because last time we spoke you were an insulting bastard who accused me of being like my mother, after you had blistering sex on the beach with me? Yeah, I can see why you weren’t expecting me for dinner. But Aden and I are joining you. Aren’t you lucky?”
“Lucky wasn’t the word I was looking for.”
“Are you sure? Perhaps your English is faltering.”
“I don’t think it is, Chloe.”
“Ah, well. I was studying today and I found out some really interesting things about Quantum Mechanics and a possible relationship to...do you think I could get some dinner?”
Sayid arched a brow but didn’t say a word as he pressed a button beneath the table and paged a member of the staff who showed up promptly, taking Sayid’s swift order for another place setting and going off to fulfill it.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling sweetly.
“You’re welcome,” he returned, his tone bland.
“For a man who claims to have no emotion, you seem quite bothered by my presence.”
“I’m not bothered by you.”
“Oh. Could have fooled me.” Her dinner, pheasant with a side of quinoa and steamed vegetables arrived quickly. “Thank you,” she said to the server, then turned her focus back to Sayid. “What did you do today?”
“Small talk?”
“How else do two people get to know each other?”
“They can screw on the beach. That seemed to work pretty well.”
Her cheeks heated. “Stop that.”
“What?”
“Stop trying to scare me away with your macho man crap.”
“I’m not trying to scare you away, I’m just not going to sugarcoat anything for your comfort.”
She looked down at her dinner and pushed the quinoa around with her fork. She shifted Aden in her arms, then looked at Sayid. “Can you hold him? I want to eat.”
“Where is his nanny?”
“I gave her the day off.”
“Why did you do that?”
For this very reason. “Everyone needs a day off.”
“I’m certain he would be fine if you set him down.”
“What does it matter to you if you hold him for a moment, Sayid?” She was issuing a challenge now. If he truly felt nothing, not fear, not love, then holding Aden wouldn’t affect him. But she knew it would. And she suspected he did, too.
“Give him to me,” he said, his tone hard.
He knew how much she loved Aden, how much he meant to her. That she had set everything in her life, everything she’d cared about before, aside to be with him.
There was no greater show of trust in him than this, and he would know it.
She was also certain he would feel it. His loss was one he still felt deeply, and she didn’t want to hurt him. But she did want him healed.
She crossed the room, cradling Aden close to her chest before holding him out to Sayid. “Support his head,” she said, transferring him carefully into Sayid’s strong arms.
Sayid looked up at her, his expression hard. Too hard. He was hiding behind his walls. Trying to feel nothing. Because he felt so much. Because he didn’t want it used against him, ever again.
She knew now. She was certain.
“Aw, he didn’t even cry. He knows his uncle.”
Sayid’s entire frame was stiff, but he held Aden, close to his chest, his large hands gentle on the baby’s tiny body.
She backed up, sat in her chair, keeping one eye on Sayid and Aden as she ate. She let the silence stretch out, let Sayid feel the impact of holding him. Sayid was looking down at Aden, his expression fierce, the protectiveness, the vulnerability, on his face stunned her.
And then, in a moment it was gone, replaced with that hardness she was more accustomed to. Sayid looked away from Aden, his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him. Because he did feel. She knew he did.
“Have you nearly finished?” he asked a moment later, his voice clipped.
“Nearly,” she responded.
“I have work to do, Chloe.”
“And I have eating to do.”
“I am a busy man, I’m the sheikh for all intents and purposes and I believe that takes precedence over you making sure you get a dinner that’s easy to eat. Call the nanny if it’s an emergency.”
He stood and walked over to her chair, depositing Aden in her arms and striding from the room. And all Chloe could do was sit there and stare after him.
* * *
Sayid was choking again. What had she done to him? What had the baby done to him?
He’d been holding Aden, and doing just fine, but then he’d looked at him, looked right into his blue eyes, and