Page 54 of The Lyon Returns
His expression turned bemused. “How in hell did you deduce that from my apparent soft streak?”
She laughed, delighted by his description of himself. “Because, in my experience, men who feel the need to boast or treat others withdisdain often suffer from a lack of confidence.”
“Hm.” He gazed at her, a considering glint in his magnificent eyes. “We’ve strayed from the relevant subject. You invaded my privacy. What am I to do about that, Gwen?”
She ducked her head. “Why should you do anything? Sir, I thought you were dead. I found a cache of your notebooks on a shelf in your office.” And several more in his bedchamber, but she decided that was beside the point. “I picked one up out of curiosity for the man whom I supposedly married. I kept reading because of the intriguing manner in which you convey your thoughts. I found myself laughing more than once, deeply touched at times, and…” she hesitated, sensing he would not welcome this particular insight, but unwilling to stop now, “awed, by both your depth of self-reflection and inability, or perhaps unwillingness, at times, to challenge certain beliefs held by others, pertaining to you.”
Thick brows furrowed, he was silent a long moment. “I suppose I cannot hold your curiosity against you,” he finally muttered.
“Quite right. Only consider that I do make my living reading the words of others. And you happen to use them well.”
He shot her a peeved look. “I must insist, however, you cease riffling through my personal papers now that you know I am very much alive.”
Should she mention the project she’d begun? It was now or never, she decided. “Yes, well, as to that, I’ve been meaning to talk with you about a small undertaking of mine.”
“Undertaking?”
“A compilation.” She paused, then added, “From your journals.”
He looked so utterly appalled, she nearly gave in to a fit of nervous giggles. Then he launched himself from his chair to loom over her, and her amusement died a swift death. She glared at him. He had an annoying tendency to do that, in spite of the fact that she’d told him how she loathed it.
“To what end?” he demanded.Bellowedwould not be too strong a word.
She pushed to her feet, unwilling to be cowed by his superior height and build. The heat from his body enveloped her in an instant, sending sprays of gooseflesh over her.
“To publish them, sir, as aLiterary Miscellany of Reflections. Anonymously authored, of course.” When he did not immediately balk, she pressed on. “We could work together on the project.”
His initial look of shock gave way to…she could not say precisely. His nostrils flared. His jaw tightened. Clearly he was caught in a vortex of strong emotion.
“Gwen,” he finally began, his voice low and husky. “You are the most…” He jammed a hand through his thick, sun-streaked hair and emitted a low growl, for lack of a better word.
“The most what?” she demanded. The warm sensations he conjured in her, which she now recognized as attraction, but which she had no notion of how to deal with, swarmed through her.
He grasped her shoulders and gave her the tiniest shake.
“The most impossibly complex, one-moment-innocent-the-next-brazen, unassuming, yet utterly compelling woman I have ever had the good fortune—or misfortune, depending—to meet.”
She blinked, not at all certain how to take his pronouncement.
“I kissed you earlier without asking.” The low rumble of his voice sent a delicious shiver through her.
“I assumed…” She drew in a choked breath. “You did it because…” Another breath. “You wanted us to appear convincing before the servants.”
He said nothing, just glowered down at her, gripping her shoulders, the heat from his palms burning through the sleeves of her muslin gown.
“Is that why you kissed me, Gideon?” she asked, not at all sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“Yes,” he gritted out. “No,” he contradicted himself a half second later.
Her legs and arms began to liquify. Gideon was certainly the cause. If she had any doubt before, she now had none. “I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you? I told myself I kissed you for that reason. I lied.” His fingers flexed on her shoulders.
A small tremor started in her belly and spread throughout her body.
He noticed immediately. “Are you cold?”
She shook her head, and met his unblinking stare. “You won’t credit it, sir, but the oddest sensations have been plaguing me. Heat in my belly. Weakness in my legs. A shivery sensation along my spine. I’ve determined the cause is…you.”
