Page 35 of The Confessions of a Lady
She deserved to be savoured, honoured, cherished. She deserved the opportunity to indulge in her own explorations.
He opened his mouth, letting her discover some of his secrets before tangling their tongues in a decadent battle. He plunged, she swirled. He nipped, she sucked. He licked, she bit. The world around them dissolved into nothing but sound and scent as thebrougham bumped along the road, the rain pattered on the roof, and Liam’s need crystallised into a sharp blade.
He wanted her even closer. Gripping her hips, he dragged her onto his lap, but her moan of desire turned into a painful cry.
Liam froze. ‘God, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?’
Penny bit her kiss-swollen lip. ‘No, it’s just my ankle. One of the men kicked me and…’
Liam’s lust dissolved to self-disgust. She was injured, for God’s sake. At the hands of men just as brutal and selfish as Liam. Instead of tending to her, he was ravishing her in his carriage.
I will not be this man. I will not be my father.
‘Please, forgive me. I lost my head.’ He pressed his forehead against her shoulder. He should shift her off his lap. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him. ‘I seem to become the very worst version of myself in your presence. You deserve better from me.’
Penny huffed out a dry laugh. ‘If this is your worst, I’m not sure I could withstand your best.’
Liam gently lifted her onto the seat beside him, keeping her legs on his lap. His hand followed the hidden line of her calf over wet, soiled material until he reached the tattered hem. ‘You need a new skirt, Miss Smith.’
‘What are you doing?’ The alarm in her voice was unmistakable. She tried to pull her legs back, but Liam clamped his arm over her thighs, holding her still.
‘I’m checking your ankle to ensure it isn’t broken.’
Penny squealed as he lifted her ruined skirt up a few inches, exposing half-boots that had more holes in them than leather.
‘My lord, you can’t!’ Penny protested.
Liam glanced away from her feet to survey her beautiful face. He couldn’t believe her eyebrows were able to rise so high onher forehead without completely disappearing into her hairline. ‘Why ever not? I need to inspect your ankle, Miss Smith.’
‘But it’s hardly appropriate for a gentleman like you to be exposed to his maid’s ankles.’
That he was tempted to laugh so soon after his beast almost erupted from his body and tore the throat out of the piece of filth in the alley was nothing short of a miracle. Instead, he frowned. ‘I shall endeavour to withstand such an immodest display.’ The irony of her embarrassment over exposed ankles when they had just been devouring each other was not lost on him. ‘How long have you had these shoes?’
Penny’s gaze flicked away from him and her already-flushed cheeks darkened. She shrugged her shoulders. ‘What does it matter?’
The woman was in desperate need of proper, sturdy, warm shoes. Obviously, she wasn’t in a place to purchase them herself. While her poverty seemed to embarrass Penny, it enraged Liam. He was her employer, yet he had no idea what wages she earned. That task was left to his steward to determine and his housekeeper and butler to manage. Whatever the amount, it wasn’t enough. Something he would remedy immediately.
His wealth was obscene, and he had nothing else he’d rather spend it on than Penny. He’d already secured the services of a tutor so she could learn to read, but what good would that do if she caught a chill and died because of her substandard clothes? He would speak with his steward immediately about a raise for the entire staff. He could certainly afford to pay them wages generous enough to provide functioning shoes and warm coats, for Christ’s sake.
‘It matters because these ones are falling apart,’ he muttered. ‘Which ankle?’ He tried to keep the anger from his voice. It wasn’t Miss Smith’s fault that she couldn’t afford a decent pair of shoes. It was his. And it was unacceptable.
‘The left, but it isn’t broken. Truly. I can ice and bandage it when we return. You needn’t go to any trou?—’
She stopped talking when he gently wrapped his hand around her left ankle. Carefully, Liam eased her half-boot off and skated his hand up her leg to tug at the string holding her stocking in place just below her knee.
Penny’s ragged breathing was the only sound in the carriage save Liam’s thundering heart. Hopefully, she couldn’t hear that, or she would know how deeply he was affected by her soft skin as he pulled the wet stocking slowly off her leg.
The dim light wasn’t ideal for assessing bruising, but it was clear her ankle was swollen and already turning an ugly shade of bluish black.
‘Can you wiggle your toes?’ Liam kept his gaze on her feet, refusing to let his eyes wander up her leg.
Penny complied, wiggling her toes, though the effort made her hiss.
She has perfect toes.
What a ridiculous thought. A woman’s toes should not breathe fire into his veins. He gripped her small foot in his large hand and flexed it up then down, noting how she stiffened just as acutely as he noticed her skin was like ice.
Of course her feet are freezing with shoddy shoes and soaking-wet stockings.
