Nate stood there in the dark room staring. The woman he'd loved and lost was curled into a tight ball of misery. Angus had been right about her suffering-damn the know-it-all bastard. That didn't mean it would be a smart idea for him to try and fix the situation. Wouldn't he just bring Sheena more pain when he made her upset enough to leave again?
Yet seeing her in the bed all alone and looking vulnerable reminded him of the night before Sheena had finally left him. She had said similar things back then when they'd fought, but nothing had changed his feelings on the matter. It had taken a lot of years and four other wives before he'd finally figured it out.
Sheena had given up a lot to stay with him as long she had. He could appreciate that now. She had commuted from his airship to her work, regardless of how far the travel distance. She'd tried her best to adapt to the new demands on his time, but she'd lost most of his attention. He'd known he was neglecting her, but had put her longing for his company aside. The stark truth was that he had left her to sleep alone nearly every night she'd spent with him after he'd made admiral.
She had been curled up in misery that last night too … just like she was now.
So many things had changed for him in the time that had passed, but what were his chances of ever convincing Sheena of them? How crazy was he to even contemplate it? Getting her back wasn't a viable goal. After all this time, the possibility was only a fantasy.
But one thing was crystal clear. He'd never gotten over Sheena McNamara any more than she'd gotten over him.
While he'd never take advantage of her in her current condition, even the possibility of crawling under those covers and holding her exquisite naked body thrilled him as much as having sex with her would have. He knew what Sheena would feel like in his arms. After a hundred years away from her, it would feel exactly like coming home at last.
Nate wandered out to the common area to start his escape. Then he looked at the vials on the table. That was a reality which would have to be dealt with, and a more serious one in the long growing line of issues Angus and Erin kept generating with their presence.
Nate stared at the vials while he wished for the impossible. "Why couldn't you have been a little less smart? This would all be so much easier if you weren't a fucking genius."
No one heard him complaining though. His whining was a waste of breath.
Tomorrow he'd hear from his mother about the threat to Brianna, and hopefully from the Guardians about their upcoming discussion with the new matchmakers.
Tomorrow Sheena would be sobered up and likely get mad about showing him her feelings tonight. She'd probably do her best to talk Bri into leaving as soon as possible. If Sheena succeeded with her goals for coming here, would he have to wait another hundred years to see her again?
An ache for yet another impending loss spread through him just as sharp as it had the first time he'd lost her. His body was behaving like a portal to the past where Sheena McNamara was concerned.
It had felt just like this the day she'd left for good. He'd pushed his emotional panic aside out of duty to his work. When he'd finally realized duty alone could not keep him warm at night, only then had he tried to replace her with others … to replace what they'd had together.
It hadn't worked for him, and if he chose to believe Sheena's drunken ramblings, it hadn't worked for her either. Any decision he made right now was going to once again lead to losing her, but only one led to a memory that might be of some comfort to him after Sheena was gone.
Shrugging off the shirt he'd thrown on earlier to come here, Nate tossed it on the chair he'd pulled Sheena out of. His pants soon followed … as did the rest of his reservations about what he was doing.
Then he turned and walked back to the bedroom where a naked Sheena slept.
He was finally doing what he should have done a hundred years ago. He was choosing to stay with her.
Chapter Three
Sheena surfaced to the enticing scent of hot male and her own arousal as she moved against him. His rising interest pressed against her hip, mere inches from making this the best morning she'd had in a very long time. But when she went to lift a leg over his thigh in welcome, a large hand gently pushed her leg back down to the bed and held it there. The action was accompanied by a regretful sigh, which had her snickering against his chest.
Did he think they didn't have time?
A groan and a hard kiss on her mouth had her arms tightening around the owner of the impressive erection. Unfortunately, she lacked the strength this morning to keep him from peeling away from her clinging arms.