The Soft Whisper of Dreams Read Online Free

sure you don’t mind me cluttering up the place as well?’
    ‘Hell, I could use some help. Kayla lets them get away with murder and now she’s got her friend Maddie visiting, so the two of them gang up on me. Having you around will even things out a bit.’
    ‘I’ll do my best, but don’t expect too much. If I remember correctly, Nell only has to smile at me and I’m putty in her hands.’
    ‘Great.’ Wes made a face and sighed. ‘And here I thought I had finally found an ally. Never mind, they’ll soon drive you round the bend as well. Then you’ll see what I mean.’
     
    The playroom at Marcombe Hall had been created out of three adjoining rooms on the second floor and was big enough to house the contents of an entire toy shop. To Alex, who had never seen it before, it seemed that was precisely what it did contain, but Wes assured him they didn’t spoil their children.
    ‘Oh, not much you don’t,’ Alex muttered, staring at the play-tent, miniature slide, masses of cars and boxes overflowing with soft toys, not to mention puzzles and books of every description and size.
    ‘This is only a fraction of what’s available. You wouldn’t believe the things you can buy these days.’
    ‘If you say so,’ Alex said doubtfully. ‘Looks to me like you could start a nursery school in here.’
    His sister-in-law came towards him with a welcoming smile on her face and six-month old Edmund comfortably ensconced on her hip. The little boy buried his face in his mother’s shoulder and stuck his thumb into his mouth at the sight of the big dark man. He didn’t look at all convinced that he wanted to meet his uncle. Kayla seemed to have no such qualms, however, and gave Alex as big a hug as she could manage with only one arm.
    ‘Welcome home, Alex. I hope Wes has prepared you for mayhem, which is what we usually have in this house these days.’
    ‘Believe me, it will make a welcome change.’ Alex suddenly found it hard to swallow past the lump which had formed in his throat. Kayla was acting as if the past three years had never happened, nor the terrible things which had gone before, and it was more than he deserved. But he was grateful. Somehow, he would make it up to them all.
    ‘Alex, come and meet Maddie and Jago.’ Wes jolted him out of this uncharacteristically emotional state and Alex looked across the room to where a tall red-haired woman was crawling on all fours with his older nephew on her back. Alex knew the boy had been named after an ancestor, so didn’t comment on his unusual name.
    ‘Maddie my horse,’ Jago explained happily and grabbed two fistfuls of Maddie’s wildly curling mane. She grimaced, but didn’t complain. Instead she tilted her head up as far as she could under the circumstances and smiled.
    ‘Nice to meet you, Alex,’ she managed, before her rider egged her on across the carpet. ‘Sorry, I’ll have to talk to you later.’
    Alex laughed. ‘You really should teach your sons to treat women better, Wes,’ he joked before getting down on all fours himself. ‘Now how would you like to ride a bigger horse, Jago?’ he asked the little boy.
    ‘Oh, yes!’ Jago hurled himself off Maddie and landed on the carpet in a heap, but this didn’t deter him in the slightest. He simply picked himself up, dusted off his knees and ran over to Alex.
    ‘Thanks.’ Maddie sent him a grateful look and collapsed onto her back on the floor, trying to straighten her spine. ‘Two-year olds weigh a lot more than you think.’
    Alex didn’t answer. He was too busy watching her unconsciously sensuous movements. As she stretched her arms over her head, her tight T-shirt rode up showing him an expanse of toned, sun-tanned stomach, and his mouth went dry. His gaze strayed further up, and although she couldn’t be described as voluptuous, her breasts, which were clearly visible through the thin material, were perfectly shaped and to his mind extremely beautiful. Damn it, she’s not wearing a bra!