“I’m famished,” she said, hoping to keep her tone light.
He cleared his throat. “We could dress and have supper? I’m sure Mrs. Wheaton has a spread worthy of a king left over from the wedding luncheon.”
“Perfect,” she said, and moved toward the bell to call her maid back.
He stayed in the room a moment, then sighed when she didn’t turn back and padded out toward his own chamber. She breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn’t treaded into more dangerous waters, and pushed away disappointment at the same.
She could control the relationship with this man. She had to and she would.
Chapter 18
Nathan paced the parlor at Rhys and Pippa’s house two days after the wedding, waiting for his friends to arrive to greet him, his sister in tow. He was not in a good humor and feared it would be difficult to keep that to himself.
He should have been in a wonderful mood. He’d spent the last two days alone with Abigail, exploring every delicious inch of her body. They were perfectly matched in the bedroom, and his hunger for her only grew every time they touched. The problem was that the moment they were finished making love, off she went to the adjoining bedroom. She never slept with him in his bed. She never allowed deeper connection in any way. Sex, playful surface banter, food. That was all they shared.
Why that wasn’t enough, he wasn’t certain. It was within the parameters they had set for their marriage weeks before.
Pippa and Rhys entered the room, their toddler, Kenley, clinging to Pippa’s hand. In that moment, they looked like such a happy family, despite all they’d been through. Despite the fact the boy was Montgomery’s child with yet another woman, the pair loved him as their own. Nothing would ever change that, or make them pull away from each other.
Jealousy gripped him and he forced a smile as he greeted them. “Good afternoon.”
They responded in kind, but Pippa tilted her head. “Where is Abigail? I thought she would join you today. Kenley wanted to see her.”
The little boy turned into her skirts with a shy look for Nathan.
Nathan pursed his lips. “She is working on her study, I believe, and on making herself an herbal garden. She was busy.”
Pippa and Rhys exchanged a brief look before Rhys waved to the chair near the fire. As Pippa got them all tea, Nathan sat. Rhys took a place at the settee across from him, Kenley perched on his knee, and Nathan could see his old friend had a great deal on his mind to say.
To avoid it, he said, “Where is my sister?”
Pippa smiled as she handed him over a cup, prepared just as he liked it. She took her own place beside Rhys. “Ophelia was still preparing. She should be ready momentarily.”
Nathan shook his head. “She’s always marched to her own drum and kept her own time. I hope she was a good house guest.”
Pippa’s eyes lit up with genuine pleasure. “Most definitely. She is so lively and amusing.”
Rhys nodded. “Indeed, she has grown into a charming companion. A firebrand, but charming.”
Nathan shook his head. “Her firebrand side is sometimes my trouble. But then again, what would I be if the ladies in my life didn’t keep me on my toes?”
Pippa wrinkled her brow. “I assume you are also referring to Abigail.”
He caught his breath. “I should have known you would swing the conversation back to her as soon as possible.”
“It’s difficult not to be curious as to how things have gone between you since your marriage,” Rhys said. “Without getting too detailed.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair. He’d been frustrated and now his friends were offering him a sounding board.
“We’re fine,” he began slowly. “When we’re together…together…”
Rhys rolled his eyes. “Yes, we understand.”
“…it’s very good. She just pushes me away any other time, keeps me at arm’s length.”
Pippa let out a long sigh. “Celeste and I worried about that. Please don’t judge her, Gilmore. She’s been through so much.”
“I know,” he said swiftly. “I don’t judge her, nor do I wish to force her into a situation she doesn’t desire. And I shouldn’t be upset. We already agreed this isn’t going to be a love match. I suppose I must be patient as we determine what kind of friends we can be.”
“Friends,” Pippa repeated, arching a brow.
Nathan was uncertain of her tone. She almost sounded…annoyed. “Yes?”
She set her teacup down with a clatter, and now there was no doubt she was annoyed, given her expression. “You two are the most stubborn arses.”
“In front of the child?” Rhys said with a playful glare for her as he covered the little boy’s ears.
She laughed. “They deserve the label, I cannot sugarcoat it.”
Nathan blinked, for he had never seen Pippa so animated. “I…that is not the response I was expecting.”
“Well, it is the one I have.” She got up and paced away. When she pivoted back, she crossed her arms. “There is clearly a connection between you two, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. We’ve all seen it, and not just in the last month, but in the last year. I saw it the first time you two were in a room together.”
He flinched. “You imagined things then, Pippa. I guarantee you there was no connection between us a year ago. As for now, I don’t wish to be indelicate, but I don’t deny there is a bond between myself and Abigail. But it is physical. There is little more.”
“Fine. Ruin your life.” She glared at him before she took Kenley from Rhys and then stomped to the doorway. “I’ll check on Ophelia.”
Nathan gaped at where she’d gone and then turned his stare on Rhys. The earl had not moved and arched a brow in his direction. “My wife is a little…passionate about this.”
“Apparently so,” Nathan said. “And I appreciate she is a romantic.”
“She is that.” Rhys laughed.
“But certainly she’s no fool. She…and all the rest of you…must understand that not every person can have some great love.”
“Don’t you want it?” Rhys asked.
Nathan stared at him. Want it. A great love. “I…”
“I mean, a year or two ago, you and I might have waxed on about how it didn’t exist. Based on our pasts, we would have believed it. But things are different now. You’ve seen Celeste and Owen together. You’ve seen Pippa and me. You know that kind of true connection, that kind of deep love exists.”
“I have seen it,” Nathan said softly. “I’m grateful that my best friend, my brother, has found it, and that Owen and Celeste could also be so lucky. But I’ve also seen the ugly side of such an emotion. I’ve seen what happens when people want something they can’t get.”
“So because of your mother or your sister or your friend of a friend’s bad experience, you won’t even try?” Rhys held up both hands. “Seems a bit cowardly.”
Nathan flinched. He knew Rhys was trying to get a rise out of him. And damn if it wasn’t working, because he felt a very strong desire to have a screaming match. Luckily, there was no chance to do so. Pippa returned to the room, this time without Kenley, but with Ophelia at her side.