“I should not have asked. It is bad manners. It just slipped out.”
Her comment made him feel no better. He should have lied. But then, what if Miss Wainwright decided to tell Gabriella of their night together just to spite him? Oh he knew Miss Wainwright was free with her body in the hope of snaring a husband—some man who would be so besotted with her that he would offer her marriage despite her dreadful reputation.
“Gabriella, I have no real excuses. I wanted a woman that night and she made herself available to me. But I promise I will be faithful to our marriage vows. I have no idea how well we shall suit when the time comes but we are both sensible people. I believe we can rub along fine together. I am attracted to you and the kiss we shared outside your bedchamber suggests you are attracted to me. I can’t rewrite the past or change the mistakes I have made. Hell, Miss Wainwright is far from the worst mistake I have made.” Gabriella’s eyebrow rose at his bad language and he felt the blush creep up his cheeks. “My apologies.”
“No, please. Nicholas, listen to me. I care not about Miss Wainwright. Perhaps there may always be a sliver of jealousy that I hold for any woman who was in your bed before I was, but I suspect that is normal. I just believe you could do better than me. But the announcement has been made and it seems you are stuck with me.”
“I cannot think of anyone I would prefer to be stuck with.” He dropped to his knees and moved over the rug towards her. He raised a hand and cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch. His hand was on her birthmark, and for the first time she did not seem embarrassed by it. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers.
She opened slightly for him and he moved his lips, coaxing her to follow his lead. She did. One of her gloved hands slid onto his shoulder then around his neck and curled into his hair. He moved his hand around to guide her head, heedless to the sound of one of her hairpins dropping to the floor. She opened her mouth and just as he moved his tongue to plunge it into her mouth, a delicate cough from the door of the drawing room brought him to his senses. Thank heavens he was only partially aroused.
He withdrew his hand slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of Gabriella’s face. Her cheeks burned red and her own grasp on his hair loosened. She pulled her hand down to her lap before looking up at him, biting her lip in a most seductive way.
“Goodnight, Nick,” she said quietly.
“Goodnight, Gabby,” he replied, standing to face his mother, his hands clasped in front of his groin just in case she could see any final remnants of his arousal.
Her eyes glinted and she obviously was struggling not to laugh. “Brook Street awaits you, son,” the countess said as he dropped a kiss to her cheek.
“Not for long,” he replied, throwing one last look over his shoulder at the woman he couldn’t wait to marry. He trotted down the steps of the townhouse a whistle on his lips. Gabriella was a wonderful woman and she was so clever and quick. Not every woman would have understood what was happening at the theatre, but she had. She’d proved herself faithful and able to control herself in every situation. She’s sneaked further into his heart this evening. Damn her. He may very well be falling for her.
Chapter Eight
Gabriella placed her gloved fingers on her lips and sighed. Why had she asked such a stupid question? She knew it was not well done of her to ask her betrothed about former lovers, and Nick was too honest for his own good.
Of course, that was exactly the reason she had not told him in the theatre that she had realised immediately her brother had set him up. He would have given the game away and she could not help feeling the more Joseph thought her match was a poor one, the less trouble he would cause. She knew he could not afford to lose the wager so he would do all in his power to prevent the match. He also knew she
Her comment made him feel no better. He should have lied. But then, what if Miss Wainwright decided to tell Gabriella of their night together just to spite him? Oh he knew Miss Wainwright was free with her body in the hope of snaring a husband—some man who would be so besotted with her that he would offer her marriage despite her dreadful reputation.
“Gabriella, I have no real excuses. I wanted a woman that night and she made herself available to me. But I promise I will be faithful to our marriage vows. I have no idea how well we shall suit when the time comes but we are both sensible people. I believe we can rub along fine together. I am attracted to you and the kiss we shared outside your bedchamber suggests you are attracted to me. I can’t rewrite the past or change the mistakes I have made. Hell, Miss Wainwright is far from the worst mistake I have made.” Gabriella’s eyebrow rose at his bad language and he felt the blush creep up his cheeks. “My apologies.”
“No, please. Nicholas, listen to me. I care not about Miss Wainwright. Perhaps there may always be a sliver of jealousy that I hold for any woman who was in your bed before I was, but I suspect that is normal. I just believe you could do better than me. But the announcement has been made and it seems you are stuck with me.”
“I cannot think of anyone I would prefer to be stuck with.” He dropped to his knees and moved over the rug towards her. He raised a hand and cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch. His hand was on her birthmark, and for the first time she did not seem embarrassed by it. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers.
She opened slightly for him and he moved his lips, coaxing her to follow his lead. She did. One of her gloved hands slid onto his shoulder then around his neck and curled into his hair. He moved his hand around to guide her head, heedless to the sound of one of her hairpins dropping to the floor. She opened her mouth and just as he moved his tongue to plunge it into her mouth, a delicate cough from the door of the drawing room brought him to his senses. Thank heavens he was only partially aroused.
He withdrew his hand slowly, trying to catch a glimpse of Gabriella’s face. Her cheeks burned red and her own grasp on his hair loosened. She pulled her hand down to her lap before looking up at him, biting her lip in a most seductive way.
“Goodnight, Nick,” she said quietly.
“Goodnight, Gabby,” he replied, standing to face his mother, his hands clasped in front of his groin just in case she could see any final remnants of his arousal.
Her eyes glinted and she obviously was struggling not to laugh. “Brook Street awaits you, son,” the countess said as he dropped a kiss to her cheek.
“Not for long,” he replied, throwing one last look over his shoulder at the woman he couldn’t wait to marry. He trotted down the steps of the townhouse a whistle on his lips. Gabriella was a wonderful woman and she was so clever and quick. Not every woman would have understood what was happening at the theatre, but she had. She’d proved herself faithful and able to control herself in every situation. She’s sneaked further into his heart this evening. Damn her. He may very well be falling for her.
Chapter Eight
Gabriella placed her gloved fingers on her lips and sighed. Why had she asked such a stupid question? She knew it was not well done of her to ask her betrothed about former lovers, and Nick was too honest for his own good.
Of course, that was exactly the reason she had not told him in the theatre that she had realised immediately her brother had set him up. He would have given the game away and she could not help feeling the more Joseph thought her match was a poor one, the less trouble he would cause. She knew he could not afford to lose the wager so he would do all in his power to prevent the match. He also knew she
Similar Books
