Free Bound by Honor by Donna Clayton Page A

Well, she guessed it was because he felt he needed to explain why a man living alone would have an immaculate nursery.
    The whys shouldn't really matter to her, should they? The fact that he'd confided in her meant a great deal. It changed her opinion of him. It made her see him in a whole new light.
    She understood him a little better now. No, a silent voice in her head corrected, she understood him a lot better now. The warm emotion gathering in her chest took her off guard. However, what started out as a pleasant sensation quickly turned so troubling that she felt a tiny frown mar her brow.
    When she'd asked Gage for his help, she 'd never expected to feel compassion for hi m , or empathy for his situation. Those feelings could be dangerous; could turn into s omething else - something more intense, more intimate. Yes, a woman could all too easily fall for a man like Gage.
    Marrying someone completely unfamiliar to her in order to get custody of Lily had seemed harmless when she'd devised the scheme. But this marriage of convenience didn't feel so safe anymore. Her frown deepened. After experiencing Gage's kindness last night, after hearing his tragic story this morning, she could no longer call her husband a stranger.
     

 

     
     

    Chapter Five
    "May I join you?"
    Gage's question had Jenna twisting around to find him standing at the back door. She smiled. "It's your back porch."
    The springs of the screen door creaked as he stepped outside. "You looked as if you were deep in thought, and I wasn't sure if I should bother you."
    Well into her second week of living under Gage's roof, Jenna was pleased with the way things were going. Lily seemed to have settled in. Jenna was actually getting a little work done. And Gage had finally been able to relax around the baby.
    "I just tucked Lily in for the night," she told him. "I've got work to do, but I slipped out here to enjoy the quiet for a few minutes. You're welcome to join me."
    He sat down on the porch step next to her and immediately she was aware of the heated scent of him. She had noticed that Gage didn't wear cologne very often. Not th at she'd wanted to notice. She simply couldn ' t help herself. And she had come to the realization that, for some reason, she found his fresh, soapy smell more enticing than the most expensive aftershave.
    "The sky is beautiful tonight," she said.
    "I never get tired of staring up at those stars."
    "I can't help imagining that some jeweler tossed a palmful of diamonds across rich black velvet." It wasn't like Jenna to be so fanciful, but she was in high spirits.
    She and Lily had enjoyed a day of fun and play. Lily was sleeping soundly now, and Jenna had finally been able to finish updating a particularly complicated Web site. The job had taken her days longer than she'd anticipated, the baby needing her undivided attention whenever she was awake. But Jenna had accomplished the task, so she was feeling pretty good.
    "How was your day?" she asked. "Did you get everything you needed in town?"
    "I did. I'm sorry I was late getting back."
    Jenna suppressed a smile, hoping the darkness would cover the humor bubbling up inside her. What a difference just two short weeks made. When she'd first arrived, he'd been crabby and short-tempered and never around, and now here he was apologizing to her because he hadn't arrived home exactly when he'd said he would. Anyone listening in would have thought they really were a married couple.
    "I found the leftover pot roast in the fridge," he said. "It was good. Tender and tasty. You're a great cook."
    "Thanks. I was forced to learn a few domestic skills pretty early."
    "Oh?"
    Jenna looked out into the night and listened for a second to the hum of flying insects, the soft chirp of crickets.
    "When I was twelve, my mom cut herself and went to a doctor in Rock Springs for stitches." The memory had her mouth flattening and she smoothed her splayed palms down her thighs. "She didn't keep the wound clean and