Read Online Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor Book 3) by Rose Gordon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rose Gordon
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same steam packet, my love?”
Rae’s pulse raced. “Don’t call me that.”
Simon closed the gap between them again, leaving her nowhere to go. “Why not?”
“Be-because I’m not.” She licked her lips and lifted her hands up to his shoulders to push him away.
“Then why would you tell your sister that you are?”
Her eyes widened and her hands clutched his shoulders as if they were the only things keeping her from falling to the floor in a boneless heap. “P-pardon? I did no such thing.”
Simon’s green eyes searched her face. His face softened and his hands came up and gently covered hers. “Then why…”
Rae lowered her eyes. “There’s another.”
“Another?”
“Another gentleman,” she clarified. Well, he wasn’t a true gentleman in any form of the word, but Simon didn’t need to know that.
Something flickered over Simon’s face, but what it was, she couldn’t identify. “Is he here?”
“Yes.” She blushed. “I mean, no.” Closing her eyes for an extended blink, she took a deep calming breath. Why was it he made it so hard for her to articulate? “He’s in the village. Not here at Crumbles.”
She half-expected him to make some glib remark about her having a tendre for Drake, but he surprised her, when instead he said, “Is he the reason you've been so elusive in London?”
Biting her lip nervously, she nodded once. “He has my heart.” She swallowed the bile threatening to choke her. “Always has.”
“Well then—” Simon curled his fingers under hers, flipped their hands over and took a step back— “we need to make a plan.”
Nervous excitement and hesitation warred within her. “Plan? What plan? The last thing I need is another plan.”
“Another plan?” His eyes sparkled. “Aha, I knew I was part of your plan.”
“Just the part to get me here,” she admitted nervously.
Still holding her hands, he squeezed her palms. “Well, m’dear, I am pleased to inform you that you chose the right gentleman to involve in your scheme to snare another man into matrimony.” A self-deprecating smile took over his lips. “Without meaning to, I’ve driven two ladies into the arms of—”
Catching sight of Juliet and Drake emerging from Drake’s office, panic pushed Rae to take action, and without hesitation, she pushed herself up against Simon and cut off the rest of his confession with a kiss.
9
S imon stood rooted to the floor.
“Rae?” he whispered.
Wordlessly, she cut her eyes in the direction of Drake’s office. Simon followed her line of vision: Lord and Lady Drakely. His tongue grew thick and he forced himself to take an uneasy step away from Rae.
“I thought to suggest you two should go for a walk about the gardens until luncheon, but I’m now I’m not sure that’s for the best,” Juliet said, her hands idly resting on her swollen midsection.
“No, perhaps not,” Simon agreed quietly. Leaving him and Rae to their own devices in the garden might end in a real marriage proposal. The realization sobered him. He might have just offered to help Rae, but he needed to be careful—very careful—from this point forward or he’d be her groom. He lowered his lashes and looked down at her. She was fetching, to be sure, particularly with that pale pink blush coloring her porcelain cheeks. And, he’d be remiss if he didn’t admit that her kiss had affected him in a way that—
“Isn’t that so, Appleton?”
Simon jerked. “Pardon, my lord?” He blinked to clear his lusty thoughts. “I was woolgathering. What was it you said?”
“That if you’re to be staying here for a few days, that you’ll need some new clothes.”
All eyes went to Simon and his wrinkled clothes.
“Oh, a trip to the village is just what we need,” Lady Drakely suggested with far more excitement than Simon thought was worthy of such an idea.
Simon waited for Rae to disagree with her sister, and had to squeeze her hand to make sure she still had a pulse when what
Rae’s pulse raced. “Don’t call me that.”
Simon closed the gap between them again, leaving her nowhere to go. “Why not?”
“Be-because I’m not.” She licked her lips and lifted her hands up to his shoulders to push him away.
“Then why would you tell your sister that you are?”
Her eyes widened and her hands clutched his shoulders as if they were the only things keeping her from falling to the floor in a boneless heap. “P-pardon? I did no such thing.”
Simon’s green eyes searched her face. His face softened and his hands came up and gently covered hers. “Then why…”
Rae lowered her eyes. “There’s another.”
“Another?”
“Another gentleman,” she clarified. Well, he wasn’t a true gentleman in any form of the word, but Simon didn’t need to know that.
Something flickered over Simon’s face, but what it was, she couldn’t identify. “Is he here?”
“Yes.” She blushed. “I mean, no.” Closing her eyes for an extended blink, she took a deep calming breath. Why was it he made it so hard for her to articulate? “He’s in the village. Not here at Crumbles.”
She half-expected him to make some glib remark about her having a tendre for Drake, but he surprised her, when instead he said, “Is he the reason you've been so elusive in London?”
Biting her lip nervously, she nodded once. “He has my heart.” She swallowed the bile threatening to choke her. “Always has.”
“Well then—” Simon curled his fingers under hers, flipped their hands over and took a step back— “we need to make a plan.”
Nervous excitement and hesitation warred within her. “Plan? What plan? The last thing I need is another plan.”
“Another plan?” His eyes sparkled. “Aha, I knew I was part of your plan.”
“Just the part to get me here,” she admitted nervously.
Still holding her hands, he squeezed her palms. “Well, m’dear, I am pleased to inform you that you chose the right gentleman to involve in your scheme to snare another man into matrimony.” A self-deprecating smile took over his lips. “Without meaning to, I’ve driven two ladies into the arms of—”
Catching sight of Juliet and Drake emerging from Drake’s office, panic pushed Rae to take action, and without hesitation, she pushed herself up against Simon and cut off the rest of his confession with a kiss.
9
S imon stood rooted to the floor.
“Rae?” he whispered.
Wordlessly, she cut her eyes in the direction of Drake’s office. Simon followed her line of vision: Lord and Lady Drakely. His tongue grew thick and he forced himself to take an uneasy step away from Rae.
“I thought to suggest you two should go for a walk about the gardens until luncheon, but I’m now I’m not sure that’s for the best,” Juliet said, her hands idly resting on her swollen midsection.
“No, perhaps not,” Simon agreed quietly. Leaving him and Rae to their own devices in the garden might end in a real marriage proposal. The realization sobered him. He might have just offered to help Rae, but he needed to be careful—very careful—from this point forward or he’d be her groom. He lowered his lashes and looked down at her. She was fetching, to be sure, particularly with that pale pink blush coloring her porcelain cheeks. And, he’d be remiss if he didn’t admit that her kiss had affected him in a way that—
“Isn’t that so, Appleton?”
Simon jerked. “Pardon, my lord?” He blinked to clear his lusty thoughts. “I was woolgathering. What was it you said?”
“That if you’re to be staying here for a few days, that you’ll need some new clothes.”
All eyes went to Simon and his wrinkled clothes.
“Oh, a trip to the village is just what we need,” Lady Drakely suggested with far more excitement than Simon thought was worthy of such an idea.
Simon waited for Rae to disagree with her sister, and had to squeeze her hand to make sure she still had a pulse when what
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