Page 42 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

“I am not sad she did. Now I understand why you have been avoiding me.”

“I have been avoiding you because you are not serious about courting me. Because you are a flirt, a rake and far too different from me. We would not work well together.”

His smile tilted. “You are most certainly wrong there, Lucy.” He leaned closer. “You want adventure, I know you do. And this,” he gestured up and down her, “is not who you are. Not one jot.”

“You cannot presume to know me.”

“I held you when we thought we might die and confessed all my past to you. I cannot think of a scenario that could bring two people closer together.” He took one of her hands and she allowed it, unable to resist. “And you were going to do the same.” His gaze locked onto hers. “Tell me, have you told that dull Bernard of your past?”

Lucinda opened her mouth and then closed it. “That’s beside the point.”

“You are not going to choose him over me.”

“You cannot tell me what to do.” She glanced at the lakeside and spied her mother and Bernie talking to a group of older ladies. They had yet to spot her. Perhaps there was still a chance. “Turn around and take me back, Alex, please.”

“Only if you say you’ll let me court you.”

“No.” She took her hand back from his. “It’s impossible. I am not who you think I am. I am dull and unexciting, and I like nothing more than embroidery and strolls along the lakeside. I am certainly not the sort of woman you wish to court.”

“Even if I love you?”

She frowned. “Love me?” Had she misheard him?

He nodded. “It has taken a while for me to admit it to myself but damn it, Lucy, I’m fairly certain I loved you from the moment I saw you.”

“You scowled at me,” she pointed out.

“Because I was trying to be on my best behavior. My mother begged me to come to the lake to avoid all this gossip that—and I must be firm about this—is nothing to do with me.” His gaze searched hers. “I’m not lying about that, you know that, do you not?”

She closed her eyes briefly, wishing she could say otherwise. “I know that,” she admitted softly.

He was many things, but he was no liar. Which just left the matter of this love thing. Could he really be telling the truth about that too?

“So you are saying you think you loved me from first sight?” she pressed.

Why she needed to confirm that, she did not know. After all, she was going to make him return her to the shore in a moment and pretend this never happened. Perhaps she was more superficial than she thought.

“If not from then at least from our first kiss.” He grinned.

“That was—”

“Scandalous, I know.”

“I was going to say scarcely a kiss.”

“But our second one was,” he pointed out.

“And it was a mistake, one that could have cost me everything.”

“I almost wish we had been caught properly, then I could have married you.”

Lucinda had to force herself to take a breath. This was too much. First he kidnapped her, then he declared love for her, and now he wished they were married! What on earth was going on?

“Take me back to the shore,” she insisted.

“Not until you at least admit your love for me.”

“My love for you?” She blinked a few times. “No, I—”

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