Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

Curled up in his bed, her body soft and warm, she reminded him of a cat. Difficult to win her affection, but once you did, she’d be fiercely loyal. He smiled, remembering the first time they met. Back then she’d shown him her tough side, she’d seemed hard, immovable. But

only he knew that inside she was like candy – melting and delicious. He never wanted to stop tasting her.

Was this how it felt to finally win? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this – maybe he never had. Having her in his bed made him feel afraid and exhilarated at the same time, like a free faller approaching the exit of an airplane. He was ready to step out, ready to fall, not knowing if he was going to survive the journey. Not even caring if he did, because the sensation was too good to miss.

She moaned softly in her sleep, turning over, nestling against him. Instinctively he found himself gathering her into his arms. She rested her head against his bare chest, her breath warm against his skin.

He closed his eyes, breathing her in, trying to commit this feeling to memory.

He was becoming addicted to her, and he wasn’t sure he could ever go cold turkey again.

26

A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee

– All’s Well That Ends Well

‘You doing okay?’ Lachlan asked. Lucy was lying back in the bed, her blonde hair fanned out across the white pillow, her eyes open and staring at the ceiling. ‘Can’t you sleep?’

She moved her gaze to him. ‘Not really. I’ve been wide awake for hours.’ She wiggled down the mattress, resting her cheek on her hand. ‘Sorry if I woke you up.’

Behind him, the red numbers on the clock told her it was just past four in the morning. ‘You didn’t wake me,’ he said, though his voice still felt thick with sleep. ‘I just turned over and saw you laying there.’ He reached his hand out, stroking her face with the tips of his fingers. ‘You think you can go back to sleep?’

‘Even if I can’t, you should. We don’t both need to be awake at stupid o’clock in the morning.’

He grinned. ‘I know a good way to make you tired.’

‘Does it involve pills?’ she asked him.

‘No, but it does involve swallowing.’

She burst out laughing. Lachlan twisted in the bed, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

‘Where did this come from?’ she murmured, running her finger across the back of his hand, tracing a small, jagged line beneath his thumb.

He pulled his hand back, frowning. Lucy couldn’t help but remember Jenn’s warning. Lachlan didn’t like it when you got too close. ‘You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,’ she whispered.

‘It’s not a big deal.’ He slid his hand back to hers. ‘Remember I told you about breaking my mom’s vase? I got it then.’

She traced it again, leaning closer to see it in the half-light. The sun had risen, her early-morning rays pushing through the gauzy curtains. ‘Did it hurt?’

‘I don’t remember. I was only six or seven.’

‘But you said your mom was out. Did you have a babysitter?’

She felt him shake his head, the movement moving his chest where her head was resting. ‘No, I was alone.’

‘She left you on your own that young?’ Lucy frowned, her fingers curling around his. Another reminder of how abandoned he’d been as a child. She ached to travel back to that time, to scoop that younger Lachlan up in her arms. Strange how such a strong, virile man could bring out her maternal instinct. ‘Wasn’t that illegal?’

He shrugged. ‘She had a job to do. She could barely keep a roof over our heads, paying for a nanny was totally out of the question.’

‘Couldn’t she work when you were at school?’

His voice was soft. ‘Nightclubs don’t tend to keep school hours.’

Lucy’s eyes widened. ‘You were on your own all night? Jesus, what if something happened?’ Her stomach dropped at the thought. ‘I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for a kid that age.’

He gave her a half-smile. ‘I broke the vase when I was sleepwalking. The crash woke me up. I was so scared I tried to gather all the pieces together in my hand, that’s when one of the edges cut me.’ He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. ‘I hid those pieces for days, hoping she wouldn’t notice. Until Grant’s grandmother told me about Kintsugi.’