He got up and stalked toward his dressing room.
“Where are you going?” Certainly, he wouldn’t leave in the middle of their argument. He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t do that.
“Out,” he said curtly.
“Where?” She wouldn’t let him shut her out. She just couldn’t. Not even if he wanted to.
He sighed heavily from the other room. “I need to go and talk with Robin about Mayden. To see what the next step is.”
“We haven’t settled anything, though.”
“Is that possible?” He looked around the corner of the door. “You’re not going to pick me over magic. Ever. I should have known that.” He stalked by her and out the door.
“Finn!” she called to his retreating back. Tears pricked at her lashes. The front door slammed hard behind him, and she jumped with the force of it. He was gone. He’d left and they hadn’t resolved a single thing.
***
Finn made his way across town to meet Robin and some of his men so they could make plans for Mayden’s upheaval from society. They might not be able to prove that Mayden had killed Robin’s wife, or Colette for that matter, but when they called in all of his debts, they hoped he would get scared and leave England.
Typically, Finn had all of his men over to his house for meetings like this, but he couldn’t do so with Claire there. See? He was already making concessions for her in his life. Didn’t she see that?
He was changing the way he lived. For her. And she didn’t plan to change her life at all? Impossible.
His heart twisted in his chest at the thought of her leaving him to travel back and forth to the land of the fae. Much less taking their child or children to a land he couldn’t visit. But she’d obviously picked that life over him.
He supposed he’d have to accept the cards he’d been dealt and play them as he was able. He had a woman he loved, a child on the way, would marry her in a matter of days, and he’d get to hold her in his arms every night as she fell asleep. And wake with her every morning. It wasn’t such a bad life, was it?
Robin walked into the room, and his men filed in behind him. “Let’s get Mayden on the run, shall we?” Robin said, smiling at him.
Finn nodded and they set about putting the wheels of justice in motion.
Thirty-One
Claire sank down into her bath, the glow of candlelight the only light in the room. Finn wasn’t home yet, and she refused to give up waiting for him. He’d been scarce all week, coming in after she was in bed at night and getting up before she rose in the morning. The only time he touched her was when he thought she was sleeping. He’d pull her into his arms and inhale her scent.
The first time it had happened, Claire had rolled into him, but then she’d remembered the way he’d walked out angry, and she’d pretended to be asleep. His hands had roamed over her body, teasing her to delicious wakefulness, but she’d still pretended to sleep. He’d finally given up, drawing her into the crook of his arm as he fell asleep, his breath deep and even.
The next night, he’d come home and done the same thing, but Claire had feigned sleep again. He’d finally grunted and rolled away from her, and she’d lain there crying silently into her pillow.
Tonight, she refused to pretend. She had waited all day for him to come home. She wouldn’t give up now. When she felt like she’d need toothpicks to hold her eyelids open, she’d called for a bath to keep her awake.
Claire hung her hair over the lip of the tub, determined to keep it as dry as possible, particularly since it was difficult to wash it by herself. She settled back against the tub and tried to make a plan. Finn would come in tired. He’d been gone all day, doing whatever it was he did. And she would be waiting for him.
The door to their bedchamber closed with a soft click. Then she heard his voice. “Claire?” he called out.
She didn’t answer. She was feeling more than a little dejected, unwanted, and unloved. And now that he was home, she still didn’t know what to say to him. Come help me with my bath, darling? No, that would be ridiculous.
The dressing-room door, where the big tub was kept, flew open quickly. “Claire?” Finn called.
“I’m here,” Claire said quietly. She didn’t make a move to cover herself.
Finn stumbled to a halt just inside the room. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Fine,” she murmured.
“Why are you up so late?” He stood there in the doorway, not bothering to move away as her fingers made patterns in the top of the bathwater.
“I was waiting for you.”