“My maid,” Amelia explained, rolling her eyes innocently enough. She spun elegantly, heading to the small writing nook she had made for herself. Realizing that she had left her papers scattered across the desk, she flushed, trying to hide them with her body.
She was not very subtle, however. Gideon followed and easily sidled past her, plucking the first sheet of paper he could reach from her desk. “What have we here?” he inquired.
Amelia resisted the urge to snatch it from his hand, fighting the flush creeping up her neck. She’d been working on an intimate letter to Dorothy and she was still trying to find her words.
“It’s only something I have been working on,” she answered lightly, hoping that her voice sounded dismissive enough to kill any interest in what he was holding. “It is quite impolite to peruse someone’s belongings without their leave,” she quickly added.
Gideon chuckled, a deep low rumble that only complemented his boyish grin. “I am not perusing through them. Hmm, merely… glancing.”
“Without my permission.”
“Is it so wrong to be curious?” He made another attempt to glance at the paper from above her head and it took all of Amelia’s strength not to hide her face in embarrassment. He was reading it. The short story she had been working on for the past few days was now being exposed to someone else’s eyes and she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Under different circumstances, with a different person, she might have been fine. Annoyed, perhaps but not nearly as anxious as she felt presently. But because it was Gideon, she suddenly felt eager for his approval. She fell silent, her eyes not leaving his face for a second. She watched as his eyes slowly skimmed from side to side, his smile falling as he continued to read. It felt as if she was standing at trial awaiting her judgment, though she doubted being before a court of law would be as nerve-wracking as this.
A recount of the last two years, the stories she had hidden in her heart… Amelia had wanted to send it all in a letter to Dorothy when the time was right.
“Amelia…” he began, signaling the end of his perusal.
Her emotions took flight. Amelia couldn’t help the blush that stained her cheeks. “That was not for your eyes,” she dismissed shyly.
“I didn’t expect it to be so… intimate.” His tone was earnest. Slowly, he lowered the paper back to the desk, his gaze never leaving her. “Is that… man, supposed to symbolize your father?”
Amelia wasn’t sure what to say at first. Then, she nodded carefully, watching Gideon’s face for anything.
“I’m—I’m sorry such a tragedy befell him. Who was this all intended for then?”
“No one,” she quickly responded. “And I haven’t even finished yet.”
“Well, I appreciate the fact you felt comfortable enough to share it with me. Even though I was a bit forceful on that front,” he admitted with a cheeky grin.
Amelia couldn’t help sharing the smile. A weight had been lifted from her chest. “At least you are honest enough to acknowledge your wrongdoings. And now that you have seen what I came here to do…”
Gideon didn’t seem perturbed by her subtle attempt to ask him to leave. Casually, he perched at the corner of her writing desk and folded his arms, a playful pout gracing his lips – and Amelia felt her resolve crumble. “Are you that eager to get rid of me?”
On the contrary, Amelia was quite content with his company. She’d initially made her way to the library with the sole purpose of distracting herself from the urge to seek him out, not wishing to be an unwelcome distraction. And yet, here he was, turning the tables and seeking her out instead.
Shrugging, she conceded, “You’re welcome to stay then,” pretending as if her heart wasn’t jumping with joy at his desire to spend time with her.
“Your generosity knows no bounds, ma’am,” he cooed and she rolled her eyes again. As Amelia moved to navigate past him to her chair, he gently captured her wrist, halting her progress. “As much as I would love to see your creative mind in action, there is actually another reason why I followed you here.”
“What is that?” she whispered. Surely he could feel her pounding pulse under his thumb. She hoped he wouldn’t comment on it.
“Let’s just say… I am in dire need of distraction. Fortune hasn’t favored me lately, you see.” With a gentle pull, he drew her closer. His large hands found a natural resting place at the curve of her hips.
Amelia didn’t know what to do with herself. She could hardly breathe properly. She watched his devilish face for a hint of anything, but the hooded gaze he gave her seemed only full of veiled lust. Heat simmered between them as if it wanted nothing more than to burn their clothes away from their flesh. With the way she was feeling right now, she wouldn’t mind that too much.
But his words lingered with her. Nothing seemed to be going his way? Was he alluding to his secret work as the Masked Rogue?
“Can I help with that?” she whispered, the words a delicate offering between them.
Gideon hummed under his breath, his eyes dipping to her lips. “Allowing me to behold your beauty is enough,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath skating across her skin, a tender caress that threatened to buckle her knees. “…Though Ididhave something in mind.”
He was going to kiss her. Amelia could sense it, could discern the purpose behind his fiery gaze. And God, if she hadn’t been thinking about kissing him again ever since their return from the park.
Gideon’s face dipped towards her. Amelia held her breath, every fiber of her being wanting to lean forward and meet his lips. Her eyelids fluttered shut. But, just before their lips touched, he added, “I was thinking along the lines ofQuestions and Commands?” When she didn’t respond, nor pull away, he continued, “A pleasant little diversion before I get back to work.”
Amelia’s eyes shot wide open. “Uhm, yes, I was thinking the same.”
