Sapphire stared down at her empty plate as her stomach knotted. “My father and mother have both walked with Mor.”
Leanne laid her hand over Sapphire’s. “I’m sorry. And I forgot my manners even asking.”
This woman barely knew her, yet the sincerity in Leanne’s words touched Sapphire. She hadn’t heard that even from people her mother had called friends. “Thank you.”
“Well, you just got a big family. It’ll take some getting used to, but we hope you’ll be happy here.”
Sapphire smiled. “I already am.”
Sir Matthias popped back into the kitchen with Lilly on his shoulders, and the child was carrying a new wooden training sword.
“Now where did you get that?” Leanne asked in mock sternness.
“Uncle Matthias brought it all the way from the Dragon Cathedral in Aerius!”
Matthias handed his mother a small sack. “This is for you.”
She opened the sack, and her hand fluttered over her chest. “You shouldn’t have. You really shouldn’t have.”
“Don’t know anyone that’ll put it to better use.”
Sapphire glimpsed the carefully wrapped package. Sugar, she realized, and while expensive in Aerius, it would be almost impossible to get in a farming town like this. A thoughtful gift, one his mother would use and share with his family.
Sapphire’s heart swelled.
“Is there any of that blueberry cobbler left?” Sir Matthias asked as he plopped Lilly down on a chair before sitting next to Sapphire.
Leanne smiled and set a plate full of the dessert in front of him. “So glad you’re home. Of course there’s some for you.”
Matthias grinned and ate his cobbler. The other two children wandered into the kitchen along with their parents and Matthias’s father.
Matthias introduced his father Ryland, brother Thomas, sister-in-law Celena, and their children.
Celena smiled shyly at Sapphire. “There’s a lot of us, but don’t worry, you’ll figure out who we all are eventually.”
Sapphire guessed Celena was feeling as uncomfortable around her as Sapphire had coming here. She wanted to ease the other woman’s concerns, and leaning over, Sapphire whispered conspiratorially, “You’ll have to help me remember them all.”
“I will,” Celena promised.
Sapphire then asked about the three kids running around the kitchen and the baby on the way. It wasn’t long before she had Celena talking and telling her stories.
Thomas and Ryland joined in, and the kitchen was filled with a warmth and friendship Sapphire hadn’t known was possible.
By the end of the evening, she felt as if she’d known them all for years rather than hours, and Leanne made it clear Sapphire was already a part of the family. Unequivocally. Without question or justification.
For the first time since her father had died, Sapphire felt like she belonged. Felt like someone cared about her for something other than her inheritance.
And Sir Matthias had shared that with her, a woman who was paying him for the protection of his name for four years. It was only hers for the moment, but it was the greatest gift she could imagine, and losing it would hurt almost as much as losing him.
Damn Rashalee for sneaking into her heart and making Sapphire want something that belonged to someone else. That belonged to the woman Sir Matthias would some day love.
“It’s getting late,” Sir Matthias said. “We’ll have to be up early for chores.”
“Not you two newlyweds,” Leanne said. “You’re here to visit and enjoy married life. Time enough for work.”
Celena patted Sapphire’s hand. “Get your rest. You’ll need it.” She then rose from the table and rubbed her ponderous belly as Thomas hurried over to help her up the stairs to their bedroom.
“Upstairs guest room is all made up,” Leanne said. “I’ll put the kids to work helping me finish clean up in here.”
“Thanks, Momma.” Matthias kissed her on the cheek then offered Sapphire his arm.
She took it, and he led her up a staircase at the back of the house to a room that overlooked a lush garden. It was smaller than Sir Matthias’s quarters in the church, but lovingly furnished with handmade throws, soft rugs, and fresh flowers. The bed was a little larger than the one she’d shared with him the previous night, but not much.
Perhaps he’d sleep beside her with his arms around her again. The thought sent a whisper of desire skittering through Sapphire.
She trailed a finger over a beautifully stitched quilt. “Your mother is amazing. Your whole family so kind. I see where you get it.”
Sir Matthias slid his arms around her. “It wasn’t always easy having seven brothers, and there are a lot of family politics I avoid living so far away, but I’m blessed to have such a wonderful family.”
“And now you’re sharing them with me.”
“You’re my wife. They’re your family, too.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat.
Matthias held her, his arms wrapped securely and protectively around her. “We agreed to try to make this work. Besides, you’ve met my mom. Do you really think I could hide from her that I’m married?”
“She had eight boys. You couldn’t hide a twig in a forest from her.”
Sir Matthias grinned and hugged Sapphire.
She laid her head on his shoulder and fought back a flood of emotion. He didn’t love her. Had agreed to a four-year contract to rescue her. But he treated her like his wife. Was patient. Hadn’t rushed her. Hadn’t pressured her.
By the gods, she wanted him as her husband forever. But he didn’t love her, and he deserved that. Deserved what his parents had. What Thomas and Celena had.
Guilt burrowed into her. “Matthias, I-”
He touched his mouth to hers, silencing her. A soft gentle play of lips, tender, passionate. The feel of him hard and strong surrounding her clouded her reason as desire swirled through her. He affected her more than she wanted, more than she thought possible.
It was hard not to be in love with him, and Sapphire wanted to give him all that could be between a husband and wife, no matter how unpleasant her mother said it would be. No matter how soiled she’d be for doing those things with him.
He was her husband, if only for a while.
It wouldn’t be enough, but if it was all she could have, she should take it.
She kissed him back.
Chapter 15
Threading her fingers through Matthias’s hair, Sapphire parted her lips for her husband and invited him to take more.
He did.
He deepened the kiss as he held her against the hard wall of his chest. The heat of him sunk into her and chased away all thoughts but those of him.
Sapphire softened against him, and desire sizzled through her.
She hadn’t expected a kiss to feel so good.
Tipping her head back, she offered him the smooth column of her throat, then moaned as his lips trailed along the sensitive skin. He flicked open the buttons on the back of her gown, then caressed her heated flesh as he eased the garment down her shoulders. Sapphire shivered as his sword-calloused hands teased over her bare skin.
His lips followed his fingers, and bolts of sensation shot through her and coiled at her center. She tightened her arms around him, surprised by how much she wanted him to touch her, to kiss her.