Page 65 of Her Tempting Traitor
Asked like that, how could the answer be anything other thanAye?
He would love that.
Why can ye no’ have it? She’s made it clear she enjoys ye, and now ye are heir to Inverlochy Castle, ye have enough to offer the sister of a frankly incompetent animal doctor.
Because he was under suspicion of treason.
Until his name was cleared, he couldn’t offer her anything.
Then ye ken what the next logical step is.
Aye.
He had to tell her everything.
He trusted Gabby Butcombe, and thought she was brilliant enough to figure out a way out of this mess. Perhaps her uncle could help. Either way, she was only a few moments of solid thought away from figuring it out on her own.
He had to tell her the truth.
Taking a deep breath, staring up into the darkness, Cassian cupped a hand to the back of her head, twining his fingers through her glorious hair, and opened his mouth.
Unfortunately, what came out was notHere is the truthbut, “Gabby Butcombe, I think I love ye.”
It hadn’t been what he’d intended to say, although once the words had escaped, he couldn’t call them back—didn’twantto call them back.
Instead he held his breath and pretended that when she stiffened in his arms, it was a good thing.
Slowly, she pushed herself away until he could feel her hovering over him.
Christ, he’d fooked that up, eh? He shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.
“Gabby, I’m sorry?—”
“That is not my name,” she said quietly, her chin tucked against her chest in what sounded like shame. “I…I have been lying to you all these weeks. I am not Gabby Butcombe.”
CHAPTER 12
Oh, poorly done, Gabrielle.
She ought not to have blurted out the truth like that, but…well, when Cassian had said those words her heart had leapt…and then immediately sunk. How could he love her—how could hepossiblylove her?—if she’d been lying to him all this time?
“You cannot love Gabby Butcombe,” she repeated into the semi-darkness, knowing this would ruin everything. “Because that is not me.”
Cassian, who had frozen beneath her, now sat up abruptly taking her with him. Leaving her in the middle of the bed, he swung his legs to the side. “Where’s yer bathing room?”
The change in topic had her frowning. “My what?Why?”
“Because I need to bathe, and ye’re covered in my seed, and I suspect we have enough to say to one another that we’ll want some light.”
“Or perhaps it is easier to confess in the darkness,” she whispered.
He ignored her, or seemed to.
Utterly naked, Cassian reached over to turn up the lamp, and when he turned his hands were on his hips, seemingly unaffected by his nudity. After what they’d just shared, Gabby lifted her chin and shifted to face him, ready for his response to her confession.
And it would surely not be good.
Instead of speaking, though, he bent down, cupped her face in his hands—just as he’d done before he’d entered her—and kissed her. Gently, slowly…lovingly.
