“Well, had I known that all I had to do was mention the youngest Lambourne sister to see you lose a shot, I would have done so sooner,” he said and took a good shot. “So, what is the progress?”
“I got a marriage license.”
“That is why you didn’t come to the Parliament this morning? You went to inform Lord Lambourne and your… fiancé.”
At the word, Gerald’s fingers tightened around the glass. Miss Arabella was now tied to his name. The announcement would not remain private for long. By week’s end, the entire ton would know her name beside his. He drank a generous sip.
“I had other business. I sent Lord Lambourne a letter.”
Morgan missed his shot.
“You did what?”
Gerald picked up his cue and bent over the table.
“I sent him a letter.”
“You informed your future father-in-law of one of his daughter’s biggest moments via a letter. Was it too much to go over and announce it?”
“Yes,” Gerald took another shot.
“That is extremely cold even for you,” Morgan commented. “I hope Miss Arabella has enough warm coats.”
Gerald stilled again at the mention of her name.
“Speaking of which,” Morgan drew on his cigar, “how do you find Miss Arabella?”
Gerald missed his shot again.
“Oh,” Morgan said with glee, “this is getting very interesting. Who knew I never needed to improve, only mention a certain curvy, impressive young lady?”
Listening to his best friend commenting on Arabella’s body made him fist the billiard cue, made him want to hit Morgan instead of the balls. Instead, he calmed his nerves with brandy and watched as he took his turn.
Curvy. Arabella was that and more. He would have to be blind not to notice that voluptuous figure. He might have chastised her for taking her time walking to his table in Gunther’s, but he failed to mention how he enjoyed looking at her gracefully walking, her hourglass figure swaying a little.
He drank more brandy, but the only thing that did was take him back to her drawing room. Her smell was the first that lodged in his brain. Lilies. Not overbearing, just there, emanating from her skin. Her smooth, soft skin. He knew the feel of it very well.
He still couldn’t believe he crossed a line with a woman that he had just met. To be in a room alone with her was one thing. But he dared more. It was meant to warn her, to assert his control, show her that he was serious about his decision, that there was no escape.
Instead, her body, without consulting logic, instinctively arched to his. His famous control was tested. To see her this lost, the rush of heat through her body, not really fully understanding what she was offering, was almost irresistible. If he had touched more, he would surely find her… ready.
He emptied his glass, and yet it was not the brandy he tasted, it was her skin, that spot where her neck met her shoulder, tasting of something so sweet that Gerald couldn’t quite settle after that.
It took all his legendary restraint not to claim more, to taste more, to touch more. And if he was to be completely honest with himself, a delicious shiver ran up his spine to his core each time he thought of her, tempting him to-
“Gerald!”
Morgan’s voice dispersed the vision, away from a soft, fragrant world and into a smoke-infused billiard room.
“Your turn, Gerald.”
He handled the cue with barely stable hands and managed to hit all three balls. Still, his mind was elsewhere. As he bent over to set the next hit, he thought about how it would be to have Arabella bent over like this, teaching her to play, her body so close, his hands guiding hers. He missed the hit.
“You are distracted! This is my night. I am finally going to-”
Morgan didn’t get to finish his words. The door to the billiard room opened, and a flurry of color and laughter rushed in. A group of entertainers was determined to take over all of the gentleman’s club, and that included the quiet space that Gerald and Morgan were occupying.
Gerald straightened; his back went rod-like at the sight of these frivolous women. Morgan, on the other side, was quite thrilled to see the invasion, smiling at the girls with a wide smile. He dropped his cue and approached the merry company that hadalready lured in the room, the same group of men that had invaded the room before, now emboldened.
