Chapter Thirty-Four
Gabriel held his breath. He knew he hadn’t given her the opportunity to say anything, and yet it was somewhat working against him as he longed to know what thoughts were running behind those violet eyes, which were now filling with tears. Were they tears of joy? Sadness? Regret?
“Gabriel,” she said, her voice breaking. “I can hardly believe you are asking me once more, after everything I have said to you, all I have put you through. The threat of taking away your partnership, my repeated denials of your offers toward me—I have not been good to you, Gabriel, and I can hardly imagine what you must think of me.”
“I told you what I think.”
“You have.”
She blushed, her high cheekbones turning a pretty, becoming pink. Could the woman be any more beautiful?
“Gabriel,” she said, her voice slightly breaking, and she astonished him when tears began to run down her cheeks. He had never seen her cry before. Not when she had found him with another woman, when she had denied his proposal, nor when her grandfather had died. She had kept it all within her, and the fact that she was now allowing her emotion to show in front of him meant more than any words ever could. “I’ve been a fool. I’ve held onto the past, held onto my hurts and my fears. I have been scared. Of what being with you could mean for my role at the bank. Of what I would do if you took another woman once more. And, more than anything, what I would feel if you didn’t love me as I do you. Of how I could ever handle my heart breaking once more.”
She took a breath, and his own chest ached at the thought that this was his own doing, for ever making her feel that this could be a possibility.
“We have both done things, said things, to one another, that we regret,” he acknowledged, and she nodded.
“I have many questions about my future. I enjoy knowing what is ahead, to plan out my life, and to be aware of what may be coming,” she said with a bit of a rueful smile, and he nodded, acknowledging her words. “The past few months have been complete chaos, something that I believe I have to come to accept, at least more than I ever previously have. I need to embrace my fears, accept the challenges to come and, if nothing else, to take a risk now and then. While taking a chance on our love would be a risk, not doing so would be even worse, for then I would spend the rest of my life knowing that I had thrown away what could be the greatest part of my existence.”
Gabriel couldn’t help the smile from appearing on his face.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but did I hear you say that you love me?”
She laughed at that, some of the tension within her dissipating.
“I do,” she said, the tears beginning to fall in earnest, and Gabriel reached into his pockets to find a handkerchief. Instead of passing it to her, he gently wiped away her tears himself.
“And does that mean,” he continued, “That you will marry me? Or would you like me to ask again? For I will—for you. I will ask a third time.”
“No, no!” she exclaimed, holding a finger up against his lips. “I will not force you to lose all of your pride. I appreciate your amended proposal more than you know. I do love you, Gabriel. I love the fact that while you do enjoy your games, what I have been remiss about in the past is that you always play them with the best interests of those you love at heart. I love the fact that you challenge me, that you possess an intellect above any that I have ever known. And I love that you have never given up on me. That you see beyond what I present to the world, that you are perceptive enough to know there is more underneath and that you have worked hard to bring it out of me. I have a… difficult time trusting others. Perhaps it is because of the way my parents raised me, to always look for more from me. I’m not sure, and it’s no excuse, but it’s time I put that to rest.”
“You will share your burdens then?”
“I will share mine if you will share yours.”
Gabriel tilted his head further toward hers, bringing their foreheads together.
“You drive a hard bargain, my lady, but I think that is one to which I can agree.”
“Good,” she said, her voice a whisper, and then reached into the folds of her dress, pulling out a box that looked awfully familiar. His heart began to beat harder as she opened it, slipping the ring out of the box and onto her finger. “So, yes, Gabriel, I will marry you.”
He fused his lips against hers, the softness of them turning his bones to liquid. This was no quick, stolen kiss, whether in the gardens or even in his own bedchambers. This as a kiss of promise. Promise that they would have a lifetime together, that they would be one another’s partner in every way that mattered.
She broke the seal between their lips with her tongue before he did, and the corners of his lips turned into the slightest smile at her forwardness. There was one thing he could say about Elizabeth—she certainly wasn’t shy.
Her tongue sought out his as her hands swept up and around his head, her fingers stroking the nape of his neck where his hair curled over the collar of his jacket. Finding their position rather uncomfortable, he lifted her up and placed her upon his lap, his fingers digging into her bottom, feeling the lushness awaiting him there.
One thing she certainly would never have to worry about was him ever wanting another. She was more woman than he could ever imagine, and he loved everything about her. He wanted nothing more than to lay her down on the sofa and make love to her, but he knew how foolhardy that would be. A servant, or even her grandmother, could walk in at any moment.
She was apparently feeling the same, for she broke their kiss, her breathing as ragged as his.
“Come,” she said, hopping off of his lap and holding her hand out to him.
“Anywhere,” he said, meaning it. “But…”
“Do you trust me?” She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, and he nodded.
“Of course. With anything.”
“Then follow me.”
And so he went, feeling like a young man again as she looked out the door one way and then the other, before rushing him down the hallway after seeing no one about. They ducked past the back sitting room, wherein Elizabeth whispered to him her grandmother would be. She giggled slightly after they passed before leading him up the stairs and down the corridor, pushing open the door in the back corner.
He looked around, astonished to find her own room within. It was finished in deep purple and accented in cream, reminding him of her in every way.
“My home will need some serious redecorating,” he said, looking around him in awe as she locked the door behind her. “Are you up for the task? Though that may be a foolish question as I hardly think there is anything you cannot do.”
“There are some things,” she said, her hands coming to the buttons on the front of his jacket, “That I believe you can teach me.”
“Ah,” he said, grinning down at her. “If my lady commands it, then teach you I will.”
With a growl, he picked her up and laid her down upon the bed, lifting a hand to trail a finger down her cheek, her neck, to the swell of her bosom now rising above her dress.
“What would you like to learn today?” he asked, then quickly kissed her lips.
“How to truly make love, with all of the emotion behind it,” she said, her lashes dropping as though she were somewhat embarrassed, and he chuckled.
“That, Elizabeth, we shall have to learn together.”
As she worked the buttons on his jacket, her fingers somewhat trembled, but she was determined all the same. He brought his hands behind her back to rid her of her dress. He expertly released the small buttons from their laces and then nudged the sleeves down her shoulders. He lifted himself up on his elbows, appreciating that in the waning light of day through the open windows, he could see the silky dew of her skin. Needing to taste her, he dropped his lips upon her shoulder, kissing his way along her collarbone to her neck, then down lower. She gasped, arching up against him when he nudged her dress down and found one nipple, sucking it throu
gh the light, transparent material of her chemise. Her hands found his hair once more, lacing her fingers through it, and for once he had not a care for how disheveled he would look following this encounter.
Somehow, as he divested her of her own gown, she had rid him of his jacket and was now working on his shirt. While she was determinately stubborn, his urge to feel his skin against hers overcame all else, and he ripped his shirt off before lifting her chemise over her head. When he lay back down, he didn’t think anything had ever felt as good as her bare breasts against his chest. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought she might even be rubbing against him, and his desire for her began to burn even hotter.
And then she brought her hands to the fall of his pants, and when she freed him, the simmer he had been feeling before burst into flames. He had meant to make love to her slowly, softly, with the promise of forever, but he would do that later. For at the moment, he could think of nothing but finding himself inside of her once more, loving her with all that he was, body and his soul.
She seemed to be of the same mind, as together they rid him of his breeches and guided him toward her. He was sheathed within her in one swift motion as they moved together simultaneously, and he let out a shout at how right it felt, how he knew that this was where he was meant to be more than anywhere else in the entire world.
“Elizabeth,” he managed, bringing his lips to her ear. “I love you.”
“And I you.”
They began to move, synchronized together in an experience unlike any he had ever had before. They may have already known one another in a bodily sense, but now that they knew their love for one another was more than a fleeting desire, but something that would last forever, the physical manifestation of it tore through his body as he gripped her hips, unable to hold on much longer.
His dipped his head, taking a nipple within his mouth as he reached between them and found the bud of her desire, stroking it in time to the motion of his hips. She gave out a scream which he captured with his mouth, taking the sound within him, as together they found their release while the world seemed to explode around him with the brightest of intensities.
It took him more than a moment to calm down from it. He held himself up from her body, keeping his entirety of weight from her, but he allowed his forehead to rest against hers as their choppy breath mingled together.
Finally, he rolled to his side, bringing her along with him.
“Elizabeth,” he said. “I don’t think I can ever let you go.”
“You don’t have to,” she said with a smile. “I’m here with you now—forever.”
“Except tonight I will have to sleep without you,” he said with a sigh.
“You will,” she said. “Though for how many more nights, that remains to be seen.”
“I suppose we will have to wait an acceptable amount of time.”
She shrugged. “You’re a duke… can you not find a way to shorten that?”
He laughed then, pulling her against him. “What’s this now? Is my proper Elizabeth looking to do something against what might be expected of her?”
“I think I am long past that point now,” she said, laughing with him. “Except for the fact that I am marrying the man every other woman in England seems to want, I believe it is best to now forge my own path ahead.”
“Together,” he said, looking down at her.
“Together.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Three weeks later
“Oh, Elizabeth, that was the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen—besides yours, of course, Phoebe, which was equally as lovely.”
Elizabeth smiled at Sarah’s wistful words. She was right—the wedding but two days before had been lovely. Never had she thought she would be the type of woman to want a massive wedding, with excessive amounts of lace and flowers and a sumptuous wedding breakfast, but when one married a duke, there wasn’t much choice.
Her parents had been more thrilled and proud of her than ever before. While Elizabeth wished for their approval in other aspects of her life, of course, she had been pleased that, at the very least, the four of them, along with her brother, had the opportunity to find a moment of peace with one another. Until, of course, her mother began to ask Terrence just when he thought he was going to find a wife of his own, for Lord Moreland was not getting any younger, and it was quite important for Terrence to continue the family line. Terrence had not remained long in the conversation following that.
In the end, however, it had actually been rather lovely to have the well-wishes of so many people. There were quite a few jealous stares sent her way, of course, but Elizabeth hardly noticed them. It was difficult, actually, to see much of anything besides Gabriel, and the way he had looked in his immaculately cut black jacket, breeches, and shiny leather boots as he awaited her at the altar.
“More than anything,” Elizabeth said now, looking around at her friends as they walked through the lush greenery of the park, a tradition that they repeated more seldom now, only whenever the four of them had the time, “I am happy to finally be married. To be able to go home to Gabriel every night…”
She trailed off, feeling the heat within her cheeks, and her friends laughed.
“No more sneaking around?” Phoebe asked with a knowing grin, and Elizabeth shook her head at her friend, but they knew her far better than that.
“Elizabeth, I never would have thought you would be the one out of all of us to repeat such impropriety!” Phoebe continued to tease, and Elizabeth knew her face must be quite a bright pink. Phoebe had mercy on her, however, and laid a hand upon her arm. “I am very pleased. It actually makes you more perfect than ever before.”
“I am not perfect!”
“No, but it always seems as though you are,” Julia said with a sigh. “I am always blundering one thing after another, though it all seems to work out in the end.”
“And that’s what matters, is it not?” Elizabeth asked, and Julia smiled ruefully.
“I suppose so.”
“How fares the bank?” Phoebe asked, focusing on business for a moment, and her question brought another smile to Elizabeth’s face.
“Very well, actually,” she said. “Many of the clients who requested all of their funds to be withdrawn have returned. When it comes to a lifetime of savings, people can act rashly. It is actually reassuring to know that Clarke & Co. offers such excellent service that no other bank can compete.”
“And then there’s the fact that you handled it with such grace,” Sarah pointed out, and Elizabeth simply shrugged.
“It seems it was the best tactic I could have taken, which is reassuring. In addition, the original partners have embraced the former employees as new partners, and both Mr. Bates and Mr. Larkin have brought a massive amount of knowledge to the table that has been key in managing the staff. In addition, they have kept my secret, though I suppose it matters naught now that Gabriel and I are married.”
“Are you able to work well together as partners in the bank?” Sarah asked, and Elizabeth nodded.
“Gabriel does not see much to the daily operations, but he has a tremendous amount of contacts of course. Together, we have been fortunate to bring a fair number of new clients to the bank.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Sarah said, looking up at her, though she squinted in the sun.
“Thank you, Sarah,” said Elizabeth. “Have you any wish to find a man for yourself?”
Sarah sighed and shook her head. “I have other worries at the moment. Before I concern myself with the rest of my life, I wish to find my father, just to know who he is and whether we might have any type of relationship.”
“We will help you with that,” Elizabeth declared, and when Sarah began to protest, she held up a hand. “No arguments, now. Besides, it will give Gabriel something to focus his energies on—something productive, that is.”
“Very well,” Sarah finally agreed. “I do appreciate it.”
“Of course,” said Elizab
eth. “Now, as for where to begin…”
They moved on from the subject of her marriage as they began to concentrate on Sarah’s dilemma. It wouldn’t be easy, but between the four of them—along with a little help—there didn’t seem to be much they couldn’t accomplish.
*
That night, Elizabeth and Gabriel lay together upon his bed, the huge, massive mahogany monstrosity, at least to Elizabeth’s way of thinking. They would compromise, he promised, find a style that matched the two of them. Masculine, yet… aesthetically pleasing was how he had put it, if she remembered correctly.
“Do you miss your own home?” Gabriel asked after they had made love, and Elizabeth shrugged. “I do appreciate the opportunity to change some of the decor here to my liking,” she said. “The other home will always truly be my grandmother’s, though I know she enjoyed the company when I was there. Terrence, however, has decided to make his home there now. I think he was becoming rather lonely at the boardinghouse.”
“I’m pleased to hear it,” said Gabriel. “He’s a good man, your brother.”
Elizabeth nodded.
In the glow of the candlelight, Elizabeth marveled at the sinewy delight of Gabriel’s body. While she had not exactly seen many men in their naked form, she couldn’t see how any other could possibly ever compare to Gabriel. Though he certainly worked at the way he looked, she thought with a smile.
“Whatever could be so funny?” he asked now at her expression as he leaned his head on his fist, his elbow on the bed beside her.
“You,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow.
Regency Scandals and Scoundrels Collection Page 118
