starving.”
“We went to the mutheum and I thaw the picturth of Blavet. Jelani gave me theth to watch for him.” He held up the small pair of binoculars he’d been wearing around his neck.
“You know Blavet’s really shy.” Catherine ruffled the hair on his head. “You’re going to have to watch carefully for him.”
Catherine bustled around and made Tara a large cup of tea and a plate with the most fragrant scones on it. Zack was busy with his milk and scone with jam talking to Lars about everything he’d seen in the museum.
As he was distracted by her son, Tara took the opportunity to really look at the big man. His hair was pulled back into a braid that hung down his back. A bandana similar in style to the one Cris wore yesterday held back the shorter strands that had brushed over his face yesterday. He had sinfully high cheekbones and lips she knew were soft. He lifted his mug to take a sip of his tea and Tara couldn’t take her eyes off the large muscles in his arms. She imagined him lifting her up against his body. She would wrap her legs around his waist as he pressed his face between her…
“I hope one day you look at me like that when you think I’m not looking.” The words were whispered into her ear as she felt a man slide his hands down her back and around her waist. She jumped and practically head butted Cris in the face.
“You scared me.” She pressed the heel of her hand between her breasts where her heart thumped against her rib cage painfully hard. From fear…it had nothing to do with the fantasy she’d been indulging in or that she got caught, by Cris of all people. He must think she was a complete whore. Her father was right after all. She had no control over herself and deserved every sadness that would visit her.
Lars must’ve heard him because he calmly reached back and stroked her thigh with his right hand. The bold gesture struck her as incredibly possessive and intimate. He might as well have been stroking her bare leg the way her pussy reacted with a gush of cream. Zack was looking in the opposite direction and didn’t see what Lars did. But the rest of the restaurant would have. Tara darted a look around, but no one else was shooting dirty looks in her direction.
“You’re safe here, Tara. No one will judge,” Cris whispered in her ear, the sensual huskiness in his voice tempting her in ways she didn’t understand.
“You’re up early, Cris.” Catherine placed a large mug similar to Lars’s in front of him. Tara sat up, out of the circle of Cris’s arms. She didn’t know what to think and didn’t want to look like someone who would…well, be interested in two men at the same time.
“I had a great reason to make sure I made it for lunch today.” He grabbed Tara’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
Tara pulled her hand out of his, lifting her delicate teacup up and taking a sip. She could feel her cheeks reacting and her mouth was so dry she wasn’t certain she could speak if asked a question.
“Don’t let those boys run roughshod over you, Tara.” Catherine winked at and her and refilled her teacup from a large silver teapot. “Give them an inch, they’ll claim you for life.”
“You don’t have to give me an inch, Tara. I’ll take any small amount of attention you’ll grant me.”
Tara didn’t know how to take Cris’s teasing. He sounded serious, but she was so afraid to believe him. Her thoughts flashed back to the blistering kiss he planted on her yesterday, creating a low burn deep inside her. She wriggled slightly, trying to relieve the pressure growing between her legs. The aching need Lars woke up yesterday and Cris brought to life later on stretched out along her limbs, a shiver rolled over her shoulder, and she felt her nipples crinkle into tight nubs behind her bra.
Lars stiffened in front of her and glanced at her over his shoulder. His heavy-lidded gaze made her heart skip as his lips curled into a half smile. She felt