“Idocare for ye.”
“I thought I was more to ye than a tryst on a goose-down pallet.”
“Yeare.Yeare,Adam.And that’s just the problem.Can’t ye see?”The damning words were out of her before she could stop them.“I love ye.Iloveye.”
Adam couldn’t have been more stunned if he’d been knocked in the head by a club.
Apparently, she’d caught herself by surprise as well.She clapped her hands over her mouth as if her words had accidentally escaped.
Now what?
Adam had met her here with one purpose in mind.To secure the return of his medallion.
If, in the course of retrieving it, he happened to confront her with the cruelty of her abandoning him, that closure would be honey on his oatcake.
But then he’d made the mistake of admitting she’d wounded him.He’d bared his damaged soul to her.Given her every opportunity to gloat over the wreckage she’d left of his heart.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she’d reply with a confession of love.
He frowned, deciding, “That makes no sense.”
“That I love ye?Perhaps not.But Ido.”
“Nay.It makes no sense that if ye love me, ye would leave me.”
“I… I…” Her face crumpled into an expression that appeared to be either longing or dismay.
He could only stand there and wait for her to decide which it was.
She lowered her gaze then to stare at her twisting fingers.“I’m not who ye think I am.”
He couldn’t help but snort at that.“I’m not certain either of us know who we are anymore.”
“I’m serious,” she said.“I lied to ye.I’m not Lady Aillenn.I’m not e’en from Ireland.”
He considered that and then nodded.She’d been convincing.But he’d always had his doubts.
“Ye’re not surprised?”she asked.
He shrugged.“Should I be?I’m not the Pope’s emissary from Rome either.”
“But ye’re not disappointed?”
“That ye’re not an Irish noblewoman?”He shook his head.“Nay.”
“But I deceived ye,” she said.
“We both did a bit o’ deceivin’.”Hell, he wasstilldeceiving her.“But ’tisn’t the Irish noblewoman I fell in love with.”
His words made her blink.“Ye’re…in love withme?”
He was a halfwit to admit it.To hand her his broken heart, giving her the opportunity to break it again.
Still, as she stood before him with hope in her wide eyes, he knew he was helpless to resist her.
“Fool that I am,” he murmured, “aye, I’m in love with ye.”
Her brow creased.“But ye can’t be.If ye knew…”
