He entered her in one smooth thrust; the sudden sting of discomfort as her maidenhead was breached lasting only a brief moment.
She blinked as the full realization hit her.
She was a virgin no more.
While, to some, it might have been a sorrowful loss of one’s innocence, Triana felt only pure, unadulterated joy. She’d had her choice of a husband taken from her, so at least she had been able to offer the one thing she could control, to the only man worthy of possessing it. And while she refused to think of the future, that she would have to spend every other night with Eastbury as his wife, she would have the satisfaction of knowing he wasn’t the first man to introduce her to lovemaking.
That honor would always belong to Gabriel.
He waited for her to get accustomed to the feel of him inside of her, and then he began to move, slowly at first, then gradually increasing in speed. While it had been a foreign sensation at first, it didn’t take long before she felt herself falling back over that same precipice. She held tight to Gabriel, and rode the wave of passion once more — but this time she wasn’t alone as he groaned and emptied all of his passion inside of her.
It was exquisite.
Afterward, he held her in the circle of his arms and tenderly stroked her hair as she laid her head on his shoulder. The intimacy of the moment made Triana want to cry, but she resisted. Although she didn’t regret giving her virtue to Gabriel, after tonight, she realized it would only be that much harder to say goodbye.
***
Gabriel stayed awake long after Triana had fallen asleep in his arms, content just to hold her. But in the end, he reluctantly slipped out of bed. He shoved his arms in his dressing robe and glanced back at the woman who held his heart in her hands and felt a lurch in his chest. God, just looking at her now — with those tousled, dark locks in disarray about his pillow… those long lashes fanning her soft cheek… the delicate eyelids covering those expressive eyes, while the hint of a smile touched those kissable lips — she was truly a vision to behold.
His own fallen angel.
He walked over to the far side of the room, to a pair of double doors and slipped out onto the small balcony that overlooked an expansive rose garden. The sweet fragrance filled the air. From every color, to every kind of breed, he had heard that those flowers had been his mother’s haven before her death, and what had become his father’s obsession afterward. It was where the duke had spent his later years — or so Gabriel had been told. And considering the garden still looked as flawless as ever, it appeared the old man still ruled his mansion from beyond the grave, no doubt leaving strict orders to his staff to keep it restored.
A dark frown abruptly creased Gabriel’s brow, although it had nothing to do with the past that continued to creep up on him just by being here — the one place he’d vowed never to return. No, it was the fact that, for the first time in his lonely, miserable existence, he knew exactly what he wanted — or rather who — but she was out of his reach. At least, until this mission was completed. Until then, he was nothing but an indentured servant to his king, while Triana remained a betrothed woman to the wrong man.
He gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white as he considered his options. Of course, he could run off with Triana to Gretna Green right now — tonight — and tell everyone to go hang. Perhaps they would even go so far as to board a ship bound for the Americas in order to rub elbows with the natives.
But what kind of life would that be for Triana? She might think it an exciting adventure — at first. But there would be a scandal of the most epic proportions, not to mention that she would be torn from her home and forced to give up her family and everything she held dear. In the end, he feared she would grow to resent him.
A damned tragic ending to such a poignant love story, if you asked him.
With a curse, he went back inside and poured himself a brandy. Sitting near the fireplace, he sipped the amber liquid as his gaze sought out Triana once again; almost as if he had no control over where his eyes landed. She looked so peaceful, the flickering light of the glowing fire reflecting the shadows of her face as she lay in silent repose. It was as if she didn’t even realize she was at the bottom of an hourglass with its sands beginning to pour in.
He tightened his grip on the crystal tumbler in his hand. He was supposed to be the hero who came to her rescue, but even he wasn’t sure if he could be the gallant knight she needed. But he vowed, that to his dying breath, he would fight for her.
To give up now would be to lose the best thing he’d ever had.
“Gabriel?” The intimate sound of his name on her soft lips was enough to make him push aside any misgivings and go to her side. He let his eyes drink in her beauty; hoping to memorize this moment… the drowsy look in her gaze… her blue eyes sleepy, but sated from their earlier lovemaking… her breasts just peeking out from beneath the sheet as she reached out to him. “Is everything all right?”
He reached out and ran a finger along her jaw, and he smiled at the shiver of response he elicited from her. “It’s perfect.You’reperfect.” With that, he lowered his head and took her lips with his, for regardless of what happened tomorrow — if the price he eventually had to pay was his own life — he would cherish loving her now.
***
Triana allowed a contented sigh to slip out, stretching her aching limbs as the first rays of dawn began to brighten the horizon. Never before had she recalled being so blissfully happy or relaxed in her entire life, but then — she’d never had Gabriel in her bed before.
Her face heated as she glanced over at his handsome profile. One arm was flung behind his head while his eyes were closed in slumber — which she knew he must have need of after that last, glorious spurt of lovemaking.
I love you.
A sudden chill passed through her that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room, those three words hovering on the tip of her tongue countless times throughout the night, yet, she had been reluctant to say them, for there was still a small part of her that couldn’t imagine he might feel the same.
Desire, certainly. But love?
That was a rather strong emotion.
She tried to keep her insecurities from overshadowing what had been an otherwise, magical night, and quietly slipped out of bed. She located her nightdress, resisting the urge to hug herself and twirl about the room as she recalled the way he’d removed it from her body just hours ago — and the blatant arousal on his face as he’d done so.
She opened the connecting door, closing it behind her with a slight click, as she tiptoed to her own chamber, just as she overheard the first of the servants beginning to stir.
