Page 57 of Sweet Siren
She needed him closer still, skin to her skin, heart to her heart. His lips were no longerenough.
"Liv, I'm not in the habit of having a lady for onenight—"
He was refusing her? Her whole body ached with the loss. He feared she would trap him? No, he couldn't. And she wouldn't. "Killian, I'm not young. Not a debutante in search of a beau. Or ahusband."
He circled his big hand around the back of her neck and spoke on her lips. "I want you for yourself, butnot—"
"Forgive me." She jerked away, gathered her little reticule and her straw hat, then got to her feet to leave the carriage. At that moment, the coachman pulled open the door. "Thank you for the day, Killian. I must go. Monday, I'd say, we see the draper on WaterStreet."
He snatched herhand.
She shook him off. On unsteady feet, she marched the three steps to her little portico. In the light of the gas lamps, she fished her latch key from her reticule. Her lower lip quivered so badly, she had to bite it. Fumbling, she fit the key in and pushed open thedoor.
A vise circled round her, her breath left her lungs. An arm to her waist, another under her knees, and suddenly she was off her feet, in his arms and inside. Killian had her and with a foot, he slammed her front door closed. The sound reverberated in her littlehall.
She grinned athim.
"I presume we're climbing the stairs?" he asked her with a tinge of anger and a hint of therogue.
"We are," she said tightening her arm around his shoulder. "I canwalk."
"Like hell youwill."
"I'm heavy," she declared as he took the stairs up and she thrust her arms around his massiveshoulders.
"I'm not letting you go," he bit off the words as he trudgedupward.
"You'll sprain your back. Then where will we be? Not inbed."
"Trust me, my lady." He took the last two steps up. "That's where we'regoing."
He stood in the hall, looking from one closed door to the other. "Which?"
Shepointed.
"Openit."
She giggled and turned thehandle.
He pushed it open with a shoulder and whirled her inside to press her against thewall.
