Page 47 of The Confessions of a Lady
‘But remember? Tonight, I am not the marquess. You are not my maid. We are simply Liam and Penny. And Liam says such things to Penny all the time. Or at least, he wants to. Desperately.’ He took a pin out of her hair, letting it fall to the carpet. Then another. And another until the mass of mahogany curls fell around her shoulders. ‘God, you are stunning.’
Penny ducked her head, tucking a curl behind her ear. ‘I’ll never find those pins.’
‘I’ll buy you a bucketful.’
She looked up, tracing his mouth with her fingertips. The rough callouses heightened his awareness of her touch. Why did men want a soft woman when they could have a real one? Strong. Capable. Honest. True.
‘I wouldn’t accept your gift.’
‘Hairpins are hardly a gift.’ Liam held her hand still, sucking her finger into his mouth. Swirling his tongue around the precious thing, he nibbled the pad with his teeth, hard enough to make her gasp. Her pupils dilated.
‘They are for me.’ Penny’s voice lowered, husky and sinfully decadent as her gaze caught on his mouth.
‘I can think of another gift I could give you. Something you wouldn’t need to hide from the staff below-stairs.’ Liam nipped along the edge of her hand, biting the heel and revelling in her gasp of pleasure.
‘Are we done confessing?’ Penny’s voice hitched.
‘We? You confessed nothing.’
‘You hardly gave me a chance with such constant chatter.’ Her lips softened in a sweet smile.
‘Forgive my loose tongue. This is my last confession of the night. Brace yourself.’
‘I shall try.’
‘You are a singularly fascinating woman, Penny Smith. But then, I’ve already told you that.’
12
Too many emotions collided and crashed in Penny’s chest. How was she meant to resist such an impossibly complex, charming, devastating man?
He is not a man; he is my enemy.
But even her internal voice sounded doubtful.
What enemy claimed she was fascinating? What enemy admitted he would provide his staff with luxuries unheard of below-stairs even if it did not win him the affections of a lowly maid? Liam confounded her. He was an endlessly complex puzzle she desperately wanted to solve. But instead of understanding him, she was only more confused.
What if he is not guilty of these crimes?
Evil men rarely admitted their own darkness. But Liam spoke openly about fearing becoming his father. Evil men didn’t give choices. They took what they wanted. But Liam granted her the choice to leave. To stay. To deny him. To accept him. Evil men rarely felt guilt for their deeds, but Liam was torturing himself, not just for his own failings, but those of his father. Yet his words contrasted drastically with his actions.
What was she to believe? His words? His deeds? Her own instincts about the man? And what of Daisy Williams? Was Liam telling the truth? Did he save the girl from an abusive father or condemn her to a darker fate with the Devil’s Sons? What of the letters Penny found? Did they damn Liam? What of the Queen’s suspicions? Was that proof enough of his guilt?
She had no hard evidence. Only speculation, possibility, doubts shrouded in contradiction and conjecture. Nothing she could use against him. Nothing she could use as a reason to deny her attraction. An attraction that was becoming stronger by the moment. Fuelled by Liam’s confessions of a man desperate to be better than his circumstances. A desire she understood intimately.
If she were judging Liam by her instincts, her experiences with him, her observations of his character, she couldn’t condemn him as an evil man. Every moment with him highlighted his desire to act with honour.
Her mind was a web of conflicting truths. A path forward was impossible. She needed to re-establish distance between them.
‘There is nothing fascinating about me. Remember? I am just plain Penny Smith.’
Liam smiled; the fan of lines framing his brilliant eyes only heightened his appeal.
Everything about this man is enticing.
‘Plain Penny Smith?’ Liam scoffed. ‘Hardly.’ Liam buried his fingers in her hair, gripping the back of her head. He held her hip with his other hand, his fingers flexing slightly, holding her steady against his lap. She couldn’t ignore the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her bottom. While she’d never had personal experience with the strange appendage, neither was she ignorant of what it meant. He wanted her.
Reckless, silly woman. This is a mistake. For so many reasons, I do not belong with this man.
