Page 20 of Gabriela and His Grace

Brodie hummed in the back of his throat, and Gabby knew he did not believe her. His doubt sparked her anger.

“You know what,” she growled, pushing her parasol into his hands. “I will play.”

Hefting up the bulk of her skirts, Gabby marched to the court, her eyes narrowed on the duke.

• • •

Gabriela Luna was a thunderstorm. Sebastian had always thought it, but he was reminded of the comparison as he watched her stalk toward him with lightning flashing in her hazel eyes and thunder in every step she took across the deck. He slowly planted his hands on his hips as he waited, steeling himself for the onslaught.

“She doesn’t look happy, does she?” Little Samuel Ellis murmured, his lip stuck between his teeth.

Miss Catalina Ortega cocked her head, her pigtails falling across her shoulders as she studied Gabriela’s approach. “Did you do something to upset her, Your Grace?”

“If I did, I have no notion of what.” Sebastian narrowed his eyes when Gabriela did the same. “She’s probably annoyed I’m breathing.”

Catalina nodded her head in understanding, while Samuel frowned.

Gabriela came to a stop before him, her musky violet scent filling his senses. “I’d like to play.”

His lips twitched around a smile. “Did Brodie bully you into it?”

“Perhaps,” was all she allowed.

“He does it to me all the time.” Sebastian barked a laugh when Gabriela spun about on her heel to shoot Brodie a glare, no doubt realizing how the Scotsman had manipulated her. “It’s sort of comforting to know I’m not the only one he manages.”

She rubbed her temple. “He knew just how to spark my temper.”

“Or your competitive nature,” Lucia Moreno said, coming to join them.

“Or that.” Gabriela’s throat worked on a swallow. Not that he noticed. “I should have known better than to let him provoke me.”

A strange sensation burned in Sebastian’s gut to discover he understood the frustration Gabriela was feeling. He liked to think he was a logical, dispassionate man, ruled not by his heart but by his head. It had been an uncomfortable realization that his mood—his pride—could be ignited with the right sort of provocation. Brodie had perfected the talent, and while Sebastian knew the valet did so only to encourage him to get out of his own way, it still chafed.

Just as Gabriela’s talent to provoke him did. The thought irritated him to no end.

“Whether Mr. Brodie convinced you or not, you should play.” Miss Moreno squeezed her arm. “It’s the most fun I’ve had so far.”

“Perdóneme,” Gabriela cried, her face twisted in faux outrage, “but I thought we’ve had an entertaining time together.”

“Well, aside from the time I spent with you, of course,” Miss Moreno hastened to add, and the women shared a laugh.

Sebastian was almost certain the women had met only a few days ago on the docks, yet they now appeared to be confidantes. Once again, he marveled at Gabriela’s ability to make friends wherever she went.

He tapped his cane on the deck to draw their attention. “Are we ready to resume play, ladies?”

The women exchanged a smile, but then Gabriela surprised him when she crouched before Catalina and Samuel, who’d been lingering nearby. “I would love to play, but I am afraid I may need some help. It’s been so long since I’ve played hopscotch, and I could use a refresher. Would the two of you be willing to review the rules with me? I noticed that you’re both talented players.”

Biting back a sigh, Sebastian watched as the children succumbed to Gabriela’s charm, eagerly explaining the fundamentals of hopscotch.

The next ten minutes passed by quickly, with the children alternating between shouting encouragement or instructions at Gabriela. She caught on quickly because really, it’s not like they were playing chess. It was bloody hopscotch.

It was the reason Sebastian suggested it to the children to play in the first place. He’d been walking along the deck after an early breakfast when he’d seen young Samuel, Catalina, and a group of their friends moping about, bored and directionless. From Sebastian’s own experience, bored and directionless were a dangerous combination. It reminded him of his brothers, whose small, frail bodies were brimful of rambunctious energy. Somehow or another, Sebastian found himself outlining a hopscotch court on the brick patio at Whitfield Manor for the boys, and the trio spent hours hopping about. Members of the staff eventually joined them, for their laughter had been infectious.

An ache throbbed deep in Sebastian’s chest whenever he thought of the boys, but playing with the children now had dulled it slightly. The activity, and the children’s near-constant chatter, had also quieted the anxieties about the Camino Rojo mine that had been plaguing him since he left London. The children were occupied for a spell, and so was Sebastian. It was a mutually beneficial situation.

Until Gabriela arrived. She’d directed only a handful of comments at him, yet she had become the center of his attention. Sebastian fidgeted with the chain of his pocket watch while Gabriela patiently listened to her pint-size teachers explain the mechanics of hopscotch, and he did his best to avert his eyes when she lifted her skirts to hop down the court. Not that Sebastian had ever been tempted by the mere flash of a woman’s ankle. Now, the gentle slope of her calf or the sensual silky skin between her thighs was a different matter—

Sebastian clamped his jaws together as he tore his gaze away and focused on the white-tipped waves dotting the horizon.