“Why?” she asked simply.
“I wanted all of you,” he replied just as simply. “I wanted more than you would have given Moretti or any other man.”
She shifted, just enough to put a whisper of cool air between them. “And did you give me more than you gave Lisa or any other woman?”
He didn’t even attempt to lie. “Yes.” He cupped her cheek—heaven help him, but she had skin like velvet—and leaned in for a slow, thorough kiss. “I didn’t plan to. But it only seemed fair, all things considered.”
He caught it then, that flash of vulnerability, secrets dimming her eyes to a sunset aquamarine. “I’ve never found sex fair or safe. I’m not sure it can be.”
Ah, finally. He’d gotten to the root of the matter. “I don’t disagree, though I’d love to be proved wrong.” He paused a beat. “Who was he, Angie?”
Her eyes swept closed in momentary resistance before she looked at him again. One more small surrender. “His name was…is…Ryan. We lived together for a while. We planned to marry.”
“And who was she?” Because he didn’t doubt for one tiny minute that another woman came between them.
“My best friend, Britt,” she confessed. He could hear the effort it took to keep her voice level and dispassionate. “I found them in bed together.”
Ah. Which must have struck at the very core of her womanhood. Made her question everything about herself, particularly her own sexuality. Not that she should have any concerns on that front. He released his breath in a long sigh, the similarities between her situation and his resonating more keenly than he’d have liked. “We are a pair, aren’t we? Both betrayed. Neither willing to trust. Maybe we can work together to get past all that, assuming we can continue to trust each other.”
For some reason his comment caused her to stiffen, a hint of alarm to flicker across her expression. “Lucius—”
“Don’t take it personally, Angie. In fact, you’re one of the few people I do trust. At least, as much as I trust anyone. You. Geoff. My dad.” His mouth twisted when he realized she was the only one left of those he’d named. “Did you ever meet Geoff?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“He was a lot like my dad. Just…” He moved his shoulders in a shrug. “Decent, you know? Down to his bones decent, like Dad. I guess that quality allowed people to take advantage of them both. Unlike me, they weren’t suspicious enough. They regarded everyone as a potential friend instead of trying to figure out the angles, figure out what the other person wanted.”
“But you always try and figure out the angles. You look for the underlying motivation.”
“Every damn time,” he confirmed. “My father lost his business because he trusted his business partner. Was blind to Lynley’s agenda.”
Her gaze traced his face, no doubt looking for a soft place to land. She wouldn’t find it. “I heard Lynley took the company from your father.”
“The betrayal gutted my father. He wasn’t the same man afterward.” Lucius swallowed past the acid eroding his throat. “He wasn’t bitter like me, nor vengeful. He was…confused and bewildered. And later, hurt beyond measure. After that, he just gave up, let the betrayal kill him.”
“They say…” She pulled away from him another inch or two, more than just a whisper this time. “They say you went after Lynley. Took him and his company down. That’s how you acquired the nickname Devil Devlin.”
He didn’t pull his punches. “Guilty as charged. And I’d do it again without hesitation.”
“And Lisa?” She withdrew a little farther, widening the breach between them until he could see the beginnings of a chasm. “Did she betray you?”
Had she? He considered, surprised to discover that she hadn’t. He’d always known what she wanted. Hell, it hadn’t been a secret. “Lisa wanted marriage,” he replied slowly. “She didn’t particularly care who she married, so long as he possessed a healthy bank account. I was her first choice, but only because I had more money than Geoff. Once she realized I wouldn’t marry her, she moved on.”
“To Geoff.” A frown darkened Angie’s expression. “I imagine you felt quite protective toward him. After all, he was your best friend and a lot like your father. Do you think on some level you were determined to save him, especially since you couldn’t save your father?”