straight ahead, tension creasing the corners of her pursed lips. If she pressed them much harder, they would quickly turn as blue as the muslin caressing her bosom.
In his experience, a piqued woman was a volatile one. He had no wish to face his mother should Liliana work herself up to accusing him of ungentlemanly conduct, witness or no.
He was half surprised she hadn’t already. Now he intended to find out if she meant to.
Geoffrey placed his hand over hers where it rested on his forearm. “We both know ill health is not what kept you from breakfast this morning. You look far too becoming to be indisposed,” he said, glancing over at her. And she did. Her skin glowed a creamy gold in the afternoonsunlight, and her hair glinted like copper coins when she turned her head. He wasn’t the only man to notice, he saw with no little disgruntlement. “Which makes me wonder…what reason would you have for not joining us this morning?”
Liliana’s face paled. Then bright flags of color splotched her cheeks and, if possible, she pressed her lips even more tightly together. Behind her stony expression, Geoffrey glimpsed a flicker. Guilt. No doubt about it.
Liliana maintained her silence, yet she could not hold his gaze. She looked away.
Geoffrey sighed. She
had
been plotting something this morning, some way to use his behavior last night to her advantage.
He’d lost control of their kiss. Even an innocent like her would recognize that he desired her. No doubt she’d spent the hours dressing just so, turning herself out perfectly to entice him. By absenting herself, perhaps she’d thought to whet his appetite a bit further.
His gaze raked her and desire coiled through him, twisting his gut with sharp longing.
Smart girl. Bloody hell.
And still she said nothing.
“Come, now, Liliana. Don’t say it’s maidenly distress that’s got your tongue.” He lowered his voice, partially to keep from being overheard but also to disguise the huskiness that entered his own tenor. “I know from the way you responded to my kiss last night, distress is far from what you feel.”
That got a reaction. The amethyst glare she leveled on him burned a path straight to his groin. Geoffrey sucked in a breath. Yet behind her outrage, he recognized awareness in Liliana’s eyes. And confusion. Grim satisfaction settled over him.
“You are quite correct, my lord,” Liliana bit out around a tight smile.
Geoffrey gave her a quick nod. Good of her to admitshe’d been affected by their interlude and was equally unsettled by it.
“Distress is not what I feel,” she continued, “so much as”—she tilted her head and raised a chestnut brow—“indifference.”
Geoffrey stopped abruptly, bringing Liliana awkwardly to a halt beside him.
Indifference
? He stared at her.
Her lips twisted, her other brow rising to join its sister.
Geoffrey narrowed his eyes. Indifference his arse. While he might not be sure exactly what
else
she wanted, he knew when a woman wanted him. And by God, Liliana Claremont wanted him.
“And, yes,” Liliana continued, slipping her arm from his and stepping ahead. “I admit I did prevaricate slightly about being ill this morning, but not for whatever reasons
you
think.” She continued walking, not even bothering to see if he followed. “I simply wished to avoid an awkward situation,” she said. She waved a hand backward in his direction. “For you.”
“For me?” Geoffrey snorted, disliking the way his voice ended on a high note. He trailed behind in an effort to hear her, like a damned lovesick boy.
She turned to him then, her violet eyes squinting slightly in the afternoon sun as she once again stopped. “Why, yes. To save you the embarrassment of having to apologize, of course. I know how men detest admitting they are wrong. However, since you’ve forced the issue, I suppose the only polite thing to do is to
In his experience, a piqued woman was a volatile one. He had no wish to face his mother should Liliana work herself up to accusing him of ungentlemanly conduct, witness or no.
He was half surprised she hadn’t already. Now he intended to find out if she meant to.
Geoffrey placed his hand over hers where it rested on his forearm. “We both know ill health is not what kept you from breakfast this morning. You look far too becoming to be indisposed,” he said, glancing over at her. And she did. Her skin glowed a creamy gold in the afternoonsunlight, and her hair glinted like copper coins when she turned her head. He wasn’t the only man to notice, he saw with no little disgruntlement. “Which makes me wonder…what reason would you have for not joining us this morning?”
Liliana’s face paled. Then bright flags of color splotched her cheeks and, if possible, she pressed her lips even more tightly together. Behind her stony expression, Geoffrey glimpsed a flicker. Guilt. No doubt about it.
Liliana maintained her silence, yet she could not hold his gaze. She looked away.
Geoffrey sighed. She
had
been plotting something this morning, some way to use his behavior last night to her advantage.
He’d lost control of their kiss. Even an innocent like her would recognize that he desired her. No doubt she’d spent the hours dressing just so, turning herself out perfectly to entice him. By absenting herself, perhaps she’d thought to whet his appetite a bit further.
His gaze raked her and desire coiled through him, twisting his gut with sharp longing.
Smart girl. Bloody hell.
And still she said nothing.
“Come, now, Liliana. Don’t say it’s maidenly distress that’s got your tongue.” He lowered his voice, partially to keep from being overheard but also to disguise the huskiness that entered his own tenor. “I know from the way you responded to my kiss last night, distress is far from what you feel.”
That got a reaction. The amethyst glare she leveled on him burned a path straight to his groin. Geoffrey sucked in a breath. Yet behind her outrage, he recognized awareness in Liliana’s eyes. And confusion. Grim satisfaction settled over him.
“You are quite correct, my lord,” Liliana bit out around a tight smile.
Geoffrey gave her a quick nod. Good of her to admitshe’d been affected by their interlude and was equally unsettled by it.
“Distress is not what I feel,” she continued, “so much as”—she tilted her head and raised a chestnut brow—“indifference.”
Geoffrey stopped abruptly, bringing Liliana awkwardly to a halt beside him.
Indifference
? He stared at her.
Her lips twisted, her other brow rising to join its sister.
Geoffrey narrowed his eyes. Indifference his arse. While he might not be sure exactly what
else
she wanted, he knew when a woman wanted him. And by God, Liliana Claremont wanted him.
“And, yes,” Liliana continued, slipping her arm from his and stepping ahead. “I admit I did prevaricate slightly about being ill this morning, but not for whatever reasons
you
think.” She continued walking, not even bothering to see if he followed. “I simply wished to avoid an awkward situation,” she said. She waved a hand backward in his direction. “For you.”
“For me?” Geoffrey snorted, disliking the way his voice ended on a high note. He trailed behind in an effort to hear her, like a damned lovesick boy.
She turned to him then, her violet eyes squinting slightly in the afternoon sun as she once again stopped. “Why, yes. To save you the embarrassment of having to apologize, of course. I know how men detest admitting they are wrong. However, since you’ve forced the issue, I suppose the only polite thing to do is to
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