furniture.
Oversize sofas covered in soft fabric in muted shades of gray
and blue crowded the room. Heavy, carved wooden tables dotted the interior,
brass-based reading lamps tossed golden circles of light across gleaming wood
floors and midnight-blue rugs. The walls were stone as well, interspersed with
heavy wooden beams, and the wide front windows provided a view of a lawn that
looked as if the gardener had gone over it on his knees with a pair of scissors,
it was so elegantly tended.
“Is it really such a chore to pretend to be mad about me?” he
asked, a half smile curving his mouth.
She looked at him and thought, no, pretending to be crazy about
him wasn’t a problem. Which should probably be a
problem, she told herself, but that was a worry for another day.
“You want me to lie to Ailish.”
“For only a while,” he said smoothly. “To give me time to see
her settled.” He frowned a bit and added quietly, “She’s…important to me,
Georgia. I don’t want her hurt.”
God, was there anything sexier than a man unafraid to show his
love for someone? Knowing how much Ailish meant to Sean touched Georgia deeply,
but she was still unconvinced that his plan was a good one. Still, she
remembered clearly how devastated she had been when she’d discovered all of her
ex-husband’s lies to her. Wouldn’t Ailish feel the same sort of betrayal?
She shook her head slowly. “And you don’t think she’ll be hurt
when she discovers she’s been tricked?”
“Ah, but she won’t find that out, will she?” Sean said, and he
was smiling again, his temper having blown away as fast as it had come. “When
the time is right, you’ll throw me over, as well you should, and I’ll bravely go
on with my heart shattered to jagged pieces.”
She snorted a laugh before she could stop it.
“So I get to be the bad guy, too?” She walked back, picked up
her wine and took another sip. “Wow, I’m a lucky woman, all right. You remember
I’m moving to Dunley, don’t you? I’ll see Ailish all the time, Sean, and she’s
going to think I’m a hideous person for dumping her son.”
“She won’t blame you,” he assured her, “I’ll see to it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Georgia love,” he said with a sigh, “you’re my only chance at
pulling this off.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Of course you don’t, being an honest woman.” He plucked the
wineglass from her fingers and set it aside. Then, stroking his hands up and
down her arms, he added, “But being a warm-hearted, generous one as well, you
can see this is the best way, can’t you?”
“You think you can smooth me into this with a caress and a
kiss?”
He bent down until his eyes were fixed on hers. “Aye, I do.”
Before she could respond to that arrogant admission, he added, “But I don’t
think I’ll have to, will I? You’ve a kind heart, Georgia, and I know you can see
why I’ve to do this.”
Okay, yes, she could. Irritating to admit that even to herself.
She understood the fear that must have choked him when he thought his mother was
going to die. But damn it. Memories fluttered in her mind like a swarm of
butterflies. “Lies never go well, Sean.”
“But we’re not lying to each other now, are we? So between the
two of us, everything is on the up and up, and my mother will get over the
disappointment—when she’s well.”
“It’s not just your mother,
though,” she said. “The whole village will know. They’ll all think I’m a jerk
for dumping you.”
“Hah!” Sean grinned widely. “Most of those in Dunley will think
you a fool for agreeing to marry me in the first place and will swear you’ve
come to your senses when we end it. And if that doesn’t do the job, I’ll take
the blame entirely.”
She laughed, because he looked so pleased with that statement.
“You’re completely shameless, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” he agreed, with that grin that always managed to
make her stomach take a slow bump and roll.
Oversize sofas covered in soft fabric in muted shades of gray
and blue crowded the room. Heavy, carved wooden tables dotted the interior,
brass-based reading lamps tossed golden circles of light across gleaming wood
floors and midnight-blue rugs. The walls were stone as well, interspersed with
heavy wooden beams, and the wide front windows provided a view of a lawn that
looked as if the gardener had gone over it on his knees with a pair of scissors,
it was so elegantly tended.
“Is it really such a chore to pretend to be mad about me?” he
asked, a half smile curving his mouth.
She looked at him and thought, no, pretending to be crazy about
him wasn’t a problem. Which should probably be a
problem, she told herself, but that was a worry for another day.
“You want me to lie to Ailish.”
“For only a while,” he said smoothly. “To give me time to see
her settled.” He frowned a bit and added quietly, “She’s…important to me,
Georgia. I don’t want her hurt.”
God, was there anything sexier than a man unafraid to show his
love for someone? Knowing how much Ailish meant to Sean touched Georgia deeply,
but she was still unconvinced that his plan was a good one. Still, she
remembered clearly how devastated she had been when she’d discovered all of her
ex-husband’s lies to her. Wouldn’t Ailish feel the same sort of betrayal?
She shook her head slowly. “And you don’t think she’ll be hurt
when she discovers she’s been tricked?”
“Ah, but she won’t find that out, will she?” Sean said, and he
was smiling again, his temper having blown away as fast as it had come. “When
the time is right, you’ll throw me over, as well you should, and I’ll bravely go
on with my heart shattered to jagged pieces.”
She snorted a laugh before she could stop it.
“So I get to be the bad guy, too?” She walked back, picked up
her wine and took another sip. “Wow, I’m a lucky woman, all right. You remember
I’m moving to Dunley, don’t you? I’ll see Ailish all the time, Sean, and she’s
going to think I’m a hideous person for dumping her son.”
“She won’t blame you,” he assured her, “I’ll see to it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Georgia love,” he said with a sigh, “you’re my only chance at
pulling this off.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Of course you don’t, being an honest woman.” He plucked the
wineglass from her fingers and set it aside. Then, stroking his hands up and
down her arms, he added, “But being a warm-hearted, generous one as well, you
can see this is the best way, can’t you?”
“You think you can smooth me into this with a caress and a
kiss?”
He bent down until his eyes were fixed on hers. “Aye, I do.”
Before she could respond to that arrogant admission, he added, “But I don’t
think I’ll have to, will I? You’ve a kind heart, Georgia, and I know you can see
why I’ve to do this.”
Okay, yes, she could. Irritating to admit that even to herself.
She understood the fear that must have choked him when he thought his mother was
going to die. But damn it. Memories fluttered in her mind like a swarm of
butterflies. “Lies never go well, Sean.”
“But we’re not lying to each other now, are we? So between the
two of us, everything is on the up and up, and my mother will get over the
disappointment—when she’s well.”
“It’s not just your mother,
though,” she said. “The whole village will know. They’ll all think I’m a jerk
for dumping you.”
“Hah!” Sean grinned widely. “Most of those in Dunley will think
you a fool for agreeing to marry me in the first place and will swear you’ve
come to your senses when we end it. And if that doesn’t do the job, I’ll take
the blame entirely.”
She laughed, because he looked so pleased with that statement.
“You’re completely shameless, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” he agreed, with that grin that always managed to
make her stomach take a slow bump and roll.
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