his being, the muscles that flexed and stretched his clothing, the hint of hardness in his green eyes. “Our footman took us to town, we bought each other a small present. Cook made biscuits…a turkey. It was perfect because…”
Because his parents weren’t there. My God. He truly despised his mother and father. Why? What had they done to him? Just like that, the resistance I’d built began to crumble. I had the horrible urge to reach out to him. Offer comfort, in some way. What the hell was wrong with me?
Mayhap arrogance was his shield, his way of protecting himself. Mayhap he’d never known love. Even I had been blessed with Aunt Helen and Violet. Damnation, but I didn’t want to like him, I didn’t want to care.
He flipped two cards. “My turn. Have you ever been intimate with a man?” He shrugged, that cheeky smirk back in place. “Or woman.”
Just when I thought I had seen signs of humanity, he turned back into a rake. Annoyed, I took off my other slipper and tossed it at his head. He moved to the side just in time and it fell harmlessly to the floor. I should have stopped this nonsense from the beginning, but I admit I was as curious about this man as he seemed to be about me.
“Why do you want me to be your mistress? Be honest.”
“Fishing for compliments?”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly.”
“Because.” He moved closer. I had to resist the urge to move back. “Because you’re interesting. You’re different. You’re not coy. You don’t simper like some innocent fool. You’re smart, curious, bold.” He grabbed my bare foot, his hands warm, strong against the arch. Startled, I couldn’t seem to push his touch away. “And I know you’d be passionate in bed. We’d do very, very well together.”
He moved his hand to my ankle and jerked me forward. I slid across the blanket, my nightgown bunching up around my thighs. I threw my hands up, bracing them against his chest. For a brief moment we merely sat there, our lips only a breath apart.
And I knew in that moment, God help me, I knew I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to feel his lips on mine. I wanted to delight in that aching sensation that pulsed through my body when he was near. Wanted to soak in the feel of his hardness against my softness.
His hands slid up to my shoulders, farther to cup the sides of my face. Then his lips were on mine. It was a slow, thorough kiss that consumed and taunted.
Passion and need collided. Desperately, I gripped the hair at the base of his head. Damnation, I was no longer in control. I had the horrible feeling that he could have had me then and there.
And when he tore his mouth from mine, pulling away and leaving me lost and abandoned, floating on a sea of disappointment, I almost groaned. With a trembling hand, he flipped over two cards.
“My turn.” His hooded gaze was on me, hard and demanding. “Will you be my mistress?”
****
Gabriel
She paused for a moment. I could see her mind working, trying to come up with a safe response. When she reached up and untied the ribbon of her wrap, I wasn’t sure if she was consenting or merely playing the game. Either way, I’d won.
The wrap slid down her arms, a whisper of a promise. She sat on the blanket in only her nightgown. Those rosy nipples pressed hard to the material, her body shadowed in front of the light of the flames. I could see every curve, every dip through the thin material. She was a work of art. A goddess. Blood roared through my veins, pounding in my cock.
“My turn,” she whispered.
I jerked my gaze to her face.
“Do you have a fiancé or wife?”
“Neither.”
She hesitated. I knew in that moment she’d been hoping I’d say yes, that way she’d have a valid reason to reject my offer. I didn’t dare smile. She wanted me. I could see it in the way her pupils flared. In every harsh pant. In the way she took her lower lip between her teeth to keep it from trembling.
“This isn’t fair,” she whispered. “I have only two pieces of clothing left.”
“Perhaps I’m just more willing to share than you are. However, I’ll give you a point.”
“No, I…” She paused as I shrugged off my vest. I wore only trousers and my shirtsleeves. She didn’t argue, instead, she found bold