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“I do.” Helen didn’t quite understand where his question came from.

“Because you didn’t seem to show similar enthusiasm toward the bouquets of flowers I brought you earlier.”

“Oh.” Helen’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe you noticed. You notice so much. Things that no one else ever did.”

He smiled. “I trained for that my entire life.”

Helen couldn’t help but smile in answer. “I used to love bouquets. My husband used to spoil me with them during our courtship. But once we married, they became rare occurrences.” She licked her lips, the painful memory plunging tiny blades into her heart. “He resumed his habit of bringing me flowers later… every time he spent his night with a mistress.”

Ian grimaced. “That’s terrible.”

She shook her head, trying to dispel the ugly thoughts. “It was my fault.”

“How can you say that?” His voice was sharp, his gaze penetrating.

Helen let out a deep breath. If she were to tell him things, she might as well tell him everything. “I couldn’t bear children. I can’t…” She paused, waiting for a reaction to come from the man in front of her. But he just looked at her, with that penetrating gaze of his, so she continued, “And the doctors were afraid if I became with child one more time, I would not be able to recover. My body would not withstand it.”

He frowned. “That’s why your first condition of our arrangement was no children.”

She nodded. “And I have Laney. She is enough. I love her like my own.”

A tiny widening of his eyes spoke of his surprise. “She is Greyson’s,” he said dryly.

Helen nodded again. “I don’t know who her mother is. Sometimes I think about her. I wonder if she misses Laney. If she regrets giving her up. And then I try not to think about it because she is the best thing that ever happened to me. But I still wonder if…”

“If?”

Helen shook out her thoughts. “I am just getting maudlin. You tend to weave out my innermost thoughts. How do you do that?”

He grinned. “One of my special skills.”

Helen reached up and stroked his chin. “The truth is I am thankful for Laney every day. I get to keep a part of Greyson with me.”

A slight frown knitted his brows as he covered her hand with his. He curled his fingers and took her hand in his. “Come. The tour isn’t over yet.”

Helen chuckled and followed after him, her hand in his. She felt slightly foolish, running after a handsome lord under the stars. At the same time, wasn’t that what she had wished for?

He stopped by a pillar on the farthest side of the house and pressed her back to it, standing only an inch away from her. Helen had to crane her neck all the way back to look him in the eye. He leaned one arm against the pillar, his face dangerously close to hers. But he looked so nonchalant that Helen couldn’t help but just watch him with a foolish smile on her face.

“I’ve been thinking about our arrangement,” he said and flicked a speck of dust off his jacket.

“And?” Helen threw a coquettish glance.

“And I think it’s time we made some amendments.”

“What kinds of amendments?” She frowned, her fingers absently scratching at the sleeve of his coat.

“Well… Every relationship needs to move forward, or else it’ll just stagnate.”

“And what do you think we need so that our relationship doesn’t stagnate?”

He nudged her nose with his and whispered, “I think you know.”

Helen stared into his eyes and saw her reflection in them. His eyes were heavy-lidded, filled with passion. Perhaps it was time to move forward. Just as he said. She licked her lips. “Kisses.”

“I am not asking you to give me access to all parts of your body. I would be happy with just one.” He flashed a charming smile. “Allow me just one. One body part that you’re fine with me kissing.”

She let out a chuckle. What a strange, yet enticing request. “One body part? Any body part?”