Page 64 of Masquerade

“I know his first love is environmental law and why he left it.” She also knew why George had absolute faith in his integrity.

“And he spilled all of this to fill the huge silences left by you saying nothing at all?” Anna moved to the carpet in front of the sofa and sat cross-legged facing her.

“I told him about Mum and Dad.” Kate had told him the important bits. She’d disappointed her parents, and they’d disappointed her.

“Attagirl.” Anna squeezed her hand before releasing it. “There’s hope for you yet.”

Kate stared at her sister. “I’m afraid I’m falling in love.”

“What spooked you?”

“Coming back to town.” To her real world of hiding from Andrew and her father.

“Break that down for me.” Anna had never dismissed her fears.

“He’s a lawyer.” Although she’d stopped seeing a suit when she looked at him.

“His occupation is irrelevant when he’s naked. And Ms. Sexy Higgins isn’t breaking any laws.”

“Liam’s going to be the public face of Clelland and Associates. The partner leading their environmental charge,” Kate groaned. “Forget I said that. It’s commercial-in-confidence.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Anna matched actions to words. “We both hate it, but we’ve learnt to play the media at its own game. Liam’s not Dad, and he’s not an entertainment lawyer like Andrew.”

“I’ve met Liam’s colleagues. Hell!” Kate slumped back against the sofa, recalling their snide asides when they’d discovered Niall was on a billboard. A romance writer rated lower than a model in their messed-up hierarchy.

“His colleagues have minimal importance in your lives. You learned long ago how to charm Dad’s self-important cronies. Liam’s mob would be small fry.”

“He was betrayed by a colleague and lover. Distrust is his default position.” Kate struggled to explain her confused thinking. “She tricked her way into his bed to destroy a project he was working on. That’s a double-headed monster.” Selina had made him feel both a failure and dirty somehow, and Selina had a starring role in this project.

“Okay. Let’s say I buy that. What’s it got to do with you? You aren’t planning to sabotage his work or cheat on him.” Anna inched closer, holding on to Kate’s ankle.

“He needs to know he can trust me absolutely on the job.” Kate pushed a hand through her damp hair, finding it as tangled as her thoughts.

“He’d have sacked you by now if he didn’t trust you.” Her sister made sense.

“He respects me as a researcher. He trusts me enough to warn me about the risk of industrial sabotage.” Kate restated the basis of their relationship, convinced winning the Greentree Passage project was the first step to building anything lasting with Liam. Without the win, he’d never be free of Selina. “He’s not ready for more.”

“Being a researcher is part of you—a part-truth. You know that.” Anna sounded troubled. “And a part-truth that doesn’t satisfy you anymore. That’s why we did the billboard. This is me you’re talking to, Maybelline, and I call BS. What are you afraid of?

“We agreed to rules.” Kate pleated the edge of her shirt. “No commitments.” And why would she expose her deepest secret if he’d be out of her life in weeks, maybe days?

“And you don’t want your heart to get beaten up again.”

“I don’t know how he feels about me. So far, it’s been lighthearted.” Kate read Anna’s expression and rolled her eyes. “Okay, and hammering hearts, stolen looks and passionate kisses.”

“I’d expect nothing less for Ms. Sexy Higgins. But Kate”—her sister wasn’t fooled. Her brows drew together in a frown—“you’re halfway to breaking that rule already. I think you should tell him now. You’re too smart not to know a lie will sabotage any long-term relationship. And that includes the lie of pretending you don’t care.”

“Introduce him to Ms. Sexy Higgins?” Keeping her secret had become an obsession, and the insight winded her. Her breath came in short gasps.

“Breathe deeply. In two-three, out two-three.” Her sister crouched in front of her. “What just happened?”

“What if he does accept me? Where do we go then?” Kate whispered. She’d always thought she’d kept secrets because she was afraid to be rejected as a writer. It was harder to admit she shared Liam’s fear. “Can I trust my heart?”

“Oh, honey.” Anna wrapped her arms around Kate’s waist and rested her cheek on Kate’s lap. “Damn Dad, damn Grandpa and double damn Andrew bloody Levin.”

“We should damn Oliver while we’re at it.” Kate stroked her sister’s hair.

Anna lifted her head.

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