Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 531

When I arrived, the old woman herself opened the door, and she looked so happy to see me that for a second I forgot how to breathe. She pulled me into a hug that smelled of lavender and expensive perfume, her arms surprisingly strong for someone her age.

“Tasha, my child.” She held me at arm’s length and studied my face. “How are you doing? You have lost weight since I last saw you. Is that husband of yours not feeding you properly?”

The words were so motherly, so genuinely concerned, that my eyes burned. I blinked hard and shook my head. “No, Grandmother. I am eating fine. I just… I have been a little stressed.”

She patted my cheek, her fingers cool against my skin. “Come inside, child. The cook made breakfast, and it is one of your favorites. I remembered you liked the pancakes with berries.”

I followed her into the house, my throat tight.

We went to the dining room together, a vast space with a table long enough to seat twenty, and she gestured for me to sit. The pancakes were already laid out, golden and fluffy, with a bowl of fresh berries and a jug of maple syrup. I stared at them, my stomach twisting with sudden hunger.

“Are you all alone here, Grandmother?” I asked as I picked up my fork.

She nodded, her smile turning wistful. “Except for the domestic staff, yes. There used to be a lovely girl with me, a companion called Imelda. She was like a daughter to me. But another of my stubborn grandsons made sure she was taken from me, and now I am all alone.”

I swallowed a bite of pancake, the sweetness turning sour in my mouth. “I am sorry.”

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. The food in my mouth felt like sawdust.

“No matter how he feels,” she went on, her voice low and persuasive, “once you give him a son, all he will ever think about will be you and your baby. You will be a complete happy family.”

I put my fork down very carefully, my hands shaking. “Grandmother, what you are suggesting is illegal. And if I went ahead and did that to Sparrow, he would hate me afterward. There is no guarantee I will get pregnant from one time. Also, even if I do get pregnant, Sparrow could force me to get rid of it in anger. He is a man who does not like decisions being forced on him. What I want is for him to see me. For him to fall in love with me. I have thought about it, and I do not want to use any backhanded methods. If he is going to love me, then I have to show him my sincerity.”

She looked at me like I had just spoken in a language she did not understand. “Sparrow already loves you, my dear. If he did not, he would not have married you. The only problem you have right now is that his attention is being drawn away by another woman. All you need to do is draw his attention back. He is your husband, so what is the big deal if you drug him and have sex with him? It is his loss if you do not.”