A hooked finger drifted beneath her chin, raising it ever so slightly, and she relaxed into his touch. “I’m what?” she finally breathed.
But suddenly, his hand fell in defeat and he exhaled. “Better,” he finished at last. “I have nothing but bitterness and regrets in my heart.”
“You’re not alone in that,” she murmured, which earned her a raised brow. “I have experienced my fair share of malice and… injustice in my life. It has made me who I am today.”
“I quite like who you are. You are not as… breakable as I thought you were.”
“Breakable? I have never been breakable,” she defended lightly. “It is you who are too fearsome for your own good.”
Gideon chuckled and the rich, warm sound was enough to lift the corners of her mouth in a mirthful smile. “Fearsome, am I? Tell me, what else did you think of me?”
Amelia considered the question for a moment. “I thought you were rather… extraordinary. Like a man capable of conquering any feat put before him. Yet, I could sense that there was something that set you apart from others.”
“Really? And what might that be?”
“Well, you are quite easy on the eye, for one.” His broad grin made her blush but she spurred on. “And there’s always this feeling that you’re concealing a part of yourself.”
The subtle reference to his other persona did not dampen his mood the way she thought it might. Instead, Amelia was instantly relieved when his smile only widened. He downed the last of his drink and sighed. “So, she finds me handsome,” he mused aloud.
Amelia giggled. “Those were not my exact words.”
“No, but that is what I shall take from them, so…” he trailed off.
“So…?”
Gideon shook his head. “It is nothing,” he paused, studying her intensely, “but allow me to return the favor. When we first met, I truly thought you to be the most infuriatingly fragile thing. And the most beautiful lady I had ever laid my eyes on.”
“You don’t mean that,” she whispered, leaning back and frowning.
“I do. You are even more charming because you do not know your own beauty.” Suddenly, he lurched forward, bringing his face down to meet hers. Amelia’s breath hitched in her throat. “It is only a shame there has never been someone in your life to show you.”
Heart hammering in her ears, she whispered, “Willyou?”
CHAPTER 19
Her question, heavy with unspoken desire, hung in the air. Amelia herself could hardly believe the salacious words that had tumbled from her lips. At this moment, however, propriety was lost on her. Overwhelmed by a burning need, it took everything to not simply surrender to the temptation of claiming his lips with her own.
Gideon’s wicked grin consumed her final good senses, driving away any lingering seeds of doubt planted in her mind. He didn’t respond with words, only closed the distance until his lips collided with hers in a searing kiss. Amelia felt every nerve in her body set aflame, her limbs all but trembling from need. His fingers entwined with hers, pulling her closer. Amelia followed his lead as she rose, drawn to him like a moth to a flame, before finally straddling herself on his lap. Her earlier fantasies began to take form.
Their tongues tangled with a symphony of tenderness and his fingers traced delicate patterns along her spine. She shuddered and he smiled against her lips.
“You’re a naughty little temptress, aren’t you?” he murmured.
Amelia was tempted to nod, but he didn’t give her the chance when his hand boldly claimed her breast, causing her to gasp. Her body arched toward his cold touch. The fabric of her nightdress did little to protect her from his probing hand and Amelia was grateful for it. She ached to feel his skin against hers, needed to satiate what felt like an incurable longing to be closer to him. She’d never felt anything like this before with anyone. This desperation, this overwhelming craving. All she could think wasmore, more, more.
Gideon seemed to know precisely what she was hoping for because, in one swift and fluid motion, he lifted her nightdress over her head, leaving her exposed and at the mercy of his torching gaze. Amelia straddled him as bare as the day she’d been born but she felt no shame. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps shewasrather naughty. As his lips blazed a trail down her earlobe and his hands worshiped the curves of her breasts, Amelia felt nothing but pleasure, as though she belonged to this moment. To him.
“You’re—” His lips found her collarbone. “So—” A hot, open-mouthed kiss pressed between her breasts. “Perfect.” He captured her nipple between his teeth. The soft flick of his tongue had a bolt of ecstasy shooting through her, shattering her composure and leaving her gasping for breath.
She’d fantasized about this moment for so long, yearning for the moment he would touch her like this again. Now that the time had come, Amelia hardly had the wherewithal to holdherself together. His heady scent, a mix of brandy and tobacco, dazed her, and she squirmed and panted in his lap, her hips unconsciously grinding against the hard bulge she felt beneath her there. Gideon growled, biting her nipple gently before he pulled at it with his teeth. He wrapped his arm around her waist possessively as if he too needed her as close as possible.
She wanted to touch him. The urge to do so grew so unbearable that she couldn’t keep herself still. Reluctantly, Amelia pulled away from him, feeling a shiver run through her body now that he no longer had his lips on her. Question shadowed his eyes but she softly brushed the pad of her thumb across his brow to smooth away the lines of his frown.
“What is the matter?” he asked, breathlessly. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, you were perfect,” she whispered. “I just… I just want to touch you.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes before it melted into a deep, carnal lust. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, rolling his eyes to the ceiling as if he could hardly believe what he’d just heard. Somehow, that sight alone was enough to drive her to the brink of desperation.
