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“Two excitings in two sentences? No, thank you,” said William, his teasing smile far more mischievous than I had ever seen it. “I'm bored now.”

Irritation flared across my chest. “I didn’t ask you to?—”

“Is that any way to speak to the Count of Guadalencia, if you wish for him to accept a wager with the Gambling Dukes?” William chided with a grin.

I could strangle the man, and I think I was restrained in my response. “Well then you do it, if you’re so clever!”

William

Oh, it was too easy to wind this woman up. The trouble was, she made it so exhilarating.

Just seeing the way Lilah grew in anger made my stomach flip. The pink in her cheeks, the way she glared at me, the intensity of her disdain…

Did she have any idea what she was doing to me?

Heat flared in my chest but I tried hard not to push her any further. This woman…I hadn’t intended it to be like this. Hadn’t thought that working together again would make it so easy for me to care for her again.

I was an idiot.

Lilah, the Dowager Duchess of Rotherwick was a woman who deserved to be cared for. And if I wasn’t careful, I was going to find myself right in the position I had been all those years ago.

In love, and alone.

Still. It couldn’t hurt to prod her a bit.

“You think you can do any better?” Lilah demanded, folding her arms as she always did when she felt threatened. “You think you could just drop a speech that is an improvement?”

I mean, yes. I knew my own strengths and weaknesses, and this was a strength.

I was going to enjoy this.

“Thank you for gathering here on this auspicious day,” I said, spreading out my arms to welcome the invisible Count of Guadalencia we were speaking to.

A pigeon flew away. I ignored it. “You have been fortunate enough to recognize the potential in the Gambling Dukes far sooner than any others, but as trailblazers often are, you are about to be followed. I am pleased to update you on our current plans for the next wager.”

The words tripped off my tongue as I knew they would, and I saw Lilah’s eyes widen.

God, it was good to impress this woman.

When precisely I had realized that pleasing her was the only thing I wanted to do each day, I couldn’t tell. At least yesterday. Perhaps a few days before.

The trouble was, it was swiftly leading to an impossible situation.

Impress Lilah and lose my heart…without getting anything back in return.

I swallowed down the flicker of panic that rose. I was not going to lose my heart to Lilah again, not completely. I wouldn’t allow myself to give all of it. Not after she had broken my heart like that.

Lilah was scowling. “How do you do that?”

I shrugged. “A gift.”

“No, I am in earnest.”

“I am also in earnest,” I said, leaning back on the balustrade between us and the Thames. “It’s just something I'm good at, naturally. Some people just have it.”

“You’re saying I don’t?” she countered.

That was one of the things I loved—no, liked, about Lilah. She always gave as good as she got.

And she looked great doing it. Despite the autumnal weather, the cooling temperatures making most Londoners pull out their winter coats, Lilah was wandering about in a blue gown, a light shawl, and a silk bonnet that enticed a gentleman to lean closer.

Something deep within me stirred.

God, she was beautiful. She could be wearing a maid’s outfit, and she’d still be one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

Not that that mattered, right now. Lilah was still glaring.

“Do you think…” Her gaze flickered over me, and I suddenly felt very conscious of my hands. “Do you—no, it doesn’t matter.”

She turned away from me and paced forward, but I didn’t chase after her.

No, Lilah wasn’t a woman you chased. She was someone you had to wait for. She would come to you, eventually, like a distrustful cat who knew you held the treats.

And by God, I wanted to treat Lilah.

She turned and frowned at me, a few yards away as though that would keep her safe.

Keep her safe? Where had that thought come from?

“What?” I said quietly.

Lilah shrugged, as though the question she was about to ask was of no importance. I wasn’t convinced. This was something she wanted to ask, badly, but at the same time felt self-conscious of. Why was that ?

I got my answer the next moment.

“Do you think you can…can teach that?” she said softly. “That confidence, that ability to just stand up there and speak?”

Seeing Lilah like that—vulnerable, asking me for help. It was the most intoxicating thing I had ever seen.

I knew Lilah. Knew her as most people never would. She was bold, brave, proud of herself and her accomplishments. She knew what she was worth, and she wouldn’t put up with being treated like anything else.

But she was also shy. Always questioning herself. Never quite certain.

Nostalgia rushed through my mind before I could stop it.

Lilah, curled up in my arms on the sofa as I read poetry aloud to her.

Lilah, grinning as she wore one of my large greatcoats as we headed home from a meal at our favorite restaurant, snow starting to fall on London streets.

Lilah, snoring as she lay on her back in our bed…

I blinked. And now the current Lilah stood before me, arms still folded, but for the first time in a long time there was a look of vulnerability on her face.

“Forget it,” she said quietly, moving to turn away from me.

Oh, blast. I hadn’t answered.

“Yes, I think some of it can be taught,” I said hastily, stepping forward. “Let me show you.”

Perhaps I shouldn’t have moved so swiftly—or given into my desires. Because Lilah had asked for a lesson in public speaking, not?—

“What are you doing?” Lilah said, shrugging off my touch.

I had only grazed her shoulder, but the smallest touch had been enough. My whole body sharpened, parts of me stiffened that definitely shouldn’t be stiffening in public, and I knew then.

God, I knew.

I wanted her. I needed her. Being without her was no longer an option.

“I was going to teach you,” I said calmly, as though a million thoughts and desires hadn’t just rushed through my mind. “Come on, you wanted to learn.”

Lilah glared up at me suspiciously as a gentle breeze rustled her hair.

She didn’t trust me. That much was obvious. The question was, would she ever? Would I ever have a chance to?—

“Fine,” Lilah sighed, rolling her eyes. “Though I don’t know why you have to touch me to teach me how to talk.”

It was a fair point. Not that I was going to admit to that.

“Speaking is a cerebral process, but it starts in your frame,” I said with a smile. “You need to learn to relax your frame, otherwise you’re never going to be able to speak with any sort of calm and authority.”

“William Parry?—”

“Trust me,” I said quietly, stepping forward. We were only a foot apart now, and my breath caught in my chest. “Can you do that, Lilah?”

Lilah blinked up at me, her dark eyes framed by dark lashes.

Trust me? She didn’t want to trust me. She never would again. Why, I wasn’t sure. Something had happened, something she had never come to me about. Something I couldn’t defend myself from.

It was stupid of me to even? —

“Fine,” she said again with a sigh. “Go on. What’s wrong with my frame?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say ‘absolutely nothing’, but that wasn’t what Lilah needed right now. Besides, it wouldn’t get me anywhere.

I cleared my throat. Not that this was about getting me somewhere. Damn. This was what she did to me.

Ignoring the increasing passersby—it must be getting close to luncheon—I stepped around Lilah and placed my hands on her shoulders.

“Right, so first you’ve got to relax.”

“I am relaxed,” Lilah said through gritted teeth.

I allowed my chuckle to sound, just lightly, and felt the increased tension in her shoulders. “Relax, Lilah. Come on. Allow yourself to relax, down your shoulders, into your elbows, keeping your wrists loose…”

I'm not sure what came over me. The temptation was too great perhaps, or maybe the moment that I touched Lilah I was lost.

Whatever it was, I couldn’t stop myself.

Slowly, very slowly, I stepped close to her from behind and allowed my fingertips to graze over her shoulders and down her upper arms. I could hear Lilah’s breath hitch in her throat, but she didn’t turn to face me. Instead, I gazed at the corner of her mouth, the curve of her neck.

God, I wanted her.

“Fine, I'm relaxed,” she said quietly.

“Not quite,” I said, taking a step closer to her.

That was a mistake. Now she was cradled into my chest, my fingers now slowly brushing her forearms until they reached her palms. It was a good thing no one was walking past, or we would create quite the scandal .

How my fingers became entangled in hers, I don’t know. I didn’t do it consciously. Perhaps Lilah did it, though why she would?—

“Why are you doing this?” Lilah breathed, turning her head just slightly to me.

I swallowed. “I…I don’t know.”

It was ridiculous. We were out in public and meant to be practicing her speech. That was why she was here, and I was here to help her. Help her with the speech.

Not touching her like this, feeling the tingles of warmth spread through my chest. Her buttocks were flush against my manhood and God, I wanted to turn her around and kiss her.

But then with her head turned like that into me, I could kiss her like this…

“We’ve…we’ve got to stop doing this,” Lilah breathed.

And yet her body said something completely different. Her fingers were playing with mine, her body relaxed and leaning into my chest, and her head tilted up, giving my mouth perfect access to her lips. Access that I couldn’t resist.

“Whenever you want me to stop,” I said quietly, lowering my mouth inch by inch toward hers. “You tell me…”

Lilah didn’t pull away. She leaned into me, lifting up her lips to be taken.

Our kiss was so warm, so sweet, so slow I almost cried out with the ecstasy of it. This was everything I wanted. Lilah in my arms, Lilah leaning into me, Lilah accepting?—

A sudden harsh noise crashed into my ears. I jerked, breaking the kiss. “What the?—”

“Hell,” Lilah muttered, stepping away and toward a woman who had fallen. “Are you hurt—are you injured? ”

Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing was heavy, and she did not meet my eye as she assisted the woman up.

My own breathing wasn’t much better. I stepped to the railing and gripped the cold metal, grounding myself.

That had been too close.