Page 69 of A Lady Most Wayward
‘You need to agree to my brother’s terms.’
Her words were akin to throwing iced water onto hot flames. Philippa pulled back, air escaping her in a hiss. ‘I need to what?’
Oh dear. I’ve done it now.
But there was no turning back. ‘You need to agree to his terms, Philippa. Give me over to him at the ball. It is the only way to ensure everyone’s safety. Yours, the Damsels’, my daughter’s. He is right. My life is certainly not worth all of theirs.’
‘How do you know he said that?’ Realisation dawned in her eyes. ‘You were there.’ But her real message was clear.You put yourself in danger.
‘I brought Callum with me. And I came in disguise.’
Philippa rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, because Callum could protect you from a man like your brother.’
‘You were alone,’ Olivia threw back. ‘Who was protecting you?’
Slipping her hand from Olivia’s hair to her neck, Philippa flexed her fingers around Olivia’s throat. A thrill ran through Olivia’s body. ‘I was protecting me.’
Philippa’s pupils blew wide as Olivia pressed forward. ‘And you would have protected me if it came to that. At your own peril. Which is exactly my point, Philippa. I won’t have you put yourself in his path just to try and keep me safe. You are too dear to me. I love you too much. I can endure him. I managed to survive him for my entire childhood. I can do it again.’
Philippa froze. ‘You what?’
Olivia tried again. She had to convince Philippa to agree to this. ‘I lived with him for my entire childhood, and despite his best efforts, he did not crush me. I can take whatever punishments he’s devised as long as I know you and Hyacinth are alive and safe.’
Philippa shook her head, a rogue wave of black and silver broke free from her complicated twist of curls and braids. ‘No. Not that part. The other part.’
Olivia frowned in confusion. ‘What other part?’
‘The part where you said you loved me.’ Philippa’s voice broke on the last two words.
Damnation. I did say that. Out loud. To a woman who is terrified to love again after losing her soulmate.
Once more in this conversation, she couldn’t turn back. The only way through was forward. ‘I do love you, Philippa. Completely and irrevocably. But that does not mean you need to return my feelings. I know what we have is temporary, even if my feelings for you are not. And I can accept that. But you must know, in the moments we have together, I will love you for a lifetime.’
Philippa’s perfect crimson lips quivered. She pressed them together as her eyes grew glassy with tears. She tried to speak, but Olivia stopped her with a kiss. She didn’t want to hear Philippa’s apology, or even worse, her rejection. Instead, she tested the seam of Philippa’s mouth and thrilled when she opened to her. Exploring her depths with nips and licks, she grew bolder as Philippa softened in her arms. She might not be able to return Olivia’s love, but Philippa wouldn’t deny her this moment of comfort and affection. Olivia was certain of that. She took her time removing each of the pins holding Philippa’s hair, revelling in the silky sensation as she uncoiled the beautiful strands and let them fall.
Circling around to Philippa’s back, Olivia cursed how many buttons were required to keep a woman contained. She worked as quickly as she could, needing to see Philippa undone. As each inch of skin was revealed, she pressed open-mouth kisses, drinking in the fragrance of Philippa, savouring her silky skin, searing each moment in her memory.
Philippa helped peel her dress away. Unlike Olivia’s, Philippa’s corset was black silk that pressed her breasts high and sculpted her waist. But Olivia wanted to see her true form without the artifice fashion dictated. She unlaced the corset, pushing it down Philippa’s body so she stood in nothing but her shift.
‘Your turn.’ Philippa spun Olivia, unlacing her just as quickly.
Olivia pulled her shift up, whipped it over her head and pretended not to be insecure as she stood naked in front of Philippa. The fire was behind her, warming her back, and Philippa’s eyes were just as hot as the flames on Olivia’s clavicles, her breasts, her waist, her thighs, her mons. She feared she might melt into a puddle of aching desire just from Philippa’s possessive gaze.
‘Now you.’ Olivia needed to see Philippa just as bare. Just as vulnerable.
As Philippa shed her shift, it was clear she was not quite as naked as Olivia. She had a blade tied to her thigh. A leather holster held a small pistol on her opposite ankle.
‘Will you take off your weapons for me? I promise I won’t attack.’
‘You’ve already waged your war and won, Olivia.’
Olivia wanted to ask what she meant, but Philippa answered her unspoken question. Bending forward, Philippa unbuckled the strap holding her blade. ‘I was determined to remain alone. I thought after loving and losing Liza, that part of me was gone forever. And in some ways, it is. I will never love you the way I loved Liza.’
Olivia swallowed the pain and lifted her chin. ‘I’m not asking for that.’
Philippa paused as she worked on her ankle holster, looking up from her task. ‘I know. You aren’t asking me for anything. But it won’t stop me from giving you everything. All that I am now.’
Olivia’s knees went weak, and she lurched to the chair, sitting heavily. If she wasn’t emotionally overwhelmed, she would find it rather amusing to be sitting on Philippa’s button-back chair, the velvet upholstery soft against her naked skin, dinner still sitting untouched on the table to her right. ‘Pardon?’
