who must knock down stone walls to get to the heart of you, my love. Every time I make an advance

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