“That’s three.” He smirked at the challenge in her voice. “Tell me something, Amelia. What do you think about the act of gambling?”
Amelia considered his question for a moment. Uncertain about where he was going with this, she decided to play it safe at first. “Are we still playing the game?”
“Consider it taking a short detour.”
He was playing it safe as well.
“My views on it do not differ from many others. I understand that it can be an entertaining pastime, but it is a treacherous slope—few can escape its grasp once caught.”
“I agree. Though I would much rather describe it as a sinful vice that does nothing but causes one to destroy everything in their path.”
“Then why partake in it if you despise it so much?”
“Sometimes, one must step outside their moral compass to achieve an objective.”
“And what is this objective you seek, Gideon?”
Her soft question had him leaning closer to her, studying her face carefully. If he intended to make her feel bashful, then he succeeded, though she didn’t dare to show it. “Perhaps once I reach it, I shall tell you.”
But I won’t be in your life by then.
She bit her lip to keep from saying the words aloud. This was all for Dorothy. Marrying him, counting down the days until she would gain access to her inheritance. It was all so that she could get Dorothy out of her horrible situation and they could live comfortably together. There was no reason for her to feel saddened at the thought of separating because that had been the plan all along. She couldn’t very well remain married to someone like the Masked Rogue.
Gideon cradled her chin as though he had the ability to read her innermost thoughts, even though Amelia knew that couldn’t be the case.
“Shall we resume the game, then?” he asked her. She could only not slowly, mute. “Then I command you to tell me what you are thinking right this moment.”
I think I am falling in love with you.
Her world slammed into focus. The breath in her lungs dissipated, and Amelia’s entire senses ran cold. She felt paralyzed.
She quickly licked her lips. She grappled to think of a proper lie, but it was only the truth that clamored for release. Gideon arched a brow at her silence.
“Do you forfeit?” he asked her.
Amelia nodded. She’d much rather stay quiet than dare speak, knowing that she might say something she shouldn’t.
“You know you must be punished, right?” Gideon continued on to say, his tone gentle, unwavering.
She nodded again, heart pounding in her ears. Unable to help herself, she glanced down at his lips, only one thought crossing her mind.
The same idea must have crossed through his because, the next second, his lips were on hers. Amelia couldn’t contain the audible moan—a sound of pure want—that rumbled in her throat and it seemed to spur him on. He pressed her against the side rest of the chaise, his hand firmly squeezing around her thigh. Every scorching inch of skin that he’d branded from the last time he touched her begged for more. Gideon chuckled as she clawed away at his clothes, the shy, reticent lady from before disappearing to reveal the lascivious woman she was underneath.
He let her take charge. In tearing off their clothes, touching him, dragging his hand where she needed his touch most. By the time his fingers reached the thatch of hair between her thighs, she was dripping with need. Amelia’s eyes rolled to the heavens the moment he touched her there, his name a whisper on her lips. And he proceeded with the ministrations she had been craving for every second of her existence since learning from him. She couldn’t hold herself back any longer, his fingers driving her to the brink of madness. But before she could be sent hurtling toward her peak, she slapped away his hand and moved to straddle him instead.
“No, I… I want it all,” she panted amidst heavy breaths.
Gideon grinned—his jawbone devilishly dashing—at what she was so intent on doing next and Amelia couldn’t help but mirror his expression, giddy with desire. Her small hand encircled his manhood where it lay bulging beneath her hips and her heart thudded against her ribcage. The daringness that evolved from her earlier passions came to a head, and she began to stroke it fiercely, eliciting deep moans from Gideon’s throat.
As she felt Gideon's skin against hers, Amelia's heart began to race faster and faster. She could feel the heat building up in her core, the excitement and anticipation overwhelming her senses. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, imagined it a thousand times, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality. He was so strong, so powerful, his muscular chest rippling as he drew back slightly, his dark locks tousled from their passionate kisses.
Gideon’s eyes fluttered open and he leaned in again, his breathing uneven and deep this time. He consumed her lips whole, as though it might be the last kiss they ever shared.
She couldn't help but moan softly as he finally entered her, feeling full and warm and right in a way she never knew possible. It was intimate and sacred, their connection, the pain quickly fading away as she grew accustomed to him filling her up.
He began to slowly thrust inside her, taking his time, his movements so gentle that it almost felt like a dance. His head pressed into the crook of her neck as if savoring her taste, while his hands found their way to her hips, drawing her closer to him. His rhythm steadily increased, his skin sliding against hers with each thrust, releasing waves of heady passion through her entire being. Gideon's lips trailed soft kisses down her neck, sucking at her pulse point, making her gasp softly.
Amelia’s eyes shut tightly as she focused on the feeling building inside of her, the sensations overwhelming yet exhilarating all at once. The library drapes were slightly ajar, letting in just the slightest bit of moonlight that bathed them both in an ethereal glow. The sound of their bodies moving together echoed through the otherwise silent room, filling the air with the music they made. As Amelia grew more comfortable, she began to grind her hips against Gideon, the movement causing delicious friction between them. He watched her closely, his eyes never leaving her face as if searching for any sign of distress. She felt his warmth inside her, surrounding her, claiming her completely.
