Page 8 of When He Lies
He carried her to the bed. A big, antique brass bed on the second floor of the house. Based on Ryan’s calculations, Simone’s guest room was directly beneath the gallery. So was his, considering that he’d be taking the room right next door.
“I take it that this room is acceptable?” Frederick inquired from the doorway.
“Perfect.” Simone’s soft reply as her arm slid away from Ryan. “Thank you.”
“You’re next door,” Frederick informed Ryan. “Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have other guests waiting.”
He had a non-stop party, check. Not like Frederick would want to miss that fun.
“I will look forward to our upcoming talk, Ryan,” Frederick added. “I think our partnership will be very beneficial for us both.” A moment later, the door clicked closed.
Simone released a slow breath. Ryan realized that he was still looming over the bed. Still looming over her. He should step back. Probably offer an apology for the kiss in the gallery. Probably attempt some serious damage control with her.
But when he started to step back, her hand flew out and curled around his arm. Staring straight into his eyes, and with a small smile playing at her red lips, Simone said, “Ryan Quinn, you are a liar.”
Yep, guilty as charged. Straight to his soul. “I can explain,” he began. Because he could. He could spin a bullshit story in an instant.
Except he didn’t get a chance to explain because sweet Simone pulled him toward her, and her mouth pressed to his.
So, yeah, screw explanations.
Lust surged through his veins.
Chapter Three
He’d carried her poor, injured self out of the gallery, through the ballroom, down the stairs and then along a very twisting corridor until they’d reached their rooms. The man hadn’t even strained with the effort while she’d just hung out all comfortable in his arms and made occasional soft and despondent sighs. She’d worried the sighs might have been too much, but, nope, they seemed to have done the trick.
She was the poor, stressed, incredibly vulnerable personal assistant who’d almost lost her job. She couldn’t handle going out into a terrible storm. Men had pointed guns at her.
Seriously, the part with the guns had been stressful and not on her bingo card. If given the option, Simone would have preferred to avoid a gun scene. Violence was not her drug of choice. But that was over, and time to move on to bigger and better things.
Ryan Quinn was a stellar kisser. New point to know about him. As her hands fisted around the lapels of his tux coat and her lips parted beneath his wonderfully plundering mouth, Simone took a moment to savor the feel of his wicked tongue and to enjoy the sensual promise of his kiss.
She was a firm believer in pausing to appreciate the small things in life. Though, honestly, the way he was making her feel did not exactly qualify as a small thing. Desire whipped through her blood and had her heartbeat racing in her chest even as parts of her seemed to melt for him.
So unexpected.
Almost as unexpected as him being a stone, cold…liar. Which brought her back to the present moment and her predicament. Sadly. She stopped tugging those lapels of his, and she eased back. Maybe her tongue licked over his slightly cruel but oddly sexy lips one more time because she just couldn’t help herself, but then Simone had to accuse, “Liar” yet again because she truly did call them as she saw them.
Besides, it was fun to find a man who shared one of her vices.
She adored a good lie, too.
His eyes opened. His breath had gone ragged, and there was no missing the lust staring back at her. Whatever else he might be fibbing about, the desire he felt for her was real. Excellent. She hadn’t wanted him to just be kissing her purely as a distraction in the gallery. And she knew that was what he’d done.
But he blinked those deep, dark eyes of his at her, and a little furrow appeared between his brows. “What have I lied about?”
Her own lips thinned. Was he going to stop being fun? Now? And go back to being boring? That would be a disappointment. “You set off the alarm in the gallery.” She shifted around on the bed, bringing her legs to the side and sitting ramrod straight. Simone would have gotten off the bed, but Ryan’s rather large form was in her way.
He bent more toward her. His hands pressed to the bedding on either side of her body. “I don’t know what you mean.”
She rolled her eyes. Did it look as if she had the patience for this? “I didn’t set off the alarm.” Her stare went right back to him. To that handsome, charming, lying face. “That means you did.”
No confirmation. No denial.
“You told the guards the alarm went off while we were kissing.” She could still taste him. She very much liked his taste. Simone swallowed. “Not true. You only kissed me after the alarm sounded. That means you lied to the guards.”
“And yet you did not call me on the lie. Not to the guards. Not to your boss.” He was so close to her.
