screaming in fury at his insults as every indication would suggest she was capable of, once again she floored him. She simply picked up a fire blanket and put out his flame, leaving him deflated in the face of her elegant composure.
He was such a miserable bastard. He didn’t mean to hurt her; he’d just felt duped. It wasn’t her fault she had the body of a porn star, the face of an innocent, and the brain of a virtuoso.
Shit. He guessed it was time to apologize.
He closed his eyes, gave his face a rough rub with his hands, and peered at her from between his fingers. With a weary sigh, he opened his mouth to say something, but she paralyzed all thought with the proud lift of her chin and her next words.
“I don’t think we should see each other anymore, Flynn. You’re not good for my self-confidence and…” She stopped, swallowed hard as he took his hands away from his face to stare up at her, confounded.
As she blinked rapidly, he realized he’d brought her to the verge of tears, and the rapid knock inside his chest let him know exactly what his heart thought.
“Liberty…”
“No.” Determined, she shook her head and the tiny bells tinkled like a shop door opening. Only this door was closing, far quicker than he’d expected and certainly not from the direction he’d imagined.
“It’s not good for me to become demoralized.” She bowed her head, and all he could see was the top of the white Stetson with the thick ring of silver bells that still chimed merrily.
“I didn’t mean to insult you. I never expected…you.”
“Well, you have insulted me.” Her soft voice pierced his soul. “I thought you of all people would have seen past the breasts to the person beyond. I thought you had, and yet in all the time you kept quiet, you were judging me, just like all the rest. I never tried to fool you, but you never looked any further than skin deep.”
She turned her head and stared into the distance, and he found the denial lodging firmly in his throat. He couldn’t lie to her, but he thought if he told her the truth, that it wasn’t her breasts but her whole persona that had fooled him, a persona she had contrived in order to protect herself, then he would hurt her even more. How was he so much in the wrong? She was the one wearing the mask.
•●•
She closed her eyes, a brief respite from his inquiring stare and the brilliant sunshine as it lowered toward the horizon. Her chest felt as though a leaden weight pressed down on it, making her breath come in short, shallow gasps. She’d fallen for a beautiful face and a damaged soul and made more of a fool of herself than she had in years. Who would have thought she could be so blind? He was heaving her emotions all over the place, like an erratic ride on a roller coaster.
She opened her eyes to gaze at him and realized the best way through this was probably good manners and honesty. She flicked her hand in the direction of the cooler and watched his scarred eyebrow raise, making her blood heat with one small movement. Dammit, it looked like she was going to make an even worse fool of herself if a twitch of his eyebrow could turn her on.
“Would you care to join me for dinner, before you leave?”
She could have sworn he snorted, but perhaps it was one of the horses blowing out a breath, because when she glanced at him, his face was impassive. He took a moment longer than expected before he nodded and indicated with a movement of his hand for her to sit on the blanket next to him.
With a cautious move, Liberty slipped to her knees on the rug and pulled the cooler toward her. Dipping her hand in, she pulled out a small roast chicken, a bowl of coleslaw, some brie, a loaf of bread, and a green salad, together with two china plates and silverware. This time his snort was unmistakable, and she pinned him with a narrow-eyed stare.
“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” He picked up a fork and pointed it at her as she took the coverings off the
He was such a miserable bastard. He didn’t mean to hurt her; he’d just felt duped. It wasn’t her fault she had the body of a porn star, the face of an innocent, and the brain of a virtuoso.
Shit. He guessed it was time to apologize.
He closed his eyes, gave his face a rough rub with his hands, and peered at her from between his fingers. With a weary sigh, he opened his mouth to say something, but she paralyzed all thought with the proud lift of her chin and her next words.
“I don’t think we should see each other anymore, Flynn. You’re not good for my self-confidence and…” She stopped, swallowed hard as he took his hands away from his face to stare up at her, confounded.
As she blinked rapidly, he realized he’d brought her to the verge of tears, and the rapid knock inside his chest let him know exactly what his heart thought.
“Liberty…”
“No.” Determined, she shook her head and the tiny bells tinkled like a shop door opening. Only this door was closing, far quicker than he’d expected and certainly not from the direction he’d imagined.
“It’s not good for me to become demoralized.” She bowed her head, and all he could see was the top of the white Stetson with the thick ring of silver bells that still chimed merrily.
“I didn’t mean to insult you. I never expected…you.”
“Well, you have insulted me.” Her soft voice pierced his soul. “I thought you of all people would have seen past the breasts to the person beyond. I thought you had, and yet in all the time you kept quiet, you were judging me, just like all the rest. I never tried to fool you, but you never looked any further than skin deep.”
She turned her head and stared into the distance, and he found the denial lodging firmly in his throat. He couldn’t lie to her, but he thought if he told her the truth, that it wasn’t her breasts but her whole persona that had fooled him, a persona she had contrived in order to protect herself, then he would hurt her even more. How was he so much in the wrong? She was the one wearing the mask.
•●•
She closed her eyes, a brief respite from his inquiring stare and the brilliant sunshine as it lowered toward the horizon. Her chest felt as though a leaden weight pressed down on it, making her breath come in short, shallow gasps. She’d fallen for a beautiful face and a damaged soul and made more of a fool of herself than she had in years. Who would have thought she could be so blind? He was heaving her emotions all over the place, like an erratic ride on a roller coaster.
She opened her eyes to gaze at him and realized the best way through this was probably good manners and honesty. She flicked her hand in the direction of the cooler and watched his scarred eyebrow raise, making her blood heat with one small movement. Dammit, it looked like she was going to make an even worse fool of herself if a twitch of his eyebrow could turn her on.
“Would you care to join me for dinner, before you leave?”
She could have sworn he snorted, but perhaps it was one of the horses blowing out a breath, because when she glanced at him, his face was impassive. He took a moment longer than expected before he nodded and indicated with a movement of his hand for her to sit on the blanket next to him.
With a cautious move, Liberty slipped to her knees on the rug and pulled the cooler toward her. Dipping her hand in, she pulled out a small roast chicken, a bowl of coleslaw, some brie, a loaf of bread, and a green salad, together with two china plates and silverware. This time his snort was unmistakable, and she pinned him with a narrow-eyed stare.
“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” He picked up a fork and pointed it at her as she took the coverings off the
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