“You’re naught but a human man. You couldn’t possibly understand.” He lifted a brow, still smiling. “Liar.” “Cutpurse.” “Runaway.”“Swindler!“Coward,” he said softly, and she jerked back.“Bastard!”“Undoubtedly true.” He made a short bow.”

“The Laird of Coll was undoubtedly a hard man. He didn’t smile often, but when he did, it was as if the sun broke through the clouds. And he was smiling right now as she considered his question, knowing very well that she was enjoying herself.”

“You’re in love with me? Why have you never said anything?” He demanded. “No one wants to tell someone she loves him, and have him not say it back,” her eyes dropped and she said it so softly he had to strain to hear it.”

“Are you always so mistrusting?” he said, lifting a brow.“When my escort is a demon, yes.”

“You’re lying,” he said-not angry, not accusing. Just as ifhe was stating the facts, in a way that she wasn’t.“I am not-”“You can say it a million times, but that doesn’t make it any more true.” Peter smiled then, soguileless that Lacy felt it smart like a stripe from a whip. “You might be able to fool Dad, and thecops, and anyone else who’ll listen,” he said. “You just can’t fool another liar.”

“You are always looking at people like this.” And then she made a face, one he couldn’t possibly begin to describe.“If I ever look like that,” he said dryly, “precisely like that, to be more precise, I give you leave to shoot me.”