Marie had been in the room early in the morning and had drawn the curtains. Morning sun puddled on the carpet and lit up the glinting silver in Alex’s hair. He was standing stark naked by the window, staring down at the gardens. Charlotte sleepily allowed her eyes to drift up his long, muscular legs and the line of his back, all the way to his towering shoulders. Alex’s hair had grown longer during the past two months; curls touched the back of his neck.

“Alex,” Charlotte said, before she thought.

Alex turned around at the soft sound of her voice as if he’d heard a gunshot. Charlotte was propped up on her elbow, her velvety black hair cascading over her shoulders. She was wearing a fine lawn nightdress with wide shoulders, suitable for nursing, and the neck had slipped down, leaving a creamy shoulder bare. Alex’s body responded immediately.

Charlotte was staring at him in fascination, not saying a word. A faint pink flush rose up her neck.

Alex walked over to the bed, consciously making himself stroll as if the center of his body wasn’t jutting into the middle distance.

“Charlotte?” he asked.

Charlotte didn’t say anything. She was trembling and she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. Alex’s eyes were black, so black that she couldn’t see the pupils at all. He sat on the bed when she didn’t answer.

Slowly his hand reached out and stroked her neck, his fingers trailing down to the ivory mounds peeking out from the lace surrounding her nightdress. Slowly, slowly, almost holding his breath in hopes of not startling her, Alex bent over and put his lips gently on her rosy mouth.

Instinctively Charlotte opened her lips and Alex’s tongue swiftly invaded. Charlotte’s arms wrapped around Alex’s neck and he lowered himself onto her. Charlotte gasped. His weight was so delicious. She’d thought she would never feel it again, the way his hardness settled onto her soft curves, making her feel tingling and tight at the same time.

Alex’s hand swept down Charlotte’s body and pulled up her gown with one swift wrench. He wasn’t going to give her a chance to remember that she hated him. They had never discussed everything that happened before Sarah was born, but Alex knew that in the depth of Charlotte’s soul she must hate him. She was letting him stay with her while the baby was so small … but inside his wife must hate him for almost killing her and Sarah, for mistrusting her and leaving her.