Chapter 15

Levi had nearly forgotten how to speak when Siena had appeared at the top of the stairs.

She was a vision in gold, illuminating the darkness of the house – darkness brought upon by the lack of lit wall sconces or fire in the hearths, darkness that he had brought with him when he had made this his home.

But now that she was here, everything had changed.

His voice had nearly failed him when he had finally greeted her, so affected he was by her, but she didn't seem to care so then, neither did he. He wore gloves but, strangely, for the first time since the accident, he had an intense desire to remove them, if only to feel the touch of her skin beneath his.

"You are very handsome tonight," she said as she slipped her small hand into his, and he curled his fingers around hers, knowing she was only being polite but accepting the compliment all the same.

"And you," he said, pausing as he ran his eyes up and down her figure, "are stunning."

The blush of her cheeks deepened.

"Where did you find this gown?"

"When I moved here, I had my servants look through all of the items that had been stored away. I gave away many of them, but something made me hold onto this," he said. "I'm glad I did."

He led her across the foyer and into the dining room, where he had asked the staff to prepare a table worthy of her.

Her gasp when she entered was well worth their efforts.

"What is all of this?" she asked as he held out her chair next to his at the head of the table, pushing her in.

"You said you loved the roses," he said, as they both admired the petals splayed out upon the table, the flowers cut and placed into vases.

"Yes, but you didn't have to cut them for me," she said, meeting his gaze. "I would have been just as happy to return to the garden to see them."

"Which we can do as well," he said, surprising himself by reaching out and plucking a flower off of the table before placing it in her hair, slipping one of the pins around it as it contrasted perfectly with her fair strands. "Beautiful," he said, admiring her.

"Why are you doing all of this?" she asked, spreading her hands out in front of her. "It is absolutely lovely, and I do appreciate it, but I am happy to simply have dinner with you."

He reached out, taking her hand in his again. He liked it there. It fit.

"You deserve so much, Siena. Ballrooms where you are announced at the top of the stairs and all eyes in the room turn upon you. Lavish estates. A beautiful London townhouse. To be the talk of the ton because of how stunning you are. I cannot give you all of that. But I can give you this. So let me."

She dipped her head before shifting her chair ever closer to his.

"Here is the thing – I do not want all that. I am the talk of the ton now and I have no desire for it. I could have had the estates and the townhouse and the riches. But all I ever wanted was to find love."

The word hung in the air between them, although both of them appeared too hesitant to remark upon it any further.

Just when Levi felt the need to say more, the doors to the dining room opened and in came Thornbury himself, obviously quite pleased with the entire setting.

"Your Grace. My lady. I am ever so pleased to present your first course."

Levi had to hide his smile at the man's theatrics. It appeared that the last year of no guests – at least, none who were invited – had starved the man of the opportunity to host.

"Thank you, Thornbury," Siena said, providing him with the smile that Levi had come to thrive upon. "Please tell all who decorated this room that it is ever so lovely."

"Of course. They will be most pleased at your praise," he said before leaving.

"This is delicious," Siena said upon trying the soup, surprised, and Levi smiled to himself. The Cook had outdone herself. He knew she had grown tired of cooking for him alone, but it seemed Siena's arrival had revived her spirits – as it had for most of the staff.

He cleared his throat.

"Siena." He was more serious now, uncertain of how to broach the subject. He was becoming used to her being here and had no wish for her to leave, but he knew that he couldn't keep her here forever as though she was his prisoner in this tower that he never left. "The roads will be dry in but a day or two and as much as I would absolutely love to have you stay here with me, it is not exactly… proper."

She paused for just a moment before she laughed a high, tinkling laugh. "Levi. After yesterday, what difference does propriety make? No one knows that I am here. And even if they did, you and I are not exactly above scandal, now, are we?"

He had to chuckle ruefully. "I suppose we are not."

She sobered slightly. "If you want me to leave, I understand. But if you want me to stay… then I am happy to stay for as long as we both wish it."

Warmth began to bloom in his heart, that she was not running away, but also hadn't put any pressure of permanence upon him.

For it was not that he didn't want her forever – he just had a feeling that eventually the novelty would wear off and she would want to return to her old life. He was willing to endure the heartbreak that would bring with it.

As long as he could have her for now.

Siena could hardly believethat this man sitting in front of her was the same one she had encountered just a week ago. He was not exactly enigmatic, but a glimmer of a man who cared had come shining through.

"I must ask you something," she said, her fingers playing over the stem of her glass. They had enjoyed five courses, and she couldn't eat another bite, but nor did she want this evening with him to end.

"Ask me anything you'd like," he said, splaying his hands out in front of her, and she appreciated that he would provide her such an opportunity.

"Anything?" she said, wondering if he truly meant it.

"Yes."

"Very well," she said, but now that she had her chance, shyness took over. "Have you… ever done anything like this for a woman before?"

"What do you mean?"

"This dinner. The effort you have put in tonight to make me feel special. Is this how you used to court women?"

He stared her directly in the eye as he slowly shook his head. "Never."

"Never?"

"No. I will not lie and say that there were never other women, but none of them were special. Not like you."

Siena had to bite her lip to hide the smile that threatened to bloom far too big at his response and she dipped her head so that she wouldn't look like a lovesick fool.

But then he reached out, his forefinger catching her beneath her chin as he raised her face to look at him again.

"My turn to ask you a question."

She turned serious once more.

"Of course."

"Why were you not scared of me when you first arrived? Why did you not hide from me or run away in fear?"

"A person's visage does not scare me. I have seen far too many people who were beautiful, flawless, even, on the outside, but most atrocious underneath."

"You are different from anyone I've ever met," he said, pausing for a moment to simply look at her, and she warmed under his scrutiny. "I was as horrible to you as I am to anyone else. You should have wanted to run from here. From me. Why didn't you?"

"Well, for one, the roads were impassable," she said, jesting, although she only received a half smile in response. "But truly, Levi, when you saved me, I saw a protective, heroic side in you. You could have easily continued riding and pretended that you never saw me. But you didn't, despite the fact that you wanted nothing more than to be left alone where no one could find you. That showed me that perhaps there was more to you than you showed others, and if I only dug a little deeper, I would like what I found."

"And did you?" he asked, his voice nearly a whisper.

"I most certainly did," she said, barely able to finish her breathless response before he leaned in and his mouth crashed upon hers, his thirst for her and depth of his emotion present in his kiss.

Siena would have loved to progress this kiss, to sit on his lap with his strong arms wrapped around her back, but their current positions allowed nothing more than their lip lock. When he finally pulled back, they were both breathless, staring at one another, wondering just where this night was going to take them.

It seemed, however, that he had an idea.

"Do you like to dance?"

"I do," she said, surprised when he stood and held out a hand toward her. She took his offer and followed him through the doors to the drawing room, although she couldn't help but look around in confusion. "We do not have anyone to play music for us."

"On that, you are wrong," he said before raising his voice ever so slightly. "Mrs. Porter?"

Siena had to place a hand over her mouth which gaped open in astonishment as the housekeeper entered the room with a wide smile on her face and bustled over to the pianoforte, sitting down before it.

"When I discovered that our esteemed housekeeper plays for the staff many evenings, I could not help but ask her to play for us," he said, before nodding to Mrs. Porter, who began the first few notes of a pleasant song that Siena found somewhat familiar, although she couldn't quite place it.

"Shall we?" he said to Siena, holding his arms out, and she stepped into them as though they had been molded as one figurine, broken apart only to come together once more.

Mrs. Porter was more than adept on the keys, but that was not what most shocked Siena.

It was when Levi opened his mouth and began to sing.

"Where the bee sucks, there suck I;

In a cowslip"s bell I lie:

There I couch when owls do cry.

On the bat"s back I do fly

After summer merrily.

Merrily, merrily, shall I live now,

Under the blossom that hangs on the bough."'

If he hadn't been leading her, Siena was fairly certain that she would have stopped dancing entirely, transfixed by him.

"Levi," she said as he came to a close. "Your voice… is magnificent."

It was his turn to blush as he murmured, "Thank you."

"Shakespeare," she said, recognizing the song. "The Tempest. That's very romantic."

"You bring out the romantic in me, I suppose," he said as his gaze remained intent on her while he gripped her in his embrace, leading her around the room.

Siena felt like she was floating on air as they danced, her hand in Levi"s strong grasp, her gaze locked with his. The melody woven by Mrs. Porter filled the room, swirling around them like an enchantment.

They moved gracefully across the floor, Levi's steps as sure and as fluid as when he rode Lucky. His presence was commanding yet gentle, his eye sparkling with a warmth that melted her defenses.

The way Levi sang those lines from Shakespeare"s play made Siena"s heart ache with longing. His voice carried a depth of emotion that resonated with her soul as if he were baring his heart to her through the lyrics. She was falling deeper under his spell, drawn to him in a way she couldn"t quite comprehend.

She knew she was being selfish, that at some point she would have to leave this sanctuary and find a new direction.

But she would give anything to be lost in this moment forever.