Page 129 of Their Master

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His question knocked the air from her chest. Moira swallowed and then said, “Smith has never told you?”

Luke shook his head.

Moira was surprised and relieved to learn Luke wasn’t in Smith’s confidence to that degree. It pained her to imagine the two of them talking about her—flushed from making love, their gorgeous bodies tangled together.

Well, thinking about that second part was quite nice, but the first part…

Moira pulled her attention back to Luke’s request. “I want to tell you what happened. But only if you stay sitting here—beside me.”

He nodded.

And so Moira told him an abbreviated story of her short, pathetic life, ending with that awful night in Smith’s bedchamber.

By the time she’d finished,hehad taken her hands and was holding them tightly. “Anyone might have done the same thing,” he said softly.

“Sandrine didn’t.”

His full, sensual lips flexed into a frown. “Butshehadn’t been told by your mother and father that Smith had killed you.”

Moira smiled and squeezed his hands in return. “Thank you for trying to make me feel better. I have so many regrets. Not just what I did to him, but also that I repressed my interest in him for so long, fearing I’d slip up. All those wasted opportunities toknowhim. Now they are gone forever.”

“Have you ever considered that it might not be over?”

“What do you mean? Has he said something to you?” The hope in her voice was painful to her own ears. “I’m sorry,” she said almost immediately. “I didn’t mean to ask you that.”

“Why don’t you go to him. Tell him you regret what happened and want to try again?”

“Ihaveapologized.”

“I don’t mean apologize; I mean tell him that you regret the loss of what you had with him. Tell him what you just told me.”

“Tell him that I love him?” she asked, her voice slightly higher just thinking about such a conversation.

“Why not?”

“Because I already did.”

He paused at her admission, but then said, “Maybe you need to tell him again, now that the waters have calmed.”

Moira could still recall Smith’s expression and flinched away from it. “It was agonizing

“Worse than what you are feeling now?”

Moira gave a startled laugh. “Things can always be worse.”

“They can always get better, too. If he cares about you—and I think he does—then won’t you regret letting him slip away? Don’t you think he is worth fighting for?

Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you so good to me? I know you love Smith. Why would you try to help me?”

“It isbecauseI love him that I want him to be happy.”

“Even if he is with somebody else?”

He sighed. “Even if he is with somebody else—somebody who makes him happy.” He scowled. “Not somebody like Charles Smith.”

Moira chuckled at the unusual animus he bore the other man. “And you think I can make him happy?”

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