One Summer At The Castle: Stay Through the Night / A Stormy Spanish Summer / Behind Palace Doors

‘Why, for God’s sake?’

‘Well, like I told you, Sophie’s always been such a fan of yours. I suppose she needed something to focus on, and you were it.’

‘So it was your mother who sent you to Kilfoil?’

‘Mmm.’ Rosa nodded. ‘But Sophie had said she was going to Scotland. That part was true.’

Liam shook his head in disbelief. ‘Dare I ask why?’

‘To put us off the scent?’ Rosa shrugged. ‘Looking back, I must have been a fool to believe anything my mother said. But she is half Italian, and she was practically hysterical when she phoned me.’ She pulled a rueful face. ‘Now—a beer.’ She started towards the kitchen. ‘Is that all?’

Not nearly, thought Liam, but he assured her that it was, watching as she went into the adjoining room. She walked quickly, and he realised she was nervous. He wondered why. Was she expecting someone else. A man, maybe?

That thought irritated him beyond reason. God, he couldn’t believe how much he’d wanted to see her again. It added to the sense of impatience he was feeling at his own weakness. Dammit, he hadn’t come here for her sympathy. He’d wanted to test her, but not in this way.

Gritting his teeth, he hauled himself to his feet again and made his way across the floor to the open doorway. Then, propping his shoulder against the jamb, he said, ‘Do you live alone?’

Rosa jumped. Having acknowledged how tired he was, she’d expected him to stay on the couch. She’d already extracted a bottle of beer from the fridge, and had been about to decant it into a glass, but his appearance had startled her.

‘Um—yes,’ she said, concentrating on unscrewing the cap. However, when she would have poured it into the tumbler she’d taken from the cupboard, Liam stopped her.

‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll drink it from the bottle.’

Rosa looked doubtful. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure,’ he said, holding out his hand, and with a shrug she passed the bottle to him.

He didn’t move from the doorway, however, and she found herself watching as he carried the bottle to his lips and took a hearty swallow.

The muscles in his throat moved as he drank, the mark she’d seen when she was at the castle the only pale scar on flesh that was both brown and supple. And, just watching him, she felt again the flicker of desire—of awareness—that had been so unfamiliar to her until she’d met him.

Liam lowered the bottle suddenly, and turned to look at her. And, just like that, her limbs turned to jelly. It took an actual physical effort to look away from those jade-green eyes and say, albeit a little breathlessly, ‘Why don’t you go and sit down again? You can’t enjoy anything standing up.’

‘Don’t you believe it,’ said Liam provocatively, setting the bottle down on the unit beside him and holding out his hand. ‘Come here.’

Rosa swallowed. ‘Do you need some help getting—’

‘No!’ he exploded angrily. ‘I don’t need your help. Not in that way, anyway.’ He gave her an exasperated look. ‘Just come here, will you?’

Rosa hesitated, but eventually she left the support of the fridge behind and approached him. ‘Now what?’

‘Like you don’t know,’ he retorted softly, catching her wrist and bringing its sensitive network of veins to his mouth. ‘Kiss me.’

Rosa’s breathing faltered. ‘Liam—’

‘Just do it, dammit,’ he demanded harshly, and without another word she stepped closer and reached up to brush his lips with hers.

Liam gave a frustrated snort. ‘Is that the best you can do?’ He used his free hand to trace the shape of her jawline, allowing his fingers to move into the fiery glory of her hair. ‘Kiss me, Rosa. Like you mean it. I didn’t drive all this way just so you could give me a beer.’

‘So why did you?’ Rosa looked up into his strong face, resisting the urge to brush her own fingers across his lips. ‘Drive all this way, I mean?’

Liam’s eyes narrowed. ‘Guess.’

Rosa took a breath. ‘Because you wanted to see me?’

Liam’s expression was sardonic. ‘Gee, you have a real way with words.’

‘So you tell me what to say,’ she exclaimed, at once defensive and excited. ‘Why did you want to see me? As I recall it, you couldn’t wait to get rid of me before.’

‘Yeah.’ Liam made a mocking sound. ‘That’s what I let you think, didn’t I?’

‘Wasn’t it true?’

‘Hell, yes, it was true.’ He tugged gently at a handful of hair. ‘It’s still true.’ He grimaced. ‘But I find I’m not quite as heroic as I thought I was.’

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