Page 33 of Undercover Savior

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

I jerked my hand from his. “I asked you repeatedly. I knew you were familiar.” I raised my gaze and studied him. “You lied. Over and over again.”

“I apologize, Sullivan. Sincerely.”

Rather than ask, I thought about why he had. As much as it angered me, could I really fault him for it? Especially aboutbeing a duke. If I were in his place, I would’ve kept it a secret too. As far as him denying the familiarity, I was irritated that he hadn’t just come out with it, but again, could I blame him?

“I didn’t recognize you.”

“I hardly hoped you would.” He winked.

“You do look different.” My voice trailed off as I recalled the little boy he used to be. “Wait, you recognized me?”

“Sullivan Rivers is a far more memorable name.”

I nodded. “It is.Farmore than just David.”

“Yes, well.”

I folded my arms in front of me. “Yes, well,” I mimicked, taking a deep breath and looking around the room. “This is the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me. Wait. Not the craziest. Having a gun against my head and thinking I was a split second away from dying is worse than this. But still.”

“Can I ask which part?” It was such a relief to be able to place the look on his face. At that moment, he became Davy, the shy, sweet boy who my mum teased me about incessantly.

“I’m not sure.” I looked around the room. “This, mainly. How much danger are we in?”

“I don’t know except to say no one can get to you in here. The other thing is, it could very well be a false alarm, and by that, I mean someone could be trespassing on the estate, but their reasons for doing so have nothing to do with you being here.”

“Such as?”

He stroked his beard, something I hadn’t seen him do. “I’d say hunters, but we’re quite far out of the season, aren’t we?”

I stared at him. “Why are you so calm?”

“Calm? I’m not. I suppose what I am is not worried. We are in the safest place possible, perhaps in all of Scotland. With the exception of Con’s estate, although I haven’t had occasion to be in his safe room.”

“You’re also chatty.”

His brow furrowed.“Chatty?”

“You’ve been quite tight-lipped.”

“Yes, well, when keeping up a fabrication to conceal my identity, it’s typically best to say as little as possible.”

I turned and rested against the sofa. Flopped would be a better way to describe it. “I should be really angry with you. More, I should be questioning everything you’re telling me. Maybe I should be afraid for my life.”

“Are you?” he asked.

“What?”

“Doing anything of those things?”

I shook my head. “Stupidly, not. Or maybe it’s sadly.”

“I’m glad.”

“Argh,” I groaned when my eyes filled with tears.

David put his arm around me and pulled me close to him, stroking my hair like he had a few minutes ago.

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