“Lilah,” he whispered.
“Yes.”
The word settled into his blood and burned there. The heat it caused had him tightening his arms. One hand cupped her head while the other rolled down her spine to draw her closer to him. And then there in full view of theton, he dipped his head and kissed her.
Her mouth tasted like spice that set his body aflame. Heedless of the risk, he plunged into her and played with her fire. Their tongues dueled, their bodies pressed close, and he reveled in the passion that roared between them.
She was the one who stopped the kiss. Her hands were tight on his shoulders and she pushed back to breathe. He was panting as well, his mind dazed. At that moment, if they’d been alone, he would have taken her to bed without thought to the consequence. So wonderful was the blaze between them.
But they were in the middle of a party with half thetonaround them. He couldn’t bed a woman here, and he couldn’t damn well be kissing one either!
He ran a hand over his face and tried to calm the riot in his blood. She was flushed a bright red as she stepped back as well. But she didn’t go far. Indeed her hand slid to his wrist and gripped him there.
“Could you consider it, my lord?” she asked, her words breathless.
“What?”
“Marrying a bastard.”
He didn’t answer. The words didn’t make sense through the fog of his lust. But then she explained.
“I’m Lilah Rees, my lord. Lady Byrn’s adopted daughter.”
His eyes widened as the reality set in. Now it all made sense. She was a by-blow raised as if she were legitimate. Of course, she would have all the skills of a gently reared young lady. Of course, she would know how to run a household and be an asset to a family despite the circumstances of her birth. After all, she’d been doing it since she was a child.
“Lilah Rees,” he echoed. “I should have known.”
She didn’t answer, but there was such desperate hope in her eyes that he ached to reassure her.
“I’m a future earl,” he said. “You know my marriage is a transaction of money and power. My mother spends most of her time picking out potential brides for me.”
She nodded, and her gaze slid away. “I understand,” she whispered, and again those two words shot pain through his heart.
“There’s only one thing that would induce me to ignore such customs and overrule the dictates of generations of earls.”
Her head shot up as she looked into his eyes. “What?”
“Love, Miss Rees. I would do it for love.”
Her mouth opened in surprise, and no wonder. It sounded odd to himself that he had such a romantic streak.
“Our kiss,” she said as she pressed her fingers to her lips. “It was special, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” he admitted. “But that’s not love, Miss Rees. I’m sorry,” he said as he stepped back from her. “It’s not love.”
“Yet,” she stressed as she took a step forward. “It’s not loveyet.”
He answered with a shrug. For all that she intrigued him, it was a large step from lust to love. Then their moment was lost. Friends found him and started speaking. The masquerade was over, but the business of leaving would take a while. He meant to keep watch over her. For all that he was mobbed by his guests, he meant to return her to her people. The Rees family must be here somewhere. But when he finally got a chance to look back for her, the shadows were empty.
She was gone.
Chapter Three
ONE YEAR LATER
Lilah stepped offthe boat and headed into the Vauxhall pleasure garden. What a difference a year had made. Her half-sister Gwen had married her true love just this morning. A year ago, Gwen had been a reclusive bluestocking. Now she was the toast of thetonthanks to her new husband Lord Sayres. Beside her, Diana, their other half-sister was bursting with joy and, Lilah thought, was perhaps in an interesting condition thanks to her loving husband Lucas. The only pair missing were Elliott and Amber, who had attended the wedding, of course, but were now at home caring for their healthy newborn son.
Family bliss all around. Lilah was happy for them all—downright jubilant—except for that tiny part of her that wanted to be married, too. She craved a bright future with a man who adored her. It wasn’t fair that she’d been doomed before she was even born, but that was the curse of being a bastard. It did no good to dwell on it.