Page 286 of Ten Lords for the Holidays

“Not empty,” he said softly. “I’m here with the one person whose company I prefer over anyone else in the world.”

He reached for her hands.

She let him take them.

Even through his gloves and her mittens, the small contact sent a bolt of electricity through his veins. She stared up at him, eyes wide, as though she had felt their connection, too.

He lowered his head.

At the last moment, she turned away and dropped her hands from his.

Aaron straightened, cursing his eagerness to taste her again. Fool. He had intended to plan and save and wait for years if need be. He should not have rushed her now.

“You must have done well in London,” she said.

It was his turn to raise his brows. “Must I have? Then why aren’t I still there?”

“For the same reason as the rest of us,” she said wryly. “Mr. Marlowe.”

“A fair point,” he acknowledged. “Mr. Marlowe would not have invited you to direct his theatre if he didn’t believe you were the best person for the role.”

“And Mr. Marlowe would not have chosen you as his solicitor unless he’d judged all of the other solicitors in London lacking in comparison.” She tilted her head. “But why didyouagree?”

For you, he wanted to say, but couldn’t.

Or could he?

When was the right time, if not at this moment, now that Fate had brought them back together?

“Mr. Marlowe made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he admitted.

Her lips twisted. “He’s clever at that.”

“He offered me a wage I frankly would never see in London, no matter how experienced a solicitor I became. But I didn’t come here for money.” He lifted her hand. “I came for you.”

She frowned. “You looked surprised to see me.”

“Iwassurprised. I wasn’t expecting to see youyet. My aim was to earn enough money to fund your dream to be a director. I thought perhaps, the next time you glimpsed me, if I could sweep in and save the day—”

She pushed him away, her eyes flashing. “I can save myownday, Aaron. I certainly don’t need you to rent a theatre in order toletme ‘playact’ at directing. What I wanted from you wasn’t nepotism.”

“It wouldn’t have been a rented theatre,” he said quickly. “I would have bought one and given it to you.”

“I wouldn’t have accepted it.Oryou.” Her hands shook. “I didn’t want yourpitybecause of the way others treated me. I needed faith. I wanted you to believe in my ability to earn my place. I needed you to believe inme.”

Her voice broke and she pushed past him, her eyes shimmering as she jerked her gaze away.

When he reached for her, she batted his hand aside and hurried up the steps, running as far from him as she could go.

Again.

He’dhurther.

Again.

His throat prickled and he swallowed hard.

Estelle had never been waiting for a prince to rescue her, he realized. She’d been busy building her own fairy tale.

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