"You shouldn't be here," said Nicky glaring steadily straight at Lucian.

Traveling back at a run as we did, Lucian hadn't paused outside to knock at the door but instead marched in with me in his arms as if he owned the place. Brian had rushed over to ourside ecstatic to find his uncle here with us but Nicky's welcome was cold and left much to be desired.

I frowned at him from where I was now cradled in Lucian's arms. But Lucian didn't deem a response necessary instead he merely strode on past after ruffling Brian's hair in greeting. He made for my room. His directions sure and unhesitating. I recalled that he had been here before even if I didn't retain the memory of it. At least not the complete memory only the bits and pieces that crept through in my broken dreams.

He pushed open my room door and made straight for the bathroom. Lowering me to the floor he reached out for my towel and ran it through my damp hair vigorously before using it on his own.

"You'll need another. This one is soaked, " he said tossing the now damp towel into the for wash bin. I shivered my way to the closet and dug out another towel. Turning I offered it up to him and stopped to gasp as the sight before me. Hair wet from the fresh rain lay tousled in lose wisp of curls about his face. Water ran down them to drip down his straight nose and onto his wide generous lips. His normally golden eyes were tinged in dark hues showing his own emotions in a turmoil.

Unflinchingly he stared back at me as he unbuttoned his shirt then movee to strip out of it. He shrugged off the clingy material with some difficulty then stood there clad only in his dripping wet jeans. They flapped wetly against his legs as he took the two steps necessary to close the distance between us.

"You should get out of those clothes before you get a chill," he murmured hoarsely before reaching out to seemingly run his hand down my front. I didn't feel his touch and his fingers were a blur of movement but then his hand fell away to leave my bodice gaping. I gasped at his temerity but his expression was unchanged as he swept the towel from me and started to scrub some warmth back into me.

Soaked to the bones as I was I could only just manage to keep my teeth clenched to stop them from chattering.

A moment later and my jeans was being worked off me. My underwear followed suit and I was bundled up in my towel. I stood there staring up at him in shock. I knew that I have loved him and that he had returned that feeling but he was not mine now. If he ever was and he just took liberties that was not only unexpected but shocking in the extreme.

But apparently he didn't think so for he simply slid his thumbs into the waist band of his own jeans and unsnapped the buckle before moving to draw the soaked material down his own lean muscular hips. My eyes snapped shut in shock. Somehow I didn't think we had ever progressed to a point where I had taken his nudity for granted.

I just get that kind of vibes with him. I got quite the opposite instead. The trembling in my limbs only grew and with it the chattering of my teeth was unavoidable. Cool hands wrapped around me and I was hauled up into his arms again.

"What are you doing? " I gasped out finally when my breath caught up to me. Lucian didn't do anything in halves. He moved with the ease of the wind and had no compunctions in not doing so before me. In fact he took it for granted that I would be comfortable with it just as he took it for granted that I would find him beneath the covers in bed with me as he was now acceptable.

" You needed to get warm," said Lucian without preamble. His tone matched his expression in seriousness.

"Perhaps that would be possible if I had a hot water bag with me instead of the euphemism of an igloo," I said snarkily. His high handedness didn't bode well. For five years he kept his distance from me and yet now here he was invading my personal space. But that wasn't so bad as the fact that he was married.

And an expectant father to be.