Page 103 of The Rose (The Godwicks 2)

“That was a fantasy.”

He raised his head and then stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

“We are most ourselves in our fantasies,” he said.

“Or least ourselves,” she said. “That’s why they’re called fantasies, not memories.”

He met her eyes. “I’m going to make you fall in love with me. I don’t know how, but I am. Before this week is over, you’ll tell me you love me in this world.”

“Why?”

“Because you will believe in Eros.”

She touched his face, his lips, his sweat-damp hair.

“I believe in you,” she said. “Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s a good start.”

PART FIVE

Ariadne & Dionysus

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

When Lia got home that morning, she attempted to sneak to her room and avoid her parents. Her father would be cross the rest of the day if he knew she’d spent the night with August, and her mother would ask wildly inappropriate questions that Lia had no intention of answering.

She slipped in the back door, the old servants’ entrance, and crept past the kitchen. She’d made it halfway up the stairs to her suite when she heard her mother’s voice.

“It’s 6:00 a.m.,” her mother said. “You’re up early.”

Lia turned around slowly on the steps.

“I have got to get my own flat.”

“Shall we go for a run? That’s why you’re up so early, isn’t it?”

“You think you’re one of those funny mothers on telly,” Lia said. “You are not.”

Her mother laughed a mocking laugh. A good old-fashioned ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa.

“Stop being smug about it.”

“You look exhausted, dear,” her smug mother said smugly.

“I had a long night.”

“I bet you did.” More smugness. “How’s Mr. Augustine Bowman?”

“Fine. Dandy. I’m going to bed now.”

“Not a bad idea,” her mother said. “I may go back to bed myself.”

“Do that,” Lia said. “We’ll all just have a lie-in. And none of us will tell Daddy where we were last night.”

“Oh, Daddy knows where I was last night.”

“Ugh, don’t call him Daddy,” Lia said, wincing. “Why do you do this to me?”

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