Read Online No Gentleman for Georgina by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online Page B

permission, sir, I would make her my wife. With great pleasure and with no other motive than to make her happy for all the rest of our days.”
    Her knees went weak at that agreement, not made reluctantly but with joy and hope on his stern face. She longed to kiss him, but didn’t. Not with her father already so very angry.
    She forced herself to look to her father again, and he nodded. With a great sigh, he said, “Then you have my blessing, for I have only ever wanted my daughter to be happy. And I can see the only path to her happiness is the same path which leads to you.”
    Georgina could no more control the cry of joy that burst from her lips than she could control the act of breathing. She flew at her father. “Truly?”
    He nodded, and for a moment she saw hope for her reflected in his eyes. “Yes,” he repeated. Then he glared at Paul and motioned to the bed. “But no more of this until you are lawfully wed.”
    Paul moved forward and took her hand. With the other, he offered a handshake to her father. “Of course, sir. I would not think of betraying your trust again.”
    Her father hesitated, but then reached out and shook Paul’s hand. “Now Mr. Rivers and I will leave you two to finish fixing yourselves.” He glared at Paul again. “ Quickly , you understand.”
    Paul nodded. “Certainly, sir. We won’t be but a moment.”
    Her father hesitated, but then turned and motioned Marcus to the door. “Come, sir. I have heard this club stocks some of the best whisky in the city. I think I have earned a glass, both to recover from my shock and to celebrate my daughter’s upcoming union.”
    “I will buy you one myself,” Marcus said with a laugh, opening the door and gesturing Georgina’s father out before he gave a big wink to Georgina and Paul and shut them in alone again.
    The moment they were gone, Paul turned on her. He grasped the front of her dress, which still half gaped after their near-love making. He tugged it shut and began to button her as he glared down at her.
    “Georgina Hickson, you lied to me,” he murmured. “And I think we need to discuss it.”

    Paul stared down into Georgina’s beautiful, blue upturned eyes. They were filled with joy. The same joy he felt at the idea that this woman would soon be his wife. But her methods…those he did not approve of.
    “What do you have to say for yourself?” he asked, trying to keep his tone firm when what he wanted to do was sweep her against him and kiss her silly as a celebration of their very happy news.
    She dropped her lashes demurely. “I am sorry, Paul. I realize I put you in a terrible position.”
    He stifled a groan as he thought of the “position” they had been in before they were interrupted. And very soon they would be there again, only this time with nothing stopping him from claiming her.
    But of course she meant his position with her father.
    “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t simply write to me, explain yourself. We could have designed a plan together.”
    She hesitated. “I suppose I simply feared you would refuse me. Not because you didn’t care for me or want me—I knew you were too good a man to go so far with me if you didn’t feel something beyond mere lust. But because you are so proud and so decent that you wouldn’t agree to such subterfuge.”
    “You are right, I would not have, and do not believe in such trickery.” He frowned. “Georgina, you could have done permanent damage to yourself, and if your father hadn’t bowed to your convincing, you could have destroyed any chance of us being together.”
    She arched a brow. “Does that mean you would have approached him yourself, if I hadn’t pushed the issue?”
    He hesitated. It was a good question. He’d been thinking of nothing but Georgina since the night they shared at Madame Tussaud’s, but he hadn’t the courage to think they could be happy together.
    Not like she had.
    “You must think me a coward,” he said.
    She cupped