Page 19 of The Beast's Ruined Bride (Rogues Gone Dirty 1)

Yes, seen. That was exactly how he made her feel. He was the only man in her life to look at her like this—like she mattered. Like her wishes and desires were not only of value, but were of the utmost importance.

She swallowed a wave of emotion as his gaze raked over her with concern.

“What is it, Lillian? Are you so unhappy here?”

“No,” she said quickly. “That is not it at all. I was thinking the opposite, really.”

His brows hitched up, those dark eyes focused on her as though her next words were crucial.

“I was hoping to stay,” she said quietly. And as she spoke, she knew it to be the truth. Her voice grew louder, stronger. “I should like to stay here...with you.”

His brows came down and she bit the inside of her lip to try and quell her emotions.

He did not want her. That much was obvious. He’d made it clear the day before when he’d refused her offer, and it was even more apparent now. She had nothing to offer that he could want.

“We can find you a place to stay.” His gaze dropped to her belly and she felt the heat of his stare through the thin fabric. “When the babe is born you can start over. You can rejoin society and—”

“No.” Her voice was stronger than she’d ever heard it. Her lungs clenched with shock at her own behavior. She’d never dared speak like this to her father or Malcolm, yet here she was saying no forcefully to a man who grown men feared.

But she didn’t fear him. All she truly feared was what he’d just suggested. She wet her lips and took a tentative step toward him. “Don’t you see, Dane? There’s no place for me in that world anymore.” She swallowed. “Even if the rumors don’t follow. Even if Fallenmore, Malcolm, and my father can be convinced to forget—” She shook her head, her heart tripping in panic at the thought of going back to that life. “I cannot.”

He watched her for a long moment, and she was certain she could see his mind working behind those dark, steady eyes.

What fools Fallenmore and Malcolm were to assume his silence meant he lacked intelligence. Dane was smart; he always had been. Yes, he was strong, but he had an agile mind to go with it. Which was why his name didn’t fit him at all. He was no beast. He was anything but.

“If you don’t wish to return, then I can find a place for you,” he said. “You will be taken care of and—”

“And alone?” She winced at the thought. “I shall be alone, and riddled with scandal.”

“Then I will find a man to marry you,” he said, his voice so low and gruff it made her tremble anew. “A good man,” he continued, as if he wasn’t breaking her heart. “A man who will be good to you and your child and—”

“I don’t want a good man.” The words slipped out and she bit back a groan at how silly they sounded. How wrong. “That isn’t what I meant, I meant…” She cleared her throat and looked up at this man who’d always been so dear. This man who made her feel valued and beautiful and precious and safe. “I want you.”

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