Claiming His Unexpected Baby (Assassins Guild #2) - Michelle Howard Page 0,34

forlorn look.

Not sure what to do, he stood at the door to Amelie’s bedroom and the memory of the kisses they’d exchanged last night came rushing back. She bent over to scoop clothes off the floor and kicked a pair of shoes under the bed, muttering under her breath all the while.

“Do you need help?” he asked, feeling a bit useless watching her frantic cleaning frenzy.

“Ugh,” she grumbled, sliding the sheets and blankets in place then fluffing the pillows before straightening. She glared at her daughter in his arms. “No. I contacted one of my employees, Toyja, and she’ll open the store. I still have to rush and get Fleur to school.”

“I’ll take her.” The words were out before Sulen thought about it.

He and Amelie stared at one another across her bed. She shoveled both hands through her light brown waves and tugged. “You look petrified. Did you mean the offer or do you want to take it back?”

Sulen clenched his jaw but Fleur’s head popped up and he narrowly missed having his nose broken. “Take me! Take me!”

***

Room done, a part of Amelie wondered why she trusted Sulen with Fleur already. Scarlett was the only person who had unlimited access to her daughter for obvious reasons. From the moment of Sulen’s arrival, she’d allowed him to step into the role of daddy with no complaint.

There was something intrinsic encouraging her like a background hum to have faith in him. The way he’d reacted to Roan, his avid protection of Fleur, it all left Amelie with a feeling of safety in his presence.

Maybe it was the bond that had started tugging hard on her end from the moment he’d left last night until she woke this morning. The desire to be with him had kept her up and tossing to the point she’d not slept well.

“I can take her,” he said.

“Are you sure?”

She watched the flicker of fear in his eyes come and go. Amused, Amelie arched a brow and waited for him to take the out she offered. At this point, she was already late and it couldn’t be any worse. Letting Sulen take Fleur to school would help, though.

“It’s not a problem. I do need to talk to you about something afterward.”

“Yay!” Fleur cheered, wiggling in his arms.

Her sadness of moments ago was gone as quickly as it came. That was her girl, always looking forward instead of back.

“I get dressed,” she announced and looked to Sulen in expectation.

He lowered her to the floor and she took off out the door and across the hall. Amelie was sure she’d change clothes and be ready in no time at all now that she knew Sulen was taking her.

“What do you want to talk about?” He’d sounded serious.

With one last look at the door, he closed it partially, leaving a sliver of space to view Fleur if she returned. Amelie liked his protective measures. One more reason why it was easy to trust him.

“Something important has come up and I have to leave for work. Tonight.”

The shock of his announcement was like a blow to the chest. He was leaving them. Amelie felt her world tilt on its access and slid to sit on the edge of her bed before her legs gave out.

“Whatever you’re thinking, Amelie, bring it down a notch. You’re killing me with your fear and sadness.”

Her head swung around to face him. “What?”

Sulen came over and sat beside her. His pressed a hand to his chest. “I can feel your worry and fear. It’s overwhelming and makes me want to go out and fight whoever is causing you to feel that way.”

Startled, she shifted about on the bed, her knee sliding up to rest on top. She hadn’t put much thought into the effects of the bonding and hadn’t considered how the unknown man on the other end of such a powerful connection would feel. “You can sense my emotions?”

He nodded.

“Is it because of the bond?”

“Yes.”

Another thought occurred. “Can you tell what I’m thinking?”

His lips twitched and he slid a hand through her loosened hair, playing with the ends. “You’ve lived with Gerelins for four years and don’t know the answer to that?”

Amelie flushed, absently leaning toward him, their hips bumping together. “Some things are personal. I only know what I see and didn’t want to ask intimate questions that might reveal my deception.”

His head came closer, his mouth inches away. “I can’t read your mind. Only feel your strong emotions.”

The whisper teased her lips. Amelie