She turned, a slow smile curving her lips. The suspicion in his gaze only made her laugh softly. “You came.”
“What are you up to now?”
She stepped deeper into the library. “Close the door.”
His brows furrowed. “Why?”
“Because I am tempting you.”
“You do that every damn day,” he muttered under his breath but still closed the door. “And should you really be doing that? Purposely tempting me?”
“Yes, I think I should.” And so much more. “Why, don’t you think so?”
He leaned back against the door, staring at her. “I can list out reasons upon reasons why it’s wrong.”
She laughed. “Please don’t. I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy them.”
“They’re not meant to be enjoyed. They are meant to inform.”
“I don’t want to be informed.” She wandered over to a shelf and trailed a finger over the spine of a book, keeping her eyes locked on him. “I want to tempt. Will you allow yourself to be tempted?”
His eyes burned into hers. “I don’t think you know who you are tempting.”
A thrill shot through Leonora. Didn’t she? She begged to differ. “Rake Sloane, infamous rake, also the Earl of Dare.”
He pushed off from the door, a slight chuckle escaping him. “Hearing it like that is quite disconcerting. It’s as if my parents wanted me to be immoral.”
“It is a rather ironic coincidence, don’t you think?” She cocked her head to the side, biting her lips before saying,“My point is, Dare, I know exactly who you are. I know your reputation.”
He stopped before her, those blue pools almost brooding as they studied her. “Yes. I do have a dark reputation, but you do not.”
“I don’t care about that,” Leonora said boldly. He couldn’t scare her no matter what he said. “I’m here to create a secret moment of my own.”
One brow arched, the air between them thickening. “Is that why you want this? Because of your family secret?”
“If I’m going to be ruined, I shall not be ruined by a family secret.”
He reached out to grasp her chin. “Then by what will you be ruined?”
“You.”
The word hung between them like a challenge. A promise.
“A dangerous statement, Lady Leonora.”
“It shall be a secret.” She stepped into him, her chin lifting to hold his gaze. “Our secret.”
“And what will your future husband think about this secret of ours?”
“Probably the same thing he would think if he discovered the other secret.” Her fingers caught his. “I have thought about nothing but this for three long days. I don’t want to live with regret. I might not know what the future holds, but I do know that tonight shall hold. Us. Fused together.”
“Christ, Leonora...” His voice cracked on her name. She heard what he didn’t say.I can’t be reformed.
But she didn’t want his reformation.
She just wanted him.
She laughed and turned to saunter over to the shelf on her left, shooting a sidelong glance at him. “What if I told you inorder to help me keep my secret, youmustruin me. Would you help me then?”
