she'd ever seen him. Now that force was so strong she could feel the pull of it closing in, even the small space that separated them.
He placed one knee on the mattress, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek, then slide through her hair, holding her head in his palm. He pulled her to him gently—too gently for a man with such power.
With a touch as soft as the brush of a snowflake, he kissed her. His hands moved to her waist and lifted her, then he sat down on the bed, pulling her into his lap as his mouth tasted her.
The stars in Heaven were with her suddenly in a wealth of emotion that confused her. His fingers traced her jaw and he pulled his mouth away, only to kiss her face and eyes, her cheeks and ears.
"Let me make you forget the past, Lillian. Forget the man who ruined you."
She cupped his rough chin in her hands. "No one ruined me, Daniel. I ruined myself."
His eyes narrowed, and he ran a thumb over her bottom lip. "You're too generous. It takes a man to make a fallen woman."
Stunned, she sat back, dropping her hands. "A what?"
"I know what happened to you. You cried about it after the accident."
"You think I'm a fallen woman?" She felt the inklings of a smile.
He gave her that direct look of his. "You admitted it, Lilli. You said you were fallen and ashamed. Y ou won't tell me where you are from. I assumed that's because you've been disowned."
She laughed, just a small laugh, but a laugh just the same.
His black expression said he didn't think this was funny.
"I'm not a fallen woman, Daniel. I'm a fallen angel."
But strength alone though of Muses born,
Is like a fallen angel; trees uptorn.
—John Keats
Chapter Ten
CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE, LILLIAN. Fallen angel. Soiled dove. I don't really care." D.L. grabbed her by the shoulders. " Your past is not my concern."
"No." She shook her head. "I am an angel. Or at least I was one."
He looked at her, thinking she was making a joke.
"Truly. I had a lovely halo, and wings, but I couldn't perform any miracles so—"
He felt his pride and the deep wound to it from her lies. He tensed and stood up abruptly. "If you aren't interested...say so. Don't make these ridiculous excuses."
"It's the truth."
"You expect me to believe that you’re an angel."
"A fallen angel."
He crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost. "Prove it."
"I don't know how I can prove it. You tell me how to make you believe me."
"How am I supposed to know? You're the heavenly being." His voice dripped in sarcasm and he waved his hand angrily. "Ask for divine guidance. Hell...sprout wings and fly around the bloody room."
"Why are you so angry? I can't help what I am."
"Then why are you making up this stupid tale? I told you. I don't care what you are, or even what you've been. But don't—don't lie to me."
"You don't believe me."
"You tell me you're an angel and then expect me to believe you?" He ran a hand through his hair and paced in front of her. "God, that's rich!"
She gave him that look—the one that said more than words that he had let her down. "I'm not surprised that you'd use such a phrase."
He froze. "What's wrong with it?"
"Do you want me to answer that? Honestly?"
"You're the angel." He heard the cruelty in his laugh. "You tell me."
"Okay. You want truth, I'll give you truth. The painful truth. You think only in terms of money. Everything is money with you. You offer me money to listen to you, to get in your carriage. You try to buy everything and everyone."
He stood there, just watching her, listening to her tell him things he didn't care to hear, especially from her.
"You can't even give a woman a compliment, Daniel. Did you say 'Lillian, you look lovely'? No. You said 'You wear wealth beautifully.'"
She made him sound incredibly pompous.
"Don't you know there are things more important than money or fortunes or gold?"
He was stiffly silent, yet deep inside him he flinched at the sincerity in her voice.
"Is it truly that hard for you to understand? People shouldn't be bought. They should be respected. Even the most ragged and beggarly person in New York is still a human being. Can't you find it in your heart to help them, even one of them, all on your own?"
He was still silent, his jaw tight, his