Page 24 of The Lady’s Great Escape

Her cheeks instantly colored with a blush as his fingers clenched into a fist on his thigh. The smile faded slightly and the sparkle in her eyes dimmed.

“Not exactly.”

Ah. Her interest was unrequited. What a fool this man was to not see how fortunate he was to have her attentions.

“What does that mean?” he pressed. If she confided the man’s name, Kit would do what he could to make sure the man deserved her. Kit would see her happy, even if it wouldn’t be with him.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s not the source of my happiness. Well, he was a piece of it, I suppose, but I’ve made some decisions. I’ve taken the first step in my new life, and I plan to take the next this evening at the Haverstrom’s ball. Even if it ends in disaster, I need to take the next step.”

The room seemed to tilt. Kit reached out to grasp the edge of the table, just to be sure he didn’t fall from his chair. He looked at Celia, studying her chin, her eyes, and of course her lips. He’d seen them nearly every day for years, but he was looking now for something else.

Her words… about taking another step despite the chance of disaster. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Selene had used that same phrase a few nights ago after he’d made love to her. After she’d shattered his world.

Celia’s lips pulled up in a soft smile, and he saw the proof he’d been searching for. Celia was Selene. He was certain of it.

He cleared his throat unsure if he should address it. What if he was wrong, or worse searching for a similarity that didn’t exist because he was still drawn to Celia?

He took a steadying sip of his coffee and set it down before speaking. “I hope your next step is found with success. After all, life doesn’t wait for one to be ready.” He tilted his head to the side, waiting for some sign of recognition.

As risks went, this was not a large one. If she didn’t respond, his words were still relevant to the topic at hand. But his suspicions were confirmed when she reacted with a soft gasp and wide brown eyes.

His lips curved up into a smile once more. Life certainly didn’t wait for one to be ready. It came charging in when one least expected.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again… Selene.”