He wanted her. Badly. Painfully.
But he had promised to make her his wife before he took her to bed.
Curse oaths, honor, and friendship.
Ignoring his body’s demands for satisfaction—or trying, at least—he broke the kiss, but he couldn’t resist nibbling a trail down her neck, across her bare shoulder, and over the tempting mounds spilling from the neckline of her gown.
She inhaled sharply, and he nearly ignored his good sense and laid her out on the bench beneath him. The cut of her gown made for an irresistible display of her charms. Realization doused him like a bucket of cold water, and he set her away. The coach was moving at a steady pace now. They had cleared the city.
“What the hell are you wearing?” He jerked the curtains aside to allow a shaft of light from the carriage lamps to thrust inside. Her ivory skin glowed in the lamplight. And there was too much showing. He hooked a finger inside her dress and tried to hike it up to cover her better. “Did you dress this way for Thorne?”
The very idea made him shake with anger. Had the blackguard touched her like this?
She tensed, the atmosphere chilly once again. “I am marrying him. Why shouldn’t I dress to please him?”
How could she burn so hotly with Anthony’s touch and dare to speak of marrying another man? He grabbed her shoulders so she couldn’t turn away. If she wanted to lie, let her lie to his face.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” he said through clenched teeth, “you are here in my arms. Not Thorne’s. And the way you were responding to my kisses says this is where you want to be. I think it’s fair to assume the wedding is off.”
Her eyes gleamed in the scant light. “It most certainly is not, because you are signaling your driver to turn this coach around and take me home.”
He scoffed and captured her chin. She didn’t pull away, but met his gaze boldly as if daring him to kiss her again.
“There’s nothing on this earth that will make me take you back, Gabby. You belong with me.”
She jerked from his hold. “You’re incapable of reason.”
She had to know he spoke the truth. She belonged to him and him to her. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t like him pointing it out again. He released her so she could retreat to the opposite bench and sulk a moment.
“When you are ready to rest, I brought a blanket,” he said. “It’s a long drive to the border.”
An outraged sputter came from her side of the coach, but since she seemed incapable of words, he decided the discussion had run its course.
He smiled, partly to irritate her, but mostly because he was genuinely happy to see her.
“I’m only doing this because I love you, Lady Bug.”
“Oh, sod off!”
***
Gabby crossed her arms and fumed over Anthony’s deception. He had bested her again, and blast if she knew how he had managed it. Yet, in spite of her anger, a small thrill passed through her. He was taking her to Scotland to marry her. She would become his wife, something she had desired since she was a girl.
The implications of eloping with Anthony quickly crushed her excitement. It would be the biggest scandal of the Season, and there would be no way to cover it up. Sebastian and his family would be humiliated. Her family would be ashamed.
Oh, dear heavens. No! Her sisters’ prospects next Season would be ruined. She couldn’t do this to them.
“Have you considered the consequences of what you’re doing?”
Anthony opened the curtains fully now that they had left the city. Lamplight bathed one side of his face in a golden glow. His eyes appeared as if they were black jewels, his lips set in a thin line. “I am betraying your family’s trust, a family that has welcomed me as one of their own. I’m aware of what this means.”
She hadn’t thought about how her brothers would react to Anthony abducting her. This was even worse than she’d first imagined. Her throat squeezed and she gulped in deep breaths to fight the feeling of suffocating. If they would challenge Sebastian for stealing a kiss, what would they do to Anthony for ruining her?
Switching back to his side of the carriage, she grabbed his hands. “It’s not too late. There’s time to turn back. My brothers will forgive you.”
He wrapped his larger hands around hers, the warmth of his touch coaxing her toward him. Meeting her halfway, his lips grazed her forehead. His kiss was tender and she closed her eyes to savor it.
“We can’t turn back,” he murmured. “This has been our destiny all along.”
This is our destiny? This path would only lead to heartbreak. Her sisters’ futures destroyed. Gabby an outcast to her own family. And most distressing of all, Anthony could be lying in a field bleeding to death. What would become of his daughter if he were to die? He clearly hadn’t thought this through.
“How does Annabelle fit into this destiny you think exists?”
His fingers tensed, then he released her hands. When he didn’t answer, she wanted to shake him. Anything to unravel this ridiculous fantasy he had weaved. He had to see how valuable his life was. How could he even think to risk it for her?
“I asked you how Annabelle—”
“I heard you.” He leaned across her to snatch a blanket from the bench and plopped it on her lap. “Rest.”
His abruptly barked command made her jump. He moved to the opposite bench, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes.
She stared at him, slack-jawed. His actions could ruin the lives of everyone they cared about and he was refusing to talk about it?
With a huff, she unfolded the blanket to spread it over her lap.
“You stubborn mule,” she spat.
He grunted in response but didn’t even bother to open his eyes. He was the most infuriating person she’d ever known, and yet she couldn’t stop herself from loving him. She had been trying for as long as she could remember.
***
Anthony’s heart was battering against his ribs. Damn him for listening to Gabby’s sisters. What did two chits know about love? Of course, he was the simpleton who had taken their advice. He had wanted to believe them when they had said Gabby loved him, and perhaps she did. Still, love wasn’t always enough to overcome obstacles.
How did Annabelle fit into their destiny? What options were there except to find a place for her in their lives? He wouldn’t send his daughter away, which left him and Gabby at an impasse.
A pulse beat at his temple, keeping time with his heart. What a mess he had created. Despite Gabby’s belief that he hadn’t considered the consequences, he had. He knew he was risking his friendships with her brothers, close friendships that had kept him going when his home life had left him hopeless. And they had been there for him as his heart was breaking over their sister.
After the visit from Gabby’s sisters, he had convinced himself her family would forgive his rash decision, but perhaps they wouldn’t. He had taken her two days before her wedding. There was no way to avoid a scandal. Perhaps Thorne would even sue for breach of contract, which would only make the affair more scandalous. Anthony would pay whatever settlement was reached, but no amount of money would erase the memory of Gabby stealing away with another man so close to her wedding. Her brothers wouldn’t take kindly to her name being dragged through the muck.
What concerned Anthony most, however, was how her family would react toward her. If they believed Gabby was a willing participant in their flight to Gretna Green, her brothers could be put out with her. Perhaps they might even turn their backs on her. He didn’t judge it likely, but it wouldn’t be the first time a lady was disowned by her family.
Anthony could take care of her. That wasn’t a worry. But Gabby loved her family dearly. Her heart would be shattered if they disowned her.
And she would hate Anthony.
Then again, if her brothers believed he had taken her against her will, he was as good as dead. He wouldn’t raise a hand against any of the men he thought of as brothers, not even to defend himself.
> This was a mistake. As soon as the thought appeared, he fought against the logic. The feel of Gabby in his arms hadn’t been a mistake. Her lips beneath his weren’t a mistake.
He raked his fingers through his hair. Why did his head and heart have to be in conflict? He blew out an exasperated breath. Turning back was not an option, because living without her was impossible. Therefore, he would take his chances with her brothers, and he and Gabby must come to an understanding about Annabelle.
“We need to talk.” He opened his eyes and discovered Gabby had fallen asleep. Her head listed to the side and jostled with every bump. She appeared bloody uncomfortable, and yet she slept on. He smiled, their troubles receding for a moment. The chit could sleep anywhere.
He and Drew had often used her uncanny ability to sleep through a raiding horde to their advantage. His backbone became slack and he dissolved against the cushion as he recalled those less complicated days.
It had been the best summer of his life. He’d been a guest at Twinspur Cottage, the duke and duchess’s summer home. His days had been filled with swimming in the lake, horseback riding, and exploring the land with Luke, Richard, and Drew.
And then there had been Gabby.
She’d been a skinny, shrill little nuisance. No matter how early he and his friends had risen in the hopes of evading her, she had been dressed and waiting to join their adventures. Anthony had become adept at losing her that summer. Her wide-eyed trust had made the task easy, and his ploys to send her to retrieve different items so she could join them earned him much admiration from her brothers. Still, she had been determined and often found them despite their efforts to lose her. Therefore, Anthony had taken it upon himself to make her as miserable as she made him and his friends by playing a prank on her.
Because she was such a sound sleeper, she hadn’t known anything about the toad he slipped into her bed until she woke the next morning. When she saw the toad’s vapid eyes staring back at her, she had screamed so loudly he’d heard her at the other end of the corridor where he had been allotted a bedchamber. The duke’s scolding had been a small price to pay to get back at the pest.
Little bug. His heart filled up his chest. He had loved Gabby in some form most of his life. There had to be a way to convince her they were meant to be. Once she believed it, he knew she would come around with Annabelle. Gabby wasn’t judgmental or unkind. Perhaps she would even forgive him some day for forcing her hand. She did love him. She had never denied her feelings.
A rut in the road tossed her to the side, and her head bumped against the coach’s wall. Still, she didn’t wake.
He chuckled under his breath and slid onto the bench beside her to draw her into his arms. His bride would be well rested when they reached Gretna Green, but she would also be black and blue.
She didn’t stir as he settled her head against his chest, tucked snugly under his chin. Her steady breath and heartbeat infused him with calmness. All would be well. He refused to believe anything else, because whether or not she chose to believe, they were each other’s destiny.
Twenty-four
Sebastian departed for Talliah House the moment Mother and Eve returned home to report Gabrielle was missing. Apparently, there had been a bit of confusion when his mother and sister arrived to collect her for the theatre. The butler had insisted Sebastian’s coach had already taken her to Drury Lane. Valuable time had been wasted sending a footman to the theatre only to have the servant return with the verdict everyone should have already realized: Sebastian’s coach had never arrived.
“Because it wasn’t my bloody coach,” he growled to no one in particular as he approached the duke’s front door. He raised his fist to knock and the heavy door swung open.
The butler balked. “Lord Thorne, we were not expecting you.”
Sebastian charged inside, the servant shuffling aside to avoid being trampled. “My betrothed has been abducted and no one was expecting me? Take me to Foxhaven, now.”
He stalked across the marbled floor en route to the drawing room.
“His Grace hasn’t yet returned from this evening’s entertainments, milord. I thought you were the duke arriving just now.”
Sebastian halted, fists forming at his sides. Turning on his heel to face the incompetent fool, his voice took on a dangerous edge. “It has been over an hour since you discovered her ladyship was abducted. You should have sent for the duke the moment my mother arrived to collect her.”
“We didn’t realize anything was amiss, milord.”
Sebastian shook with a repressed desire to thrash the dolt. What in the devil’s name was wrong with this household? None of Sebastian’s staff would have hesitated to summon him if there was any hint of danger to Eve.
He strode toward the butler, stopping just inches from the servant’s face. “Lady Gabrielle’s chaperone arrived a quarter of an hour after someone else took her, and you didn’t realize something was amiss? How could you mistake her abductor’s coach for mine?”
The servant backed away. “Please, milord. His Grace will be home soon.”
The sound of slippers padding across the foyer penetrated Sebastian’s furious fog. “Please don’t yell at Wesley. He didn’t know.”
One of Gabrielle’s sisters came to stand beside the servant. It was the prettier one, the one with dimples. “My apologies, Lady Elizabeth, isn’t it? I didn’t mean to disturb you, but a situation has arisen and this numbskull”—he jabbed a finger toward the butler—“doesn’t seem to grasp the seriousness.”
Her eyes expanded with each word he bit off.
Damnation. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, trying to regain control of himself. What was wrong with him that he would speak so plainly in the girl’s presence?
He was frightened, that was what was wrong. Anyone could have taken Gabrielle. Perhaps one of the riffraff that frequented the Den wanted revenge against him for cleaning out his pockets. If any harm came to her, Sebastian would never forgive himself.
“You may go, Wesley,” Lady Elizabeth said then captured her bottom lip between her pearly teeth. She remained that way until the servant quit the foyer. “It is I who should apologize, my lord. Wesley didn’t notice the coach because I was causing a distraction.”
Sebastian’s brows shot up. “Did you see the coach? Were there any unusual features?”
She dismissed his question with a wave. “The only thing that matters is Wesley isn’t to blame. Perhaps you would like to wait in the drawing room for my brother’s return. I’m certain you will have much to discuss. Given the circumstances, I can’t imagine he would deny you a generous settlement.”
“A settlement?”
Lady Elizabeth nodded, her big blue eyes earnest. “That is customary when a betrothal is broken, isn’t it?”
His gut clenched. “What gives you the idea our betrothal has been broken?”
“Well, it’s only logical that you and Gabby cannot marry once she has exchanged vows with Lord Ellis.”
It took but a second for her meaning to sink in. “Your sister has eloped?”
“Well…” A pink flush spread over Lady Elizabeth’s cheeks.
No, of course Gabrielle hadn’t eloped. She was no coward. Had she wanted to end their association, she would have come to him and cried off. Over the past two weeks she had begun to accept their union, and he had vowed to make her happy every day of their life together. It was the least he owed her for the sacrifice she was making to help his sister.
His chest squeezed as he realized what had happened.
“Ellis abducted her.”
“No! It isn’t like that, Lord Thorne.”
If Sebastian didn’t stop Ellis, Gabrielle would be ruined. She would have no choice but to marry the damned blackguard.
Just like you gave her no choice? He ignored the meddlesome voice at the back of his mind. A conscience was a bloody nuisance. The point was Gabrielle had agreed to marry him and Ellis had taken her. Sebastian would lose the only c
hallenge ever worth winning unless he caught them tonight, and he needed Gabrielle.
“I’m going to kill him,” Sebastian muttered as he stormed from Talliah House.
It wouldn’t take long to catch them on the Great North Road if Sebastian went by horseback, but a visit to the mews was just one more blasted delay in bringing Gabrielle safely back home.
***
Luke, the Duke of Foxhaven, pressed his fingers against his temple and blinked at his twin sisters. They sat side by side on the brocade settee in the drawing room, their hands punching the air to emphasize points he couldn’t follow. Making out anything his sisters were saying was impossible with them talking at the same time.
“Slow down,” he said, but their rapid chatter continued. He suppressed a groan.
After a pleasant evening out with his wife, he had been looking forward to a pleasant evening in bed with her. Apparently this wasn’t to happen any time soon, unless he got to the bottom of what had agitated his sisters.
So far, the only parts of their story he could understand had to do with his butler, a livid baron, and true love.
He waved his hands as if he could clear the confusion from the air. “Please, you must take turns.”
Liz and Katie snapped their mouths closed, exchanged a look as if to determine which one should go first, then started in again at the same time.
“Stop,” he commanded. Quiet descended over the room. He glanced toward his wife and found her nibbling her bottom lip. Vivian appeared as lost as he was.
“If I were to piece together anything from what you’ve told me so far,” he said, “I might conclude Lord Thorne and Wesley are in love.”
A chuckle burst from Vivian, but she sobered quickly when the girls shot incredulous looks in her direction. “I fear it may be more dire than that, my love,” she said. “From what I can gather, Gabby and Lord Ellis have eloped and Lord Thorne is none too happy about it.”
How had she garnered that from his sisters’ garbled words?
One Rogue Too Many Page 18
