***
With Gabriel’s arms around her, standing underneath a dark canvas of twinkling stars, Triana gave into the spell of the moment. “I want more, Gabriel.”
Something predatory flashed in the duke’s eyes before his mouth tightened. “You don’t know what you’re asking of me, Triana.”
He started to pull away, but she stopped his retreat with a gentle hand on his jaw. She could feel the strength under her gloved palm and knew it was because he was trying to control himself. The fact that she held that much power over him was incredibly heady. “Yes, I do,” she whispered confidently. “I want you to fill this ache inside of me.”
Gabriel didn’t move a single muscle. It was as if he were carved from stone. “I’m not the man for you, Triana.” His eyes were stern. “Rest assured I’ll break your heart.”
She refused to accept that, and whether or not it was true she would deal with the consequences later. Right now, it was about the needs of a man and a woman and her love for him. “I may be innocent in many ways, Gabriel, but I’m not a child. I know what I want. And that’s you.”
He took a deep, fortifying breath. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
She smiled. “Then don’t let me go.”
Her softly spoken plea was his undoing. Without another word, Gabriel pulled her flush against him. He plunged his hands into her hair, causing more than one pin to go awry, and caught her mouth in a deep, drugging kiss that made her head whirl. She clutched his shoulders and sighed at the overwhelming sensations shooting through her body — hot one minute and shivering with excitement the next. Desire was a potent malady, but one she didn’t mind suffering in the least.
She rubbed her hands along the hard wall of his muscular chest, and wondered what his naked skin would feel like beneath her fingertips. For years she’d fantasized about what transpired between lovers, but until Gabriel came into her life, she had never wanted to explore that carnal world. But now — tonight — she intended for the handsome duke to teach her that exquisite intimacy, and she promised herself that she would be an apt pupil.
Gabriel’s hands roamed at will, setting every inch of her body on fire. But just as he began to lift up her skirts, feeling the cool air on the back of her legs, a twig snapped behind them.
Instantly, Gabriel pulled away and pushed Triana behind him — just as Travell appeared around the corner.
Triana’s face burned scalding hot. It was thoroughly embarrassing for her brother to find her in such a compromising position, but she knew if anyone else had happened upon them, she would be well and truly ruined, for there was no hiding the evidence of her tryst with Gabriel. No doubt her lips were still swollen from Gabriel’s torrid kisses… her skin rosy and flushed with unrequited desire...her hair hanging in disarray about her shoulders.
Travell’s face turned grim as he took in the scandalous scene before him. He looked at Triana, and she glanced away guiltily. “I might ask what the hell is going on here, but seeing as though I can hazard a rather thorough guess on my own—” He ran a hand through his hair. “We have to go, Tri. We haven’t much time—”
As if on cue, voices arose from the other side of the hedge, and Triana’s blood abruptly left her body. She reached up to try to repair her coiffure, but she knew it was no use. The damage had been done.
Everything that happened next seemed to play out in slow motion.
Her brother turned to Gabriel and said curtly, “You know what has to be done.” The duke replied with a barely perceptible nod — just as Lady Worthington turned the corner, along with Lady Trenton and two of the biggest gossips to ever cross the thresholds of London society.
***
“There you are, darling!” Cordelia casually strode up to Gabriel, although the triumphant sparkle in her green eyes gave her innocent manner away. “I was wondering where you’d ran off to—” She paused as she spied his companions. “Lord Curdiff, what a surprise… and Lady Triana — my gracious, dear. You look quite… disheveled.”
Lady Trenton’s mouth fell open, but Gabriel spoke up first, the words he was about to say nearly getting lodged in his throat. But as Travell said, he knew what he had to do. Adopting an arrogant prose, he murmured, “I regret being waylaid, my dear. I daresay I was on the cusp of winning a wager with Lord Vestry regarding my fair companion, before I was… interrupted.”
Triana made a sound between a sob and a gasp, but Gabriel didn’t look at her. He couldn’t. But he did see the two matrons standing nearby begin to flutter their fans furiously. “Tsk, tsk, Chiltern.” Cordelia arched a delicate brow, although her eyes flashed with mirth. “Do tell.”
Gabriel forced himself to wink at the marchioness. “I shall be glad to give you all the details. Perhaps somewhere more… private?”
Cordelia’s lips began to twitch with unsuppressed delight, while Gabriel was suffering a wash of guilt. He wanted to rail against the injustice of it all, but since he still needed to keep up appearances, he kept his face impassive. But that didn’t mean he didn’t hate his actions, nor himself, as much as he did in that moment. And never had he resented the fact he was a spy — until now.
Unfortunately, he realized he’d told Triana the truth.
He had broken her heart.
Travell finally stepped forward and took Triana by the hand. “I think it’s time we took our leave.”
They were halfway across the lawn before Lady Trenton shook herself out of her own stupor and followed in close pursuit.
The other two women continued to wave their fans wildly as they made their way back to the ballroom, likely to spread the latest gossip to any and all who would listen.
Gabriel carefully masked his true feelings, and turned to Cordelia with a lazy lift of his brow. “I do hope this doesn’t injure my association with Curdiff, for he was a capital fellow with prominent ties to Parliament, but surely he can understand the certain delights that a bachelor must enjoy.” Holding out his arm to Lady Worthington, he asked, “Shall we return to the ball?”
She hesitated only a moment before accepting. “Indeed, Your Grace. It’s nice to know I’m once again at the forefront of your attentions.”
