movies, and if she did, she made sure to show up after the previews had aired.
“Does Haddie know who her father is?”
“No, and now I have to swear you to secrecy, because . . . lawsuits and all. If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
His eyes softened. “Scarlett, your secret’s safe with me.” He watched her for another minute before saying, “I should go.”
“Right. Yeah, of course. I should try to get some sleep anyway before . . .” She nodded back to the sleeping baby bird.
Camden stood, picking up their glasses and placing them next to the sink. Scarlett headed out of the kitchen toward the front foyer and he followed. When she got to the door, he was suddenly right next to her. Her breath stuttered and she looked up at him. He was so close, and though it was dim in the foyer, the flickering light of the gas lamps picked up the lightness of his eyes, mesmerizing her. Her gaze washed over his features, the perfect combination of hard and soft. She took in the rigid set of his jaw, and the fullness of his lower lip, the sharp line of his cheekbone, and the velvet fringe of his lashes. His eyes went to her mouth and for a heartbeat she swore he was going to lean in and kiss her. Her pulse jumped, her ribs tingling. She wanted it, his lips on hers. Instead, he took a small step back, though his gaze didn’t waver. “You won’t be able to let him go,” he said.
“What?” The word was barely breath.
“The nestling. He’s at the stage where he’ll imprint on you if you care for him.”
“Imprint?”
“Consider you his.”
She broke eye contact, her gaze sliding away from his intense stare. “Oh,” she murmured. “Should I—?”
“There’s nothing to do about it. It’s just nature. He can’t control it any more than you can.”
Their gazes tangled. Just nature . . . She’d thought something similar earlier, about the chemistry that sizzled in the air between them. Just nature. Indeed. “So . . . he’ll be mine forever?” she asked.
He paused a beat, his gaze narrowing very slightly. She got the odd sense that something akin to anger stirred within him. They were communicating with each other in a language she didn’t fully recognize, the uttered words barely scratching the surface. “Is anything forever, Scarlett?” His hand covered hers on the doorknob and at the feel of his warm, rough palm, she pulled away, swaying slightly now that she had nothing to hold on to. Apparently, the question was rhetorical because without waiting for her answer, he turned the knob and walked out into the night.
Scarlett engaged the lock quickly and leaned back against the door. She brought her hand to her heart, feeling its steady beat under her palm. She startled at the sudden high-pitched chirping but then let out a slow, steady breath, grateful for the distraction from her chaotic emotions.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Haddie stepped gingerly through the grass, dropping the last of her Skittles as she made it to the far side of the shed. She had collected the bag left near their front door when her mommy had gone inside with the baby bird, and there had still been a few handfuls of candy left. She scooted around the small, wood structure, moving quickly to the other side, before pressing her body against the rough, splintery wood.
Overhead, the sky was alight with stars. She needed to get back inside as quickly as possible before Mommy noticed she wasn’t in her room playing on her iPad anymore.
Her heart gave a jump when she heard the soft crunch of grass. The thing was nearby, just at the edge of the woods behind the old structure where she stood. Haddie closed her eyes, trying again to feel its weight and letting out a frustrated gust of air when she, again, sensed nothing at all.
She stepped carefully over the dirt beneath her feet, cautious not to make a noise and let the thing know she was there—if it didn’t already. She had no idea if it’d been watching her from the darkness of the trees. Maybe it knew exactly where she was. Out here in the night, all alone. Her skin prickled, fear rising inside her. Maybe this was a very bad idea, following her curiosity this way. She couldn’t tell if the thing meant her harm or not. She couldn’t even tell what it was.
She very suddenly wanted her mommy. She