Page 62 of Where the Wind Whispers

Too many people didn't hear her.

Or they didn't care to.

Kaz had never been one of those people.

“I’m not so fragile that I don’t understand the things happening around me,” she told him quietly. “Don’t ever treat me like I am, Kaz.”

For a long while, he just stared at her, saying nothing.

The longer the silence stretched on, the more restless Violet became until she was shifting on her feet and wondering what in the hell Kaz was thinking. It was only when he leaned forward and pressed a hard, fast kiss to her mouth did her worries bleed away much more quickly than they had come on.

The kiss was not gentle, not soft or slow. Like he always had, he dominated with every brush of his lips over hers until her mouth opened, and his tongue snaked into find hers. For those few seconds, Violet was spun.

It’d been far too long since she tasted him.

Too long since they touched.

Kaz was laughing deeply when he finally pulled away, but he didn't go far. No, he rested his forehead on hers, his gaze catching hers and holding strong as he spoke. “I’m not sure where that came from—not that it isn’t valid, Violet—but I meant that given your circumstance and everything that has happened, the less stress, the better.”

It took Violet far too long to realize what he was saying.

“You mean the baby.”

“What else would I mean?”

Violet shook her head, smiling widely. “I spent the last month pretending I wasn’t pregnant, and today was the first day when I actually had to say it. Give me a break, Kaz.”

His features darkened, worry creasing his brow.

She immediately wanted to fix his concerns.

“Ask me tomorrow, okay,” she told him. “Anything—everything. We can talk about it tomorrow. I just want to be home.”

Kaz tilted his head to the side. “You are home.”

“Yeah, I’m only now starting to realize that, Kaz.”

“One thing. Tell me one thing and then we’ll leave it alone for the night and do whatever you want to do.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Why did your father let you go?”

Violet was surprised he chose to ask that question.

Yet she wasn’t surprised at the same time.

“Because he loves me,” she said.

Kaz’s smile slipped slightly. “Violet …”

“I don’t think he loves me anymore.”

Her husband didn't have a response.

“That might be the worst thing,” she added.

“Why would it be? I love you, yes? You know I’ll do whatever I have to—”