There sat the most important woman in his life. Michelle meant more to Talen than anything, anyone. She was carrying his child, a child he needed. A child who might spare Lei from the pain of being tossed away. And she held his heart in her hands. Yet, he was about to set her free. It was the right thing to do, the only choice he could make. He loved her too much to watch her go through another moment of pain. He’d suffered a weak moment. That was why he’d brought her here. He’d thought for a short time that he might be able to go through with it, take her with him, marry her, despite the risk to her mother’s life. But now that the moment was at hand, he couldn’t get himself to do it. He studied each of her features, trying desperately to commit them to memory. Those full, plump lips, curved ever so slightly up as if she were hiding a naughty secret. The elegant curve of her cheekbone. The straight, narrow line of her little nose. The cool blue of her eyes. Still cupping her chin, he leaned closer, wanting to draw in the scent of her skin one last time.
