“You know how beautiful you are, Corinne,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth. “You can touch my mind; you see what I feel for you.”
She tilted her head to look at him. “I know I can, but I’m not certain I want to actually do it. What am I going to find in there?”
His black eyes shimmered with hunger. Blatant. Stark. Raw. A terrible need. Corinne blushed and shook her head. “When I woke up, you weren’t singing the baby a lullaby. You wrote a song for me too, didn’t you?”
“Every song I write is for you.” He leaned close to her. “I must call Gregori and Darius to us. They wanted to know the minute you opened your eyes.” His grin was unrepentant. “We do not have to tell them everything.”
“What time is it?” Corinne was looking around the beautiful room. “And where am I? I should at least know that in case someone asks.”
He was a shadow in her mind, and he burst out laughing at her outrageous thoughts. “Of course you are still on planet Earth. I am not an alien.”
She shrugged. “Just checking – you never know these days. And you are a bit bizarre. Is your entire band here?” She tried to sound casual.
He tucked her hair behind her ear. She sounded apprehensive. “You are a bit of a chicken, Corinne. I did not realize that.”
“I am not,” she denied indignantly and then glared at him. “You’re doing it again. Every time I ask you a question, you deflect.”
His eyebrow shot up. “Deflect? I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Dayan” – her fingers tightened around his – “where am I?”
“This home belongs to Gregori and Savannah. They do not reside here year-round; in fact, it is vacant most of the time. They have offered it generously for your recovery.” He looked around the room. “I am on the road most of the time traveling. It is a unique experience for me to stay in a place like this.”
“Do you mean a home?”
He shook his head, watching her carefully. “Home is wherever you and I are. On the road, traveling, as long as you and I and the baby are together, it will be home.”
“So you have it all planned out.”
Dayan nodded, still watching closely for her reaction, monitoring her thoughts. “You will come to love the others and the life we have. It is a good life, and we see many interesting places.” It occurred to him he would see each place differently now. There would be color and laughter and beauty. He was different now. He would see the beauty as he traveled through each city, each country. She had given him that priceless gift. Never again would his world be one of shadows and darkness.
“It’s nice that you have such optimism, Dayan,” she replied cautiously. There was no point in arguing with him when he was so set on believing she could survive the birth of the baby. The last thing she wanted was to bring up the fact that she had no future. She wanted Dayan to promise her that his healers would save the baby if there was a choice to be made.
Dayan shook his head as he read her thoughts. She would live. He would move heaven and earth if he had to, but she would live. “I have summoned Darius and Gregori.” He wanted to prepare her for visitors, knowing she found it difficult to be with strangers. Corinne had led a solitary life in the midst of people. She was very private and reserved with those outside her family. “Darius is my family, Corinne – a man I know and would give my life for. I trust him and his judgment.”
Her small teeth bit down nervously at her lip. “I feel better than I have for some time, Dayan. I don’t think it’s really necessary to see them now, do you?”
“You know it is. They must monitor the baby and your heart carefully.”
“What did they do different from what a doctor would do?”
Desari came through the door first. She was a tall, beautiful woman radiating light and comfort. She had a soothing, tranquil demeanor and seemed to flow rather than walk. Corinne recognized her at once from her bizarre dream. “Do you remember anything at all?” Desari asked gently in answer to her question. Her voice was soft, warm honey, compelling like Dayan’s. There were no sharp edges to Desari; she was peace itself.