“No, it came out perfectly well.”
“Effie.” He straightened. “I need a wife, and you need a husband. The logical thing to do is to get married.”
He should shut up. While what he’d said was true, it wouldn’t appeal to her, especially told in that fashion.
“You’re worsening the situation.” She slid her arm out of his.
She was right, and he didn’t know how to repair the damage. He was too used to speaking as a businessman.
“You should appreciate the fact I asked you first instead of going to your father.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “For thatkindnessalone, I should marry you, which for you is only a business transaction.”
“No.” He exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m not making much sense, but I find you very attractive. More than should be reasonable.”
He probably shouldn’t have said that, either. Not in that dry way. He’d never felt what he felt for her ever before. The onslaught of emotions within him caused by her mere smile didn’t make sense. That was why his attraction wasunreasonable, but it sounded as if he didn’t think she was beautiful, thus the attraction didn’t make sense. His thoughts were all over the place.
He held up a hand. “I didn’t mean that. You’re incredibly beautiful.”
Her eyebrows lowered over her blazing eyes. “Lord Montcrest, the conversation ends here. Thank you, but no, thank you.” She snatched her bag. “As I said, marriage isn’t a business transaction.”
She turned around and walked away, but he wouldn’t renounce her without a fight.
He followed her. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“But you did.”
The words he wanted to say—that he loved her kindness and compassion; that, yes, he found her beautiful, but her beauty wasn’t the only thing he liked about her; that she meant peace for him; that his troubled soul was quiet only when she was with him—remained trapped in a knot of emotions in his throat.
As angry as she was, she would reject him even after he said those words, and her rejection would hurt too much because it would come after he’d opened himself to her, after he’d made himself vulnerable to her. That wasn’t the type of pain he was interested in.
He watched her leave him, aware he deserved her anger and the pain.
