The Affair (Entangled Scandalous) by Lily Maxton Page B

it. When she sipped, the hot liquid forged a trail of fire through her stomach. The man didn’t take a seat; he remained standing, practically at her elbow.
    “Thank you, Mr.…” She trailed off, waiting for a name.
    “Cameron.”
    Tea nearly sloshed over the rim of her cup as she started. “Cale Cameron? The owner?”
    He nodded.
    “You told me you worked here.”
    “I do work here,” he pointed out with a smile.
    “You know that wasn’t what I—” She stopped herself. “I shouldn’t be here. If you do not mind my being blunt, Mr. Cameron, I’ve heard of your reputation.”
    “My reputation?” he asked, a little too innocently. “What exactly have you heard?”
    She met his amused gaze squarely. “You seduce women for fun.”
    He frowned, but it didn’t look very sincere. “That’s slander. More often, they try to seduce me.”
    “Mr. Cameron!”
    “My apologies,” he said in a demure voice. It didn’t fool her for one moment. “How is the tea?”
    “A little weak,” she informed him coolly.
    “I have brandy,” he said, offering his own challenge in return.
    “Mr. Cameron, it’s hardly proper for me to drink brandy, especially in the presence of a man.”
    “That’s a shame,” he said. “You might enjoy it.”
    “I doubt that.”
    The corner of his mouth twitched. After a moment’s pause, he asked, “Do you like to read?”
    Men didn’t ask her that question very often. And her mother had always advised her not to show interest in intellectual pursuits, anyway. It took her a minute to answer. “Yes, very much. I prefer poetry.”
    “Do you have a membership here?”
    She shook her head, bemused.
    “I’ll give you one at no cost,” he said.
    She stared at him. “As kind as that is, it’s not necessary.”
    “Why not? You’d be able to borrow any book you like.”
    “I already have a membership somewhere else,” she lied, hoping he’d drop the matter.
    His eyes narrowed, making him look rather ruthless. More like a pirate or a highwayman than a bookseller. “With whom?”
    “You’re quite persistent, aren’t you?”
    “If I wasn’t, I would never have been successful.”
    “Yes, I can see that,” she said.
    “So you won’t tell me?”
    “Why? What will you do to the poor man?”
    Instead of appearing offended, he smiled slightly. “I’ll have you know I’m a very respected bookseller.”
    “Being respected isn’t the same as being respectable.”
    “That’s drawing a very thin line,” he said with a trace of humor. “And you seem to be hinting, not so subtly, that you don’t think I’m respectable.”
    “Not at all. I know you’re not respectable.”
    “And yet, we’ve never had the pleasure of being acquainted.”
    “As I said, your reputation precedes you.” And was clearly well earned.
    “So you’re willing to judge me based on rumor?”
    “Yes,” she said, taking another sip of tea. She wanted to smile.
    “For shame. Do you want to know the truth?” he asked. One hand curled around the back of her chair in a gesture that was oddly intimate. He stood far too close to her. On one side she felt the warmth of the fire, on the other, the warmth from his body.
    “The truth of what?”
    “My reputation.”
    “I do hope you’re not trying to shock me, Mr. Cameron.”
    “No, but I will speak honestly with you.”
    She cocked her head to the side. How long had it been since a man had spoken honestly with her? Never? She was intrigued, despite her better judgment. “Tell me the truth, then.”
    “I like women, but I doubt I’ve bedded more of them than the average bachelor who’s exceeded the age of thirty unmarried. My mistake was in having an affair with a duchess.”
    Heat swept her cheeks. This wasn’t supposed to shock her? “Indeed?” she said with a tongue that felt clumsy. She tried to sound coolly polite, but she wasn’t sure she managed.
    “She wasn’t very tight-lipped about our relationship. Word spread that Cale Cameron,