baby we lose is a blow.’ He glanced up and Robina sucked in her breath at the naked pain in his eyes.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Ella, who had climbed up on a chair and was rooting around in the kitchen cupboards.
‘Sabrina was naturally worried the same thing would happen in this pregnancy,’ Niall continued. ‘So I agreed to let her have an elective section. It was supposed to be this afternoon, but then I had to take another patient to Theatre who was an emergency. I’ll tell you about that later,’ he said with a quick glance at Ella, who appeared to have found what she was looking for—her favourite mug. ‘Anyway, the emergency took most of the afternoon, so we couldn’t do Sabrina’s section until after five. But, she had a healthy baby girl and is absolutely delighted. So all’s well that ends well.’ He grinned at her and Robina’s heart did a flip-flop. The way he cared about his patients was one of the things she loved most about him.
‘Maybe we should leave tomorrow morning instead?’ Robina suggested. ‘Ella will be ready for bed by the time we get there.’
‘No,’ Ella protested. ‘I want to go tonight. You promised. And I’m all ready to go now I’ve got my cup.’ She set her mouth in a mutinous line. She had been excited all day and Robina knew they couldn’t let her down. Ella had even packed her own suitcase, although when Robina checked it she found it full of books and toys and not much else, and had had to pack another, more appropriate case for her.
‘It’s not too late, surely?’ Niall said. ‘I packed before I left for work this morning, so I’m ready.’
Robina gave in and soon they were following the winding roads that led them to the Highlands. She had never been to the north of Scotland before and she was looking forward to seeing more of her adopted country.
After a couple of hours they pulled up outside a cottage that seemed to be set in the middle of nowhere. Dark, gloomy mountains rose out of the darkness. There were no lights to be seen for miles. Where had Niall brought them? Where were the shops, the restaurants? What on earth were they going to do for the two days?
Predictably, Ella had fallen asleep and they left her in the car while they went to open up the cottage. As promised, keys had been left in the door.
The cottage was tiny and freezing. Again Robina wondered what Niall had been thinking. There was a stove on one side of the kitchen and an open fire on the other side, which obviously served as a small sitting room. Upstairs, Robina was aghast to find that there was only one bedroom.
‘Where is the other bedroom?’ she said to Niall. ‘I imagined there would be at least two.’
Niall was looking baffled and dismayed. ‘I’m sorry, Robina. Believe me, it’s not what I expected. The website described it as luxurious with all mod cons.’ He grimaced. ‘I guess we can say they were a little economical with the truth.’
He looked so woebegone that Robina had to laugh. ‘Never mind. We’ll just have to make the best of it. We can all sleep together in the bed—it’ll be a bit of a squash but, seeing as it’s just for a couple of nights, I’m sure we’ll manage.’ All the same, a little part of her felt disappointed that she and Niall wouldn’t be sleeping together alone. Even so, the thought of sharing a bed with Niall again, even with Ella beside them, was making her pulse race.
‘Why don’t you bring Ella in while I make us something hot to drink?’ she said, keeping her voice steady. ‘Then we’ll see what can be done about the fire.’
Once Ella was tucked up in bed, Robina and Niall set about the fire. But the old-fashioned stove was nothing like either of them had ever seen before and soon they were forced to concede defeat.
‘I’ll have a look at it in the morning,’ Niall said. ‘There’s not much point in persevering at the moment. Let’s go to bed.’
There was nothing else for it. Robina was freezing and there was no way either of them could spend the night in the chair.
‘I’ll just use the bathroom, unless you want to go first?’ she said. The room was suddenly alive with unbearable tension. Niall simply nodded.
Robina spent ages in the bathroom, first trying to get warm water out of the shower and when that didn’t happen making do with lukewarm water at the sink. After washing as best she could, she slipped on the warm flannel pyjamas she had brought, refusing to think about the silky nightdress she had also packed in her suitcase. Eventually, realising she couldn’t possibly spend any more time lurking in the bathroom, Robina abandoned the sanctuary. Niall was exhausted and would no doubt be looking forward to a good night’s sleep—even if she wouldn’t get a wink.
She slipped out of the bathroom, feeling ridiculously self-conscious. She hadn’t felt this way since the night of their wedding—the same unsettling mixture of excitement and nerves. Niall had respected her views on sex before marriage and although it had been hard on both of them, the wait had made that night even more special. Not just special—sensational. Just thinking about it sent waves of heat and desire coursing through her body.
But she needn’t have worried. Niall had obviously become fed up waiting for her to vacate the bathroom and had used the kitchen sink to clean his teeth before slipping into bed, with Ella curled up beside him on the far side. In the semi-darkness, Robina couldn’t tell if he was asleep, but from the sound of rhythmic breathing it appeared he was.
Tentatively, trying not to disturb him, she slipped under the blankets, shivering as she felt the cool sheets on her skin. She lay there for a few seconds scared to move a muscle in case she woke Niall.
But it seemed as if she had been mistaken.
‘You’re cold,’ Niall’s deep voice said. ‘Come here and let me warm you.’ Robina felt his hand touch her shoulder and the shock of it was almost enough to make her leap out of bed. ‘You’re perfectly safe,’ he said, and she could hear a hint of laughter under his words.
He rolled over and pulled her into the crook of his arm. She lay there rigidly, breathing in the familiar scent of soap from his skin. From his touch she knew he was naked—above the waist at least. Niall never wore pyjamas, and she absolutely refused to think about the lower half. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the hard muscle of his shoulder underneath her, his fingertips just brushing her arm.
Robina was trembling but she knew it wasn’t from the cold. It felt so good to be back in his arms, deliciously warm and safe, and she wondered what would have happened if Ella hadn’t been sleeping right next to them. Would she have been able to stop herself from snuggling closer and running her fingertips over the hard, once-so-familiar contours of his body? Would they have made love, then talked into the night? Would Niall have told her he still loved her? But to her dismay and chagrin, she heard his breathing deepen and realised he had fallen asleep. Suddenly she was furious. How could he? How could he just fall asleep with her in his arms? As if it meant nothing and he was completely unaffected by her? Grumpily, she rolled away from him and onto her side. It was more proof, as if she needed it, that their marriage was dead in the water.
On the other side of the bed, Niall was acutely aware of every inch of his wife’s body as she lay next to him. He smiled, thinking that everything was going according to plan. Well, almost. Okay, the cottage wasn’t exactly the way he had thought it would be, but he had known it only had one bed and that they would have to share it. He had already suggested to Ella’s grandparents that Ella stay with them tomorrow night, giving him the opportunity to get his wife on her own. He bit back a groan. If it wasn’t
