She pushed at the hair that was coming loose from her ponytail to fly in her face. “So why are you here?”

“Let’s take this in order,” he decided. “Yes, I’m used to women being attracted to me. As I’ve a fondness for women, I appreciate that.” A smile tugged at his lips as she made a quiet sound of disgust. “You’d think more of me if I lied about that, but I find false modesty inane and deceitful. And though I most often prefer to be alone, your visit wasn’t intrusive. I kissed you because I wanted to, because you have a pretty mouth.”

He watched it register surprise before it thinned and she angled her face away. No one had told her that before, he realized, and shook his head over the idiocy of the male gender.

“Because you have eyes that remind me of the elves that dance in the hills of my country. Hair like oak that’s aged and polished to a gleam. And skin so soft it seems my hand should pass through it as it would with water.”

“Don’t do that.” Her voice shook as she lifted her arms, wrapped them tight to hug her elbows. “Don’t. It’s not fair.”

Perhaps it wasn’t, to use words on a woman who so obviously wasn’t used to hearing them. But he shrugged. “It’s just truth. And my response to you was more … acute than I’d bargained for. So I was unkind. I apologize for that, Rowan, but only for that.”

She was over her head with him, and wished the terror of that wasn’t quite so enjoyable. “You’re sorry for being unkind, or for having a response to me?”

Clever woman, he mused, and gave her the simple truth. “For both, if it comes to it. I said I wasn’t ready for you, Rowan. I meant it.”

It was hearing simple truth that softened her heart—and made it tremble just a little. She didn’t speak for a moment, but stared down at the fingers she’d locked together in her lap while waves crashed below and gulls soared overhead.

“Maybe I understand that, a little. I’m at an odd place in my life,” she said slowly. “A kind of crossroads, I suppose. I think people are most vulnerable when they come to the end of something and have to decide which beginning they’re going to take. I don’t know you, Liam.” She made herself shift back to face him again. “And I don’t know what to say to you, or what to do.”

Was there a man alive who could resist that kind of unstudied honesty? he wondered. “Offer me tea.”

“What?”

He smiled, took her hand. “Offer me tea. Rain’s coming and we should go in.”