He held her gaze, his expression stony. “Upon my honor as a gentleman.”
She knew his honor meant everything to him. Even when people disparaged her husband because of his profession, no one ever doubted that he was a man of his word.
Relief trickled through her. An awkward silence followed during which she underwent a fraught debate in her head. Should she beleaguer him about the identity of the mysterious woman…or should she try to heal the breach caused by her unwarranted suspicions?
As she struggled to decide, Adam spoke first.
“Last night,” he said. “Did anything happen?”
Fire crept up her face. “What, um, are you referring to?”
“You were right in saying that I overindulged. It is not my habit, as you know.” He cleared his throat, looking as discomfited as she’d ever seen him. “I woke up in the study with a blasted megrim and no recollection of last night…except that you were possibly there with me. At some point. Am I mistaken?”
Sweet heavens…he doesn’t remember what happened.
Dumbly, she stared at him. In his tense features, she saw no sign that he recalled what he’d done with her. What she’d done with him.
“I was there,” she croaked.
“Did I do or say anything to offend?”
Other than fucking me? With your cock…and your tongue? Whilst I came and came like a harlot and begged you for more?
Mutely, she shook her head.
“I’m glad for it. If I did say anything—do anything—to distress you, you would let me know?”
Distress hadn’t been the emotion she’d felt: that was the crux of the problem. Adam had married her because he wanted a proper wife, one who was virtuous and good. She couldn’t stand for him to discover that, in addition to her other faults, she was a trollop. Panic twisted her insides as she imagined his disapproval.
He never has to know. Don’t ruin your marriage over this. Hide, hide, hide.
“Gabriella?” Adam was scrutinizing her, his jaw taut.
“Yes,” she mumbled. “I would let you know.”
Lines eased from his brow. He cleared his throat again. “Nasty stuff, brandy. I shan’t overdo it again. Now I’m off to bed. Early meeting on the morrow. Good night, my dear. Sleep well.”
He leaned to kiss her on the cheek, and this time she didn’t pull away. His spicy maleness filled her senses, and for one charged moment, her inner barriers seemed to collapse. She had the urge to do something utterly mad: to throw herself at him, be a slave to his every wicked desire…
Her hands clenched at her sides as he gave her a husbandly peck. Tucking a stray tress behind her ear, he smiled faintly before exiting to the adjoining chamber.
Her heart beating like a wild trapped thing, she watched the door close between them.
16
Present Day
Adam feltthe scrape of honed steel against his throat.
Since it had been preceded by a steamy warm towel wrapped around his face and the application of rich and luxuriously scented shaving soap with a soft brush, he relaxed in the chair. His eyes closed as Quinn, his personal valet, began removing his night beard with deft strokes.
I could get used to this.
It was three weeks after he’d awakened with amnesia. Physically, he was healed, the knitted flesh giving him hardly any trouble at all. It joined the faded collection of scars he’d found on himself, badges of honor worn by any man who’d apparently come from where he had. He still didn’t remember his old life, but he’d reached an undeniable conclusion: there was nowhere else he’d rather be than where he was now.
He lived a gentleman’s life, one of casual and undeniable extravagance. Not only were his personal needs catered to by professionals—Quinn being one amongst his army of servants—but he lived in a house with twenty-eight rooms…and this was no exaggeration. As soon as he’d started walking on his own, he’d wandered through andcounted.
He’d taken an inventory of the household goods too. The silver plate alone could probably buy a small kingdom, and he’d made sure to tell Burke, the dried-up old stick of a butler, to do a regular accounting. Although Burke had responded as all the staff had to Adam’s requests, with a deferential “Yes, sir,” the ancient retainer hadn’t liked being lectured on his responsibilities.
