"I see." Totally inadequate, but she couldn't think, let alone speak.
"I'm sorry," she said weakly.
"So..." He looked down at her, his eyes hooded.
"Do you believe me?
Really believe me? "
"Of course I believe you." If she had been looking at him she would have seen the hard face soften at her total acceptance of the ignominious position she had placed herself in.
"It was just after all you'd said--' She stopped abruptly. This was her fault. She'd jumped to all sorts of conclusions without any real knowledge of the facts, and she couldn't blame him, not even indirectly. Oh... She bit on her lower lip painfully. What an utter fool she'd made of herself.
"I'm sorry," she said again, her voice wretched.
_"I haven't looked at another woman since the first day I set eyes on you."
The deep softness in his voice brought her head jerking up, her eyes wide as they met his.
"If that helps at all? Not that there was a steady stream before that, I might add." He smiled slowly.
"Your faith in my prowess in that direction is more than a little touching."
Wolf ' "I need to talk to you, Lydia. I should have done it weeks ago but I wasn't ready, you weren't. I knew you were hurting and I wasn't sure if your marriage was really over. Added to which He stopped abruptly. “Dammit, woman, don't look at me like that, I can't think straight," he said thickly.
"Wolf..." His name was a plea for understanding.
As he reached for her a little movement behind him caught Lydia's eye.
"Hannah?" Wolf turned in the same instant and they both surveyed the tiny pink and white angel standing in the doorway with sleep-smudged eyes and silky blonde hair, a battered teddy bear tucked under one arm. It was a picture guaranteed to win first place in anyone's affections, and as Lydia moved towards her daughter Wolf crouched down, his eyes soft as they looked gently into the small face in front of him.
"Bad dream?" It hurt her unbearably to see him like that, to understand what memories it must bring back to him of his own daughter, but as he held out his arms to Hannah and she climbed into them Lydia only saw a quiet tenderness in the hard male features that wrenched at her heart.
"You woke me up." Hannah spoke fearlessly into the dark, handsome face in front of her.
"You're very noisy."
"I'm sorry." His face was rueful as he glanced at Lydia over her daughter's fair head.
_"That's all right." Hannah snuggled contentedly in his arms.
"I like you. I asked my mummy when you were coming to see us again," she continued happily.
"And what did your mummy say?" he murmured quietly.
"She said you were too busy." Hannah moved back an inch and surveyed him thoughtfully.
"But you aren't, are you?"
"No." He smiled suddenly.
"I'm not at all busy, Hannah. Now..." He glanced at Lydia again, his eyes enquiring.
"If I'm the one who woke you up, how about if I put you back to bed--yes?"
"Yes, please." Hannah was clearly enchanted by the thought, brown eyes dark with satisfaction.
"Perhaps your mummy will make me a cup of coffee while I do so?"