Page 31 of Kneel Before Me

Her response irritated Maximus. He needed a drink for this conversation. Luckily, he kept a stash of wine in pretty much every room in the castle, including his daughter’s nursery. Sometimes the only good part of his day was sitting in chair next to his daughter’s crib and having a glass while she slept. He crossed to the cabinet, pulling out a bottle.

“What are you doing?” Daphne asked.

“Drinking.”

“But…” Her eyes slid to Lilly. “Why?”

“Because it has already been a very long evening, and I need it. Don’t you?”

He brandished the bottle at her. After a moment she shrugged. “I suppose so.”

“Good.” Maximus opened the bottle before pouring a hefty glass. He held it out to Daphne. “I assume you don’t mind sharing?”

She didn’t answer. He took that as a no.

“After you,” he said. “Please.”

Daphne raised her hand, taking the glass slowly. He watched as she took a long sip, her head tilting back to expose her throat. He wanted to wrap his hand around it.

“Do you like it?” he asked once she’d swallowed.

“It tastes…expensive.”

“That’s because it is.”

When she handed the glass back, her fingers brushed against his. Her skin was warm—far warmer than it should have been. He lingered for only a moment before taking a sip of his own. Then he handed it back to her.

“Now,” Maximus said once the wine was half gone. “Why don’t you think you could fall in love with me?”

Daphne frowned. “What? Why would you ask me that?”

“Because you won’t have sex with me.”

She stared at him blankly. “That has nothing to do with whether or not I could fall in love with you.”

“You said that you don’t want to have sex again until you’re in love. And you also said you wouldn’t have sex with me. Those statements in conjunction imply that you don’t think you could fall in love with me.”

“It’s not that I—”

“I can’t say I blame you, considering”—his eyes flicked to his daughter—“my situation.”

Daphne’s eyes followed his. “That has nothing to do—”

“Therefore,” he said, turning to face her fully, “I can only assume that your stance extends to my own ability.”

“I beg your pardon? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that love, often enough, is a two-way street. If you don’t think you can fall in love with me, then surely you think that I can’t fall in love with you.”

“I never said that.”

“No. But you might as well have.”

“Maximus. You—”

“I take offense, you know.”

“You take offense?”