on me.” He shrugged. “I guess I really realized that I cared for him after we were attacked.”
“All right, then, I forgive you. I haven’t seen you but in passing since yesterday. I’ve been with Fiona and….” She trailed off, and a blush climbed up her neck in a mottled mess. She always did look blotchy when she blushed. Good thing she didn’t do so often.
“And…?”
“So… how was it?” She beamed at him and obtained perfect posture in seconds flat, lifting her chin out of his reach.
“Oh, no! No, no, no! You got mad at me for not telling, so give over.”
That chin rose even more into a look so smug, she should have been appointed queen of the universe.
“Louie….”
Her lips twitched, but she shook her head.
Laughter bubbled up inside Bannon, and he launched himself at her.
She squealed and dodged to the right, but she was no match for him. He caught her by the waist and threw her in the middle of the bed, coming down on top of her. Before she could scramble away, he straddled her waist and started tickling her under the arms.
Cackling, she twisted side to side, but he didn’t let her go until they were both laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe. Then Louie looked up at him with a huge smile. “Fine, I give up!” She raised her hands, but quickly put them down when he acted like he was going to tickle her again. That was all it took. She started laughing again, then planted her hands in the middle of his chest and shoved.
With a chuckle, Bannon held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, I’ll stop. Now tell me who you were spending time with that has you blushing?”
The mirth faded from her face, and she looked at him seriously. She opened her mouth to speak, then glanced down. “Dust! Bannon, you’re naked!”
Oops! He looked too and rolled off of Louie. “Well, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked.” In fact, Louie had probably seen him without clothes more than any other person, even his nanny, who’d changed his diapers as a babe.
Her lips quirked. “True.”
Bannon climbed off the bed and searched the floor for his smallclothes. He found them under the edge of the bed along with his trousers and his shirt. He got dressed, then peeked back at Louie. She was sitting up on the edge of the bed, reaching for him.
He stepped closer and she started tucking his shirt in.
Batting her hands away, he stepped back. “Stop that!”
“Habit.” She sighed and then looked at him.
“Talk to me.” He sat down on the bed, next to her.
“Angus. I was with Angus. I have been”—she shrugged—“spending time with him.”
Bannon’s mouth dropped open. Angus? She’d been spending time with…. “How old is he?”
Louie scoffed and shoved at his shoulder. “He’s only thirty-two.” Which was a good ten years older than they were.
“Angus? Really?” Somehow he just couldn’t see it. “I mean, he’s nice, and strong, but…. Why not Ram? Ram is really handsome.”
Sticking her tongue out, Louie made a disgusted face. “Ram is a rake.”
True, but he’s a handsome rake.
Bannon ignored Timothy and made a mental note to have a word with Angus and find out what his intentions were. “Is it serious?”
“Well, I haven’t….” She rolled her eyes, and the blush came back. “You know. But yes.”
“What are we going to do?”
Louie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Ciaran asked me to stay.” He held his breath, wondering what her reaction would be.
She didn’t say anything for several moments, and then she smiled. “Are you going to?”
“I don’t know. I….” Bannon took a deep breath and made himself voice out loud what he’d been thinking since Ciaran asked. “I want to. He treats me like an equal, Louie. He respects my opinions, and he doesn’t think I’m a candidate for Bedlam because of Timothy.”
“But do you love him?” she asked with such calm nonjudgment, really getting to the heart of things.
Bannon nodded. “I think so.” His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her reaction.
“Well, then, I guess we’re staying.”
Laughing out loud, Bannon launched himself at her, wrapping her in a bear hug.
Louie chuckled too and hugged him back. They shared a smile, and everything seemed to fall into place. They had each other like they always did, but now, they were going to have more. “When are you going to tell him?” Louie asked.
He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to process it