CHAPTER 22

C HAPTER 22

C ade was fully himself again. She saw intelligence and awareness in his face, the focused power of his body. But his gaze was as stricken as hers must be. “You saw,” he whispered. “I buried it in the deepest part of my soul, but you saw !”

“I saw that you love me the wrong way.” She swallowed, feeling ill. “The images I saw in your mind . . . !”

He closed his eyes, his face pale. “Under Bastien’s mind block, I couldn’t tell if those images were true memories or my imagination.”

“They were your imagination. I’ve loved you ever since you came to Tremayne House, but as your sister. Not as . . .” She stopped, her face flushed by the vague images of passionate intimacy she’d sensed.

“That’s why I never spoke,” he said quietly. “I’ve loved you from the moment we met, Tam. As I grew to manhood, I began loving you as a man loves a woman, but I never spoke because I knew you didn’t see me that way, or want to.”

“I’m your sister! ” she whispered again.

He shook his head. “Gwyn and Rhys created the Tribe of Tremayne, showing us how to love each other as brothers and sisters, and we do. But there is no blood connection between you and me. You are the oldest of the three true-born children of Gwyn and Rhys. Because the Tremayne patent of nobility was written so that the oldest child inherits the title even if female, you are the Tremayne heiress and will someday become the Countess of Tremayne in your own right. I’m only your bastard foster brother.”

She gave a sharp shake of her head. “Don’t demean yourself like that! You are brave and capable and intelligent, and despite your start in life, you’re now a wise, compassionate man who is one of Rhys’s best Home Office agents. You and Bran have also become wealthy through your investments, and you’ve helped everyone else in the Tribe of Tremayne do well. If you want a wife, any number of women would say yes in a heartbeat.”

“I doubt it,” he said dryly. “Most females seem to view me with wariness or alarm. But even if it’s true, the only woman I’ve ever wanted is you, and you’ve always thought of me as a brother.” His gaze shifted away from her and he said in an almost inaudible voice, “I’m afraid that now you’ve found out my desire, you will despise me.”

She rose and began pacing restlessly around the room. “Never that, Cade! But it will take me time to . . . to accept how differently we see each other.”

“I found it difficult to share that room with you in the British embassy,” he said bluntly. “But you know I would never, ever do something you don’t want me to do.”

“I do know that.” She paused in her pacing and turned to face him. He sat unmoving on the settle where she’d healed his mind, as if he feared that any movement would send her fleeing.

She was still shocked to her core, but she remembered uneasily the way he’d kissed her when they had escaped from the fortress. She’d been startled then, but for that first moment when he’d embraced her, she’d felt delight and rightness. Then shock had flooded her and she’d jerked away, baffled and upset.

She tried to study Cade as if they were strangers. He drew the eye because he had an appealing air of mastery. He was also a very attractive man, and when she looked closely, he had an irresistible golden shimmer that she saw with her mind, not her eyes. If they hadn’t been raised as brother and sister, she’d had found him appealing. Very.

She had never been a girl who dreamed about whom she would marry when she grew up. Her life was too full of people she loved and interesting things to do and learn. As the heiress of the Tremayne earldom, she’d attracted her share of fortune hunters, but had been able to dismiss them instantly because of her ability to sense the emotions of others.

In her social seasons, she’d met some pleasant men and several had become friends. But she’d never met anyone she considered marrying. She’d thought very little about marriage, assuming that if she ever met a man she could imagine as her husband, she’d give the idea serious thought.

But that had never happened. It had occurred to her that her closeness to her Tremayne brothers, particularly Bran and Cade, filled any need she had for male company. Plus they treated her as an equal rather than a delicate and possibly dim-witted female, which was how many men regarded her.

But if she’d met Cade as a stranger, would she have considered him husband material? The immediate “yes!” in her mind was profoundly disturbing.

She couldn’t think any more about this now, especially since there were more important things to discuss. Shutting down any further analysis of their relationship, she said, “Let’s have a glass of wine so I can answer all your questions about how we got here and what comes next.”

“An excellent idea.” Cade rose and poured two tumblers of white wine, then returned to the settle. “But first I want to let Bran and Rhys and Gwyn know that I’m safe and free.”

She nodded. “Are you feeling strong enough to reach them? You’ve just had a rather tiring session of me poking around your mind. I can help if you like.”

He frowned, then gave a nod. “If I sound too weak, they’ll worry.”

She moved a chair close enough to the settle that she and Cade could hold hands, then hesitated at the thought of touching him. But she must if she was to augment his energy.

From his satiric gaze, she realized that he had the same thought and was waiting to see what she would do. Jaw set, she took hold of his hand. The clasp was warm, strong, reassuring. Familiar.

But was there an additional flicker of energy, something new? She refused to consider that. Firmly she said, “You’re the one they want to hear from, so you take the lead.”

He closed his eyes and she felt him center his energy, then reach out. He touched Bran first because they’d always been close; then his essence reached the minds of Rhys and Gwyn. It was nothing as clear as the communication they’d had days before that had exhausted everyone, but Cade was able to convey that he was free and safe and that Tamsyn was with him, and that was enough.

Tamsyn felt an invisible brush of delight and relief from the other Tremaynes; then they faded from her awareness. They’d probably sensed Cade’s exhaustion and didn’t want to add to it.

After the connection ended, Cade released Tamsyn’s hand and leaned back on the settle again. “Now I want to hear all about how you performed your miracle rescue.”

“It seems like months since we were scrambling to get the ambassador and his people aboard the ship and then you were captured by Bastien, but it’s only been days.” She made a face. “Do you want the short version or the long version?”

He gave her his familiar smile, the one that said they were a team that worked together seamlessly. “I probably should hear the long version as parts of it might prove useful in the future.” He swallowed the last of his wine and stood to move over to the kitchen area. “But serious discussions require tea. I’ll make us a pot.”

She stiffened as he walked across the room. The friendship and ease were as familiar as her own heartbeat, but never before had she watched him so intently as he walked away. He moved beautifully.

And he had a splendidly fit, thoroughly masculine body. Watching him, she remembered with acute detail the times they’d held each other with casual hugs or Cade lending her a hand when they were scrambling up a tree.

And she was damned well not going to think about any such things!