Page 25 of Broken

“None yet.”

Not willing to risk dampening her mood, he held out his arm and guided her across the room. One hand curled around her back, the other holding her hand. The posture was so reminiscent of dancing that he thought he heard music. He nearly laughed at the absurdity.

He did not promenade with women; he just fucked them a lot. The closest thing he had to female friends was the Marchioness of Ettington, wife of his friend Jack, and Jack’s twin sister, Virginia. Both of them accepted that he would not change. They were very tolerant women.

Giles left Lilly at the screened corner and re-crossed the room to the door. He did not want to leave her side, but lingering would make her uncomfortable. The doorway was as far away as he was prepared to go, though. There was always a chance she’d need him for the return to bed. He did not want to undo the good he had achieved last night.

He had men coming today to begin work, and he hoped that Dithers had already set them to some of the tasks. It was not a good day to have slept so late. There was so much to do and oversee.

“Giles, help.”

He spun to find Lilly hanging on to the screen with both hands. He dashed across the room and caught her against his body.

Lilly’s fingers scraped his skin as she clutched at the linen of his shirt, but he could not savor the sensation. Giles scooped her up into his arms and held her tightly, peering down at her pale, damp face. “What happened?”

Giles’ stomach had fallen to his toes.

She clutched at him, panic evident in her every gesture. “The room is spinning.”

He tucked Lilly tightly to his chest and stood still, waiting for her dizziness to pass. When she relaxed her grip on his shirt, he moved carefully toward the bed. “Hmm, perhaps you need to eat something more substantial today.”

Lilly gulped and he decided not to mention food again for a little while. Her breath fanned across his skin, stirring his chest hair and turning his nipples to hard points. Heaven help him he was out of control around Lilly. She tightened her grip on his shirt again and the scrape of fabric across the points increased his arousal.

“Christ, you’re good,” he whispered, struggling not to crush her against him.

“Good?”

He hadn’t realized he’d said those words out loud. It was clear he needed to regain his mind and put her down but, to his horror, his arms were reluctant.

“Good at being so reasonable. Any other young miss would be screeching at me about compromising her.”

Lilly let out a large sigh. “No one would believe me.”

Giles looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms. “You shouldn’t be so certain.”

He would believe it. An innocent girl had turned him into a throbbing mess of need. She hadn’t even had to resort to batting her eyelashes at him to do it, either.

Giles lowered Lilly to a sitting position and reached for the pillows to stack behind her. He gently eased her back, gathering up her long hair and pushing the tangled mass behind her shoulders. He fussed until he was satisfied she was comfortable, and then slid the blankets up to her chest.

He stood back to survey his handiwork. Lilly’s hair needed washing and a thorough comb. It hung limply around her face. How had they managed to care for her with all the pain she had endured before?

In fact, he found himself wondering about everything that had happened to Lilly in her short life. Giles had never been this curious about another person before and constantly surprised himself by his unasked questions. What the devil was wrong with him this week?

“You are quite thin, you know. All the bones of your ribs show through your skin.” As he’d hoped, flaming color returned to Lilly’s cheeks at his words. “It is quite understandable. Rome was not built in a day, after all. Do you think you could bear to eat soon?”

“If you think I should.”

Giles nodded. “I do. Perhaps that will prevent the dizziness from returning.”

He tugged the bell hard. The quicker he could get the servants in here, the faster he could protect her virtue.

Dithers arrived and smiled when he saw Lilly awake. She returned his smile shyly and quickly dropped her eyes.

“Breakfast for Miss Winter, Dithers.”

“Just toast, thank you,” Lilly added.

“Not just toast. Bring hot chocolate, a plate of scrambled eggs, fresh buttered bread, and be quick about it.”