The Taming of a Wild Child(60)
Someone cleared her throat. “Might I suggest you finish your conversation somewhere private?” Vivi asked. “Connor’s office is available.”
Lorelei flushed and looked embarrassed, but she nodded at her sister. Twining her fingers through his, she tugged gently. “This way.”
In the quiet semi-darkness of Connor’s office, he finally found his voice again. “You made a bit of a scene there.”
“I know.”
“What are all those people going to think?”
She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and walked backward, towing him toward Connor’s desk. She boosted herself up and pulled him close. “I honestly do not care.”
His hands went to her waist as he stepped between her legs. The hem of her dress slid dangerously up her thighs. “Really?”
She tipped her face up for another kiss. “Really.”
“Surely you care just a little bit?” he teased.
She shook her head. “I set out to prove people wrong, and I’ve accomplished that. I wanted to change their minds, and though you say that’s not possible—and you might be right—I finally realized I honestly don’t care. What can they do to me that’s worse than what I’ve already done to myself?”
“And what did you do to yourself?”
“I drove you away.” She shrugged. “I know that’s technically considered something done to you, but I’ve been pretty miserable about it. I don’t even want to be a junior member of the Women’s Auxiliary Guild, so it hardly seemed right that I’d have to sacrifice you to gain it.” Her hands rested on his shoulders, her fingers idly caressing the back of his neck as she spoke. Then her fingers stilled. “I am really sorry.”
“Me, too. I changed the rules in the middle of the game and expected you to play. And then I got mad when you didn’t. You were right about me. I am a pompous, blow-hard jerk.”
That earned him a grin. “And I’m just the bratty princess to handle you.”
An eyebrow went up in challenge.
“If you’re willing to give this another shot, that is. A proper one this time.”
He inhaled, letting her scent curl through him. Meeting her eyes evenly, he said the one thing he’d been trying to deny this whole time. “I love you, Lorelei.” Saying it out loud made it real—and a little scary. But he wasn’t worried that he might have the emotion wrong: his whole body felt better and his mind felt clearer once he said it.
“And I love you.”
All the things he’d set out to accomplish and prove in his life paled in comparison to knowing that Lorelei loved him. “I just wish you’d told me before you told the rest of New Orleans.”
She pretended to think. “There are a few people who still don’t know. I’ll work on that tomorrow.”
“There’s a reporter for the paper out there.”
“I know. Evelyn Jones. The same woman who speculated about my bad behavior with you before. She must be feeling quite vindicated at the moment.” Lorelei bit her lip and let her hands slide down his chest toward his belt buckle. “Maybe we should really give her something to talk about …”