Page 95 of The Lady Has a Past

“Where?”

“Pasadena.”

Raina smiled. “Yes, of course.”

Chapter 43

Lyra emerged from the bedroom tying the sash of her silk dressing gown. She stopped short at the sight of the small mountain of violet boxes sitting on the table in the center of the honeymoon suite.

“I never did like that fragrance,” she said.

Simon finished pouring two brandies and handed one to her. “Does that mean we don’t have to fit all that stuff into the trunk of my car in the morning?”

She smiled, enjoying the sight of him. He had discarded his evening jacket, loosened his tie, and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.

“Don’t worry, I’m definitely not taking any of the Guppy’s House of Beauty products home with me,” she said.

“What about me?” Simon asked. “Think you might want to take me home with you?”

A little thrill of hope sparked through her. “Aren’t you worried that I might be using you?”

“You don’t use people, Lyra. You’re curious about them and you’reinterested in them but you do not use them. I know that. Deep down I’ve always known it.”

The spark of hope became a glorious flame. “Yes. Yes, I’d very much like to take you home with me. Are you talking about staying in Burning Cove for a while?”

“I realize that even though you hold very modern views, it wouldn’t look right if I moved in with you. Burning Cove is a small town, after all. But I could rent a cottage on the beach next to yours.”

She sipped some of the brandy and thought about that.

“Convenient,” she said.

He drank some of his own brandy and lowered the glass. Energy whispered in the atmosphere.

His eyes heated. “Very convenient.”

Hope mingled with anxiety. She was surprised by the tension. This was what she wanted. The thought of an affair with Simon was exciting. Thrilling. So why was she hesitating?

It took her a couple of heartbeats to acknowledge that she wasn’t sure how she felt about being convenient. Yes, it would be exciting for a while. A passionate adventure. But what would happen when the situation was no longerconvenient? What if she lost her heart?

What if she had already lost it?

A tiny flare of panic arced through her.

She gulped some more brandy, fortifying herself, and took a little stroll around the room. A thought struck her. She stopped near a wall and turned to face him.

“There’s your bookshop to consider,” she said, trying to buy a little time. “You can’t just walk away from it.”

“Don’t worry about the bookshop.” He set his half-finished brandy on the table and came toward her, halting inches away. He flattened one hand on the wall behind her head. “I’ll figure it out.”

She caught her breath.

“How long do you think you might want to stay in Burning Cove?” she whispered.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“You.”

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