Page 103 of A Story of Love

It annoyed her that he was right. She was so excited about her new book that she had decided days ago to tell Parker that he could go to the devil. She also planned to demand that he give her back her manuscript. She would publish the damned thing with a vanity press if she had to. Indeed, she would do anything before whoring herself for Parker, which is what she had been doing.

But none of that was Fast’s business.

Truth be told, she had questions that had nothing to do with newspaper articles.

“I have a question—this is just for me, not for publication.”

A look of caution flickered across his face. “Very well.”

“Are all the illegitimate children you’ve claimed to sire really your own?”

He turned from wary to furious in a heartbeat. “That is an intensely private matter and not a subject for a newspaper story.”

“I just said I wasn’t—”

“It wouldn’t just be my reputation that would suffer if you wrote about such a thing; it would also damage the lives of several innocent people.”

She lifted her hands in a placating gesture. “I am not writing a story about it, Fast.”

“Then why the devil would you investigate such a matter, Lorelei?” There was not only anger in his voice, but betrayal.

Lori could not confess her real motivation—that she hated to think of him as the sort of man to leave a trail of illegitimate children in his wake—because then he would want to know why she cared so much. And that was something she didn’t even like to admit in the privacy of her own mind.

Instead, she said, “I have spent so much time investigating your brother and your family that I just want to know the truth. For myself, not for Parker.”

“I will answer your question, but this is just between us. If you ever tell anyone else and my grandfather learns of it, it will kill him.”

“I already gave my word.”

“Fine. Then here is your answer: None of those children are mine.”

Lori nodded, unsurprised. “You believe they are your brother’s, don’t you?”

He blinked, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t just believe it; I know they are Percy’s. Isn’t that what Parker told you?”

“I—” she bit her tongue.

“You what?” he prodded when she stopped.

Lori would need to tell him the truth eventually, but not until she had confronted the children’s real father.

“Lorelei? What is it?”

“Why would you take the blame for children your brother sired?” she asked, ignoring his question. “Please. I just want to understand. For me—not for anyone else.”

He gave her an angry, exasperated look and pushed to his feet. “I need something stronger than wine if I’m to talk about this.”

Chapter 22

Fast rang for a servant and once the food had been cleared away, he gestured to the decanters. “Would you care for something to drink? I’m sorry; I should have asked the maid to bring the tea tray. I will ring for one if you—”

“I would have some of that whiskey you gave me before,” Lorelei said, primly smoothing the skirts of her plain gray gown.

Fast wrenched his gaze from her—something that was hard to do even for the few seconds it took to pour the drinks. Christ but he had missed her! It had been torture to stay away.

Even so, you should have stayed away. Instead of returning to The King’s Purse—and the temptation of her—you should have gone to stay at Severn House.

Probably. Already his mind was too curious about those naughty garters he knew held up her prim white stockings.