Page 35 of The Donovan Dynasty

“And Nathan?”The brothers were almost equal in height and they shared a similar, strong set to their jaws.Cade was the largest, and Nathan was the only one smiling.They all radiated strength and the aura that came with being born into power.

Behind several frames, she saw a snapshot of him with Erin.“May I?”

“Of course.”

Lara picked it up.

They were on vacation, if their outfits were anything to go by.Erin was dressed in a floral sarong.He wore shorts, a sleeveless T-shirt and a jauntily tilted sombrero.Rather than looking at the camera, he and Erin were facing each other and both had big, goofy smiles.She had never seen this side of him, and it made him more real, less scary.Though trusting that could be dangerous for her, she realized.“Were you in Mexico?”Lara guessed.

“Yeah.”He nodded.“Cozumel.It was a port of call while on a family cruise.”

“You look happy.”

“I was.”He was silent for a moment.“I didn’t know it would be the last family trip we’d ever take.My father died months afterward.”

“I can’t even imagine what that’s like.”Erin had said that Connor was taking life too seriously, that he’d become a hard-ass in recent years.The sight of a more carefree Connor melted her heart a little.It was easier to think of him as a formidable opponent, a man who was uncompromising and demanding.

“Some things are difficult to recover from.So now I try even harder to appreciate all of life.”

She felt a bit humbled that he’d allowed her a glimpse into his private hell.

He returned the picture to its rightful spot.“I’ll make room for you,” he said.“In here, on the shelves.I don’t want you feeling as if it’s just my space.”

“You’re not playing fair,” she protested.

“I play to win.”

He continued the tour, showing her the master suite.A large bed with a padded bench at the end dominated the room.He had nightstands, but no television, books or even a clock.

“Your room is for sleeping.”

“Among other things.”

Like he’d intimated earlier, the headboard did have posts.She just wasn’t sure if he’d been serious about wanting to attach her to them.The idea sent a chill through her.

“I don’t say things unless I mean them.”

“Is mind reading one of your many talents?”

“No.Your eyes tell me everything I want to know.”

He continued the tour by opening the door to the closet.His clothing and shoes filled less than half of the available space.She wondered if he’d made room for her today or if he always kept his belongings confined to one area.It could be the latter, if the rest of his loft was anything to judge by.

The master bathroom had a soaker tub.She was afraid she might drool.

“Maybe I should have mentioned that at the beginning,” he said.

“If it came with wine service…”

“It could.”

“And the foot rub…?”

“It could.”

“You really do fight to win.”

At that, he grinned.