Page 39 of The Secrets He Keeps

She had consistently ignored his assurances to the contrary and construed nearly everything he did as a manipulation to get what he wanted from her.

And what was that exactly? What had he wanted?

Just her.

He didn’t need her power and influence. Nor her wealth. Nor her clients.

He wanted her. And blast it all—she wanted him as well.

Her steps lengthened with purpose as she headed toward the room where they’d shared the bottle of brandy. Striding through the open door, she saw him standing before the fireplace, staring into the flames. He was still in his evening wear from the night before though he wore no coat or cravat and his sleeves had been rolled back to his elbows.

A combination of hope and fear churned inside her. It was a new sensation, something she wasn’t entirely certain she was prepared to experience. But she was here now and she refused to be a coward. Setting her shoulders and lifting her chin, she started across the room, her skirts making a soft sound as they swished about her legs.

Alerted to her presence, he glanced over his shoulder. Surprise flashed briefly in his eyes before he turned to face her, putting the fire behind him and his face in shadow. He did not speak as she approached and neither did she.

When she stopped in front of him, he squared his shoulders and removed his spectacles. She was close enough now to see his face, to look into his eyes. Close enough to draw in his familiar scent. Close enough to desire his touch.

She steeled herself against the wanting. She’d come here intending to confess her feelings, but first, there was something she needed to understand. Titling her head, she tried to keep her expression as neutral as his as she looked up into his shadowed gray eyes. But an unfamiliar fire burned inside her. A fire she was struggling to contain.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice quiet but strong. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”

Callista made a dismissive gesture before replying, “I assure you; I didn’t expect to come here.”

He lowered his chin and met her fierce gaze with one of calm intensity. “Then why did you?”

“Before I answer that, I’d like you to explain something to me. And I’d like you to be completely honest.”

“Always.” The single word rang true and poignant through her being.

“What was your true intention when you offered to seduce me?”

The corner of his lips twitched. “Getting you into bed was not a proper enough motivation?”

Callista smiled in return. A practiced, knowing smile. “Of course it is. If it’s the only one.”

There was a pause. Then his voice was thoughtful as he replied, “I’m prepared to answer you in full honesty. But it won’t matter if you’re unwilling to accept the truth.”

She narrowed her gaze, daring him with a hint of danger in her eyes. “Try me.”

Another twitch of his lips. “From the moment you appeared in the doorway to my office, I knew something remarkable had just entered my world. I was undeniably intrigued by your cunning mind and bewitching manner. I was determined to know you better.”

“Do you feel you accomplished that goal?” She arched a brow imperiously. “Do you know me, Mr. Maxwell?”

His silver-gray eyes sparked from beneath a furrowed brow. “I know your success was hard-won and that your business is much more to you than financial security. I know you have a hard time acknowledging that, despite your strength and influence, you still experience loneliness. I know you prefer to lead the way in your personal relationships and I suspect it’s because you’ve been disappointed in the past. People have taken from you—or have tried to,” he corrected with a tilt to his lips.

Lifting his hand, he traced his fingertips across her temple as he swept a tendril of hair behind her ear while his gaze remained locked with hers.

“You are clever and crafty beyond anyone’s understanding. You’ve hardened your heart to protect it and you do not believe in love because you’ve witnessed how the emotion can be falsified and manipulated.” His focus dipped to her mouth and his words thickened as he added, “Your lips taste like heavenly sin, your skin is softer than silk, and your moans of pleasure twist me into knots.”

Callista parted her lips as something intense began to snake through her, stirring up emotions she struggled to identify. She wanted to refute his claims but his words rang too true. Every one of them.

His gaze lifted to hers again as the flat of his thumb gently brushed over her cheek. “But there is still so much I want to know about you. I want to know how you take your tea or if you prefer coffee. I want to know how your eyes look upon waking. I want to know what amuses you and what infuriates you. I want to discuss your hopes and dreams and fears over breakfast every morning and talk to you about the weather and the latest town gossip every evening.”

She didn’t realize she’d begun to shake her head until his hand slid away from her face. His expression darkened as a furrow of disappointment clouded his brow. “You don’t believe me,” he stated in a low voice.

That was the problem. She did believe him.

She didn’t know what to think of everything he’d just said, but she couldn’t deny how she felt about it. Elated. Terrified. Hopeful.

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