Page 94 of Finding Lord Landry

Landry pulled back just enough to meet my eyes. Shadows sharpened the angles of his face. “Sorry I put you in this position.” He brushed his fingers over my cheek, then pressed a lingering kiss there. He let out a soft laugh. “That’s a blatant lie. But Iamsorry we were almost caught.”

I snorted and shoved him back as I leaned down to yank up my pants. He handed me a linen handkerchief before reaching into his pocket to retrieve his cufflinks.

After cleaning up as best we could and checking each other over, he leaned close and caught my mouth in a deep, slow kiss. “Please remember what I said.”

And then he was gone.

I stared after him, heart pounding from the kiss.What the fuck is he talking about?

And then I remembered.

If you don’t want a future with me, lock me out of the bedroom tonight.

A laugh bubbled up before I threw open the curtain and strode back to my seat. Halfway there, Cora stopped me.

“Everything okay now?”

“That depends.” I grinned. “What’s the opposite of locking someone out of a bedroom?”

Her eyes widened, and she looked around to make sure no one had heard. She might have blushed if her cheeks hadn’t already been flushed from the chaos of running the event.

“I’m not sure I want to know in your case since you’re sleeping with my cousin,” she muttered. “But on a completely unrelated note, feel free to take the centerpiece roses home later. You know, in case you… need flower petals for any reason.”

I laughed.

I floated through the rest of dinner, trying not to pay too much attention to Landry in case I giggled like a little girl.

He loved me.

He loved me.

The words weren’t surprising, really, but he’d said them like a promise. Like he meant to build a life on them.

And I wanted that more than anything.

The remainder of the evening lasted a thousand years. I drifted through it in a daze, although my ass reminded me periodically that it would much rather be soaking in a nice hot bath—preferably with Landry—than standing around or dancing.

Landry, of course, looked impeccable. He worked the room effortlessly, always charming and composed, like a man used to owning a runway with poise and grace. Like a man who knew how to wield his rare combination of looks, brains, and charisma like a weapon.

Like a leader.

By the end of the night, my nerves were frayed.Yes, he’d said he loved me, but what did that actually mean?What kind of future did he envision? Was I really going to sign up to be his… what, viscountess? I’d made jokes about it, and obviously, that wouldn’t be my title, but the truth was I’d be expected to shape my life around his.

Was that what I wanted?

As the night wound down, Lydia bustled over with my coat. “There you are. Cora said to fetch you. The viscount’s gone—probably having drinks with a few MPs—and he suggested you ride home with us. Are you ready?”

I wanted to be annoyed that Landry had left without a word, but I couldn’t be. This was to be part of his job—securing votes, playing the game. More than that, I guessed he was deliberately giving me space.

Space to decide. Without pressure or expectation.

Because for all his confidence, Landry was scared, too.

I nodded and slipped on my coat before following Lydia downstairs, where Cora and Jamie were waiting.

Cora held an armload of deep pink roses. Our eyes met, and she winked.

The ride home was a blur of exhaustion. I nodded off as the car slid through the city streets, lulled by the low murmur of Cora and Jamie’s conversation and Lydia’s occasional interruptions. When we finally pulled under the house and got out of the vehicle, the chilly night air jolted me awake.

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