She lifted her arms, wound them around Liam’s neck and stopped thinking.
The wind scurried through the garden again. Jessie trembled, but not from the cold. Liam drew her, hard, against him. His hands swept down her back, cupped her bottom, lifted her against him, into him. Sounds drifted on the air. Music from the chamber orchestra. The distant buzz of conversation.
And, from somewhere nearby, Carrie’s voice.
“Jessica? Jess, where are you?”
Jessie tore her mouth from Liam’s. Panic raced through her blood. “Liam!”
His arms tightened around her as she tried to pull away. “Come back here,” he said thickly.
“Liam, for the love of God, someone’s coming!”
He blinked, shook his head, whispered a word that might have been a blessing or an oath and stepped back, as if putting distance between them could change what had happened.
“I didn’t…” He stopped, cleared his throat. “Jessie, I never meant—I never meant this to happen.”
“Then—then it didn’t,” she said frantically. “Do you hear me? This never happened.” Her lips felt dry. She touched them with the tip of her tongue, tasted Liam and felt as if she wanted to die. “William must never find out. Do you understand?”
“Dammit,” Liam said harshly, “don’t you think I know that? But we can’t just forget. We—”
“Jess?”
Jessie spun around. Carrie stood a few feet away, staring at them. “Everyone is waiting,” she said slowly. “The judge. The guests. William.”
“Of course.” Jessie gave in to the temptation to touch her hand to her hair. She could feel some strands that had come undone, but the wind could have done that. Only the wind. She’d simply been out here, having a pleasant chat with William’s best man. Nobody had to know the truth, not ever. Nobody but Liam. And she. Oh God, she would know, she’d always know. “Certainly,” she said, and smiled. “I’m ready.”
Carrie cleared her throat. “I think—why don’t you just let me fix your makeup, Jess? Your lipstick. And your hair. The, uh, the wind must have…” Her voice trailed away as she hurried forward and clasped Jessie’s arm. “Come on up to the house, okay?” She smiled brightly. “A bride should look perfect on her wedding day. Isn’t that right, Mr. Malone?”
Liam nodded. It was the best he could manage.
“Why don’t you go tell William we’ll just be another five minutes? He can wait that long for the woman who’s going to be his for the rest of his life, don’t you think?”
The message might have been subtle, but the way Jessie’s maid of honor looked at him wasn’t. Could what they’d done be so obvious? Liam cleared his throat and decided to see if he could get out something more than a croak.
“Yes,” he said, “I’m sure he can.”
“Good.” Carrie wrapped an arm around Jessie’s waist. “Now, come on, honey. This is your big day. You don’t want to spoil it.”
“No,” Jessie said. “No, I don’t.”
Her eyes met Liam’s, and the terrible secret they shared burned hot between them.
“Jess?” Carrie said, and Jessie smiled brightly and let her maid of honor hurry her toward the house.
Liam waited until they were out of sight. Then he let out a breath that was almost a moan and ran his hands through his hair. How could he let her go? He’d only had one taste of Jessie, only held her in his arms for a moment.
“Stop it,” he said in a harsh whisper.
He walked deeper into the garden, found a bench, sank down on it and put his face in his hands. How could he have done this? She was to be Bill’s bride. Bill, who was the best friend he’d ever had. If only there were a way to wipe away what had happened.
But there wasn’t. And the longer he thought about it, the more he knew that nothing could have stopped him from kissing her, or make him regret the kiss. Now he knew how soft Jessie felt. How sweet her lips were. How it was to take her sigh into his mouth as she opened to him.
How right he’d been in his assessment of her.
Damn Jessica Warren to hell, and himself along with her! How could he let her marry Bill? And yet, he had to. He couldn’t tell Bill what had happened, not if saving him meant destroying him. Time slipped past as he tried to find a solution but, at last, he knew he had to admit there was none. He had to play his role in this farce. There was no other choice.
At last, Liam sat up straight. He had no idea how long he’d been sitting there but it was time to put a smile on his face and do what was expected of him.