and because of what? Because he couldn’t trust her. Because he couldn’t think of her as an equal. Because—
He suddenly stilled and stared at her as though he was only now taking note of her presence. Then he moved closer and, for a second, Caroline had to fight the urge to step back. Oddly enough, she felt reminded of the night in the alley when he had advanced step by step, his gaze fixed on hers, a promise there that had simmered in her veins.
Holding her gaze, Pierce lifted his hands and she felt the tips of his fingers touching her temples before they ran farther back along her hair to where her mask was secured. He stood so close now that she could feel his breath mingling with her own.
And then the mask fell away, and Caroline felt naked now that he could read her face.
Pierce drew in a slow breath as his gaze swept over her features. “A part of me still couldn’t believe…but it is you.”
Caroline lifted her chin. “Why? You know who I am better than anyone.” Her courage faltered. That simple statement shocked her, and yet, it was true, wasn’t it?
The right corner of his mouth quirked upward, and his gaze softened as he looked at her. “I do know you,” he whispered as his hand rose to grasp her chin, tilting it back up. “What brought you here? Is this about the orphanage? Are you trying to—?”
“No!” Caroline snapped, jerking her chin from his grasp and taking a step backward. “No, you’re wrong. This has nothing to do with anyone else but me.” Her voice sounded shrill as a deep-seated frustration fought its way to the surface. “For once, I’m not crusading for a good cause. For once, I’m not ignoring everything I want in order to help others. For once, I’m…I’m selfish because right now all I care about is me.”
His gaze narrowed as he watched her, a hint of surprise on his features. Then he moved closer, his gaze still lingering on her face. “And what is it that you want? What brought you here tonight?”
Caroline swallowed. Perhaps she’d said too much for clearly he didn’t care. Perhaps she simply ought to leave. But the look on his face told her that nothing she could say would make him move out of her way. “I came for me,” she finally said, once more lifting her chin, defiant in the face of his callous reaction. “I came to see what it felt like to be someone else.”
His chest rose and fell with an agonizingly slow breath before his gaze dropped to sweep over her gown yet again. “And you had to dress like this?” he asked with a teasing note to his voice.
Caroline scoffed. “Are you truly telling me you do not like it?” she challenged, feeling her skin tingle under his lingering gaze.
A small smile appeared on his lips. “I never said I didn’t like it,” he muttered, a muscle in his jaw still twitching in displeasure. “However, I think it foolish of you to wear it here. Tonight.”
Caroline cocked her head. “And where else would you suggest I wear it? Here, tonight, is the only place and time I can do so without—”
His gaze narrowed as she broke off. “Is this change only for tonight?”
Was it? Caroline wondered, remembering that a part of her had hoped that tonight might see her life take a different turn, away from the restrictions and limitations of her old life.
His hands reached for her then, settling on her waist as he pulled her closer. She could feel the pressure of his fingertips through the fabric of her gown and her gaze rose to meet his. His eyes were dark, seeing more than they should, and she shuddered at the thought of how well he knew her. Still, he could not see that she’d come here tonight to find out if there could be more between them, and the thought frustrated her.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he finally said on a slow exhale, a touch of frustration in his voice that echoed within Caroline’s own heart. “Once I saw that it was you, I…” His jaw tightened as he looked up toward the ceiling. Then his gaze dropped and found hers once more. “Did you know that man out there was Coleridge?”
Caroline froze and, for a moment, she felt foolish for not having seen it then and there. Indeed, now that she knew, it