following Windbury’s directives.”
So he didn’t approve, if his tone was any indication. Well, she would have to be careful. And use all the methods she had in her disposal to keep Malcolm off the scent of her deception.
To that end, she turned and motioned toward Olivia. “I believe you have met my friend, Olivia Cranfield?”
It was exactly the right thing to say, for Malcolm’s attention moved from her to Olivia, and his gaze, which had been so appraising, changed immediately to one of interest and unmistakable desire.
“Mal,” her friend purred as she sidled up to him and took his hand.
Violet drew back in surprise as the hulk of a suspicious man kissed her friend’s hand with as much delicacy as the biggest dandy in London might have exhibited.
“Miss Olivia Cranfield. It’s been too long.”
“It’s been less than a week,” Olivia laughed, swatting him playfully. “But I do agree.”
The two of them began to talk, and Violet moved away a step, both to offer them privacy and also because she was distracted by the house that rose above her. She would stay here as Liam’s lover for as long as he would have her. She would lie. She would manipulate. She would betray any trust she managed to wheedle out of him.
She had her reasons…but suddenly her firm belief that she was in the right in doing so faded.
The front door to the house opened and she turned her attention to the entrance. Liam stepped from the darkness of the interior and out onto the front step.
All her thoughts faded, for good or for bad, and she stared at him. Unlike two nights before, when he had greeted her with an unbuttoned shirt and casually tousled hair, today he was pulled together as an earl should be, perfectly coifed and pressed by a valet.
How she longed to strip him of all the trappings of his rank and unleash the animal desire she knew bubbled just beneath his currently proper surface.
She shifted with surprising desire as Liam came down the stairs to join their party in the drive.
“Good afternoon,” he said, reaching for her hand.
Unlike Malcolm had with Olivia, he didn’t kiss the top, but only squeezed it gently and then released her. Still, there was a friendly comfort in that gesture that made her doubt herself even more.
She shoved those thoughts aside and instead turned to her companion.
“Liam, may I present to you my dearest friend, Miss Olivia Cranfield. Olivia, the Earl of Windbury.”
Olivia managed to extract her attention from Malcolm long enough to step forward, offering Liam a hand. “Good afternoon, my lord. I’m so pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for including me in your invitation to Violet. I would have been gutted had we not been able to spend our planned holiday together.”
Violet fought the urge to roll her eyes. Olivia was laying it on a bit thick, but she smiled so sweetly that it was hardly noticeable to anyone else.
“We are happy to have you join us,” Liam said, casting a quick glance at Malcolm, who still stared at Olivia. “Some of us more than others.”
As Olivia laughed and Malcolm scowled, Liam turned back to Violet. He looked straight at her and there was no doubt that he had missed seeing her in the two days they’d been apart as much as she had missed seeing him. He wanted her, which was exactly what she wanted and had planned for.
What she hadn’t expected was how deeply and sincerely she wanted him in return. Her need to touch him and to be touched by him was a deep ache low in her belly. It was far harsher than any desire she had ever felt for any man who had shared her bed.
“Mal, why don’t you have Miss Cranfield shown to her chamber?” Liam asked, his voice rough as he kept his gaze on Violet’s face.
“With great pleasure,” Mal said behind her, but Violet didn’t turn. In fact, she hardly noticed as Olivia and Mal brushed past her to go up the stairs into the house together.
She stood with Liam, sunshine against her
So he didn’t approve, if his tone was any indication. Well, she would have to be careful. And use all the methods she had in her disposal to keep Malcolm off the scent of her deception.
To that end, she turned and motioned toward Olivia. “I believe you have met my friend, Olivia Cranfield?”
It was exactly the right thing to say, for Malcolm’s attention moved from her to Olivia, and his gaze, which had been so appraising, changed immediately to one of interest and unmistakable desire.
“Mal,” her friend purred as she sidled up to him and took his hand.
Violet drew back in surprise as the hulk of a suspicious man kissed her friend’s hand with as much delicacy as the biggest dandy in London might have exhibited.
“Miss Olivia Cranfield. It’s been too long.”
“It’s been less than a week,” Olivia laughed, swatting him playfully. “But I do agree.”
The two of them began to talk, and Violet moved away a step, both to offer them privacy and also because she was distracted by the house that rose above her. She would stay here as Liam’s lover for as long as he would have her. She would lie. She would manipulate. She would betray any trust she managed to wheedle out of him.
She had her reasons…but suddenly her firm belief that she was in the right in doing so faded.
The front door to the house opened and she turned her attention to the entrance. Liam stepped from the darkness of the interior and out onto the front step.
All her thoughts faded, for good or for bad, and she stared at him. Unlike two nights before, when he had greeted her with an unbuttoned shirt and casually tousled hair, today he was pulled together as an earl should be, perfectly coifed and pressed by a valet.
How she longed to strip him of all the trappings of his rank and unleash the animal desire she knew bubbled just beneath his currently proper surface.
She shifted with surprising desire as Liam came down the stairs to join their party in the drive.
“Good afternoon,” he said, reaching for her hand.
Unlike Malcolm had with Olivia, he didn’t kiss the top, but only squeezed it gently and then released her. Still, there was a friendly comfort in that gesture that made her doubt herself even more.
She shoved those thoughts aside and instead turned to her companion.
“Liam, may I present to you my dearest friend, Miss Olivia Cranfield. Olivia, the Earl of Windbury.”
Olivia managed to extract her attention from Malcolm long enough to step forward, offering Liam a hand. “Good afternoon, my lord. I’m so pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for including me in your invitation to Violet. I would have been gutted had we not been able to spend our planned holiday together.”
Violet fought the urge to roll her eyes. Olivia was laying it on a bit thick, but she smiled so sweetly that it was hardly noticeable to anyone else.
“We are happy to have you join us,” Liam said, casting a quick glance at Malcolm, who still stared at Olivia. “Some of us more than others.”
As Olivia laughed and Malcolm scowled, Liam turned back to Violet. He looked straight at her and there was no doubt that he had missed seeing her in the two days they’d been apart as much as she had missed seeing him. He wanted her, which was exactly what she wanted and had planned for.
What she hadn’t expected was how deeply and sincerely she wanted him in return. Her need to touch him and to be touched by him was a deep ache low in her belly. It was far harsher than any desire she had ever felt for any man who had shared her bed.
“Mal, why don’t you have Miss Cranfield shown to her chamber?” Liam asked, his voice rough as he kept his gaze on Violet’s face.
“With great pleasure,” Mal said behind her, but Violet didn’t turn. In fact, she hardly noticed as Olivia and Mal brushed past her to go up the stairs into the house together.
She stood with Liam, sunshine against her
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