like that?”
He held her gaze, his expression serious. “If I desire them, yes.”
Antonia waited for his smile but it didn’t come. She scrambled back to sit on her
seat. “Was there something else you wished to show me?”
He glanced down at his groin. “I believe we had this discussion last week. You
arouse me, I am hard again. You can choose whether you wish to aid me with that
problem or not.”
“You were right. The brandy did taste better on your lips.”
He smiled at her abrupt retreat. “I suggest that from now on you try and drink it
yourself. Kissing me in the middle of a gaming hell to enliven the taste wouldn’t be a
wise idea.”
She contemplated the brown liquid. “Perhaps I might just take a few sips and
pretend to drink the rest.”
46
Antonia’s Bargain
“Aye, I’ve heard some cardsharps tip the contents of their glasses down the inside
of their shirtsleeves in order to appear more drunk than their victims.”
Antonia peered down the cuff of her shirt. “I could probably manage that. I can
practice at home.”
Gideon picked up a pack of cards from the table. “Good, then let us move onto the
more interesting part of our evening. Gambling.”
He expertly shuffled the deck of cards and laid them on the table in front of them.
“Men will wager on anything. Who has the longest cock, whose grasshopper can jump
the highest, who can ride to Brighton in less than an hour. If there is a question about
the outcome of any event, a man can usually find another fool to bet on it.”
“And they say women are the weaker sex.”
Gideon raised an eyebrow. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that remark. Tonight I intend
to teach you how to play piquet.”
Antonia patted her pocket. “I have little money on me, sir. How do you expect me
to gamble?”
He shrugged. “Most men play on credit. Tonight we will play for other things.” He
fingered the lapel of his exquisitely cut coat. “We will play for each other’s clothing.”
Gideon waited to see if she would balk at his suggestion but she relaxed back into
her seat. He picked up the deck of cards and showed it to her. “The game is played with
a thirty-six-card deck by removing all the numbers below six except the aces.”
He reshuffled the cards. “Normally we would cut the cards to determine who
would be the dealer, but in this case, as you are a complete beginner, you will have to
be content with me.”
The game was complex but he was pleased to see she picked it up quickly. After a
couple of practice games, she gathered the deck and handed it to him.
“I am ready to play now, sir.”
47
Kate Pearce
He smiled at her enthusiasm and allowed her to win the early stages, resulting in
the loss of his coat, cravat and waistcoat. Her face flushed with pride as she carefully
laid out a sequence of three cards.
Gideon pretended to sigh. “Alas, you are too good for me.”
She frowned. “I think you are lying, sir.”
He revealed a run of four hearts. “I believe you are right. Take off your coat.”
“I suspect I shall lose more than my coat this evening.”
He risked a glance at her over the top of his cards. “I can promise you that you
won’t lose your precious virginity.”
He’d already calculated exactly how many tricks he could afford to lose and yet still
have her naked by the end of the night. But first, one more loss for him. He played his
cards accordingly. What would she make of his unclothed chest?
After he lost, he took his time removing his shirt and left his breeches unfastened.
Antonia seemed unable to look away from the sight of his uncovered skin. For the first
time, he was glad he’d made some effort to retain his physique since his wife’s death.
He casually flexed his biceps. How would her fingers feel against his flesh, her mouth
on his nipple?
With a deliberate effort, he returned his thoughts to the cards, even more
determined to see her naked in the least possible
He held her gaze, his expression serious. “If I desire them, yes.”
Antonia waited for his smile but it didn’t come. She scrambled back to sit on her
seat. “Was there something else you wished to show me?”
He glanced down at his groin. “I believe we had this discussion last week. You
arouse me, I am hard again. You can choose whether you wish to aid me with that
problem or not.”
“You were right. The brandy did taste better on your lips.”
He smiled at her abrupt retreat. “I suggest that from now on you try and drink it
yourself. Kissing me in the middle of a gaming hell to enliven the taste wouldn’t be a
wise idea.”
She contemplated the brown liquid. “Perhaps I might just take a few sips and
pretend to drink the rest.”
46
Antonia’s Bargain
“Aye, I’ve heard some cardsharps tip the contents of their glasses down the inside
of their shirtsleeves in order to appear more drunk than their victims.”
Antonia peered down the cuff of her shirt. “I could probably manage that. I can
practice at home.”
Gideon picked up a pack of cards from the table. “Good, then let us move onto the
more interesting part of our evening. Gambling.”
He expertly shuffled the deck of cards and laid them on the table in front of them.
“Men will wager on anything. Who has the longest cock, whose grasshopper can jump
the highest, who can ride to Brighton in less than an hour. If there is a question about
the outcome of any event, a man can usually find another fool to bet on it.”
“And they say women are the weaker sex.”
Gideon raised an eyebrow. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that remark. Tonight I intend
to teach you how to play piquet.”
Antonia patted her pocket. “I have little money on me, sir. How do you expect me
to gamble?”
He shrugged. “Most men play on credit. Tonight we will play for other things.” He
fingered the lapel of his exquisitely cut coat. “We will play for each other’s clothing.”
Gideon waited to see if she would balk at his suggestion but she relaxed back into
her seat. He picked up the deck of cards and showed it to her. “The game is played with
a thirty-six-card deck by removing all the numbers below six except the aces.”
He reshuffled the cards. “Normally we would cut the cards to determine who
would be the dealer, but in this case, as you are a complete beginner, you will have to
be content with me.”
The game was complex but he was pleased to see she picked it up quickly. After a
couple of practice games, she gathered the deck and handed it to him.
“I am ready to play now, sir.”
47
Kate Pearce
He smiled at her enthusiasm and allowed her to win the early stages, resulting in
the loss of his coat, cravat and waistcoat. Her face flushed with pride as she carefully
laid out a sequence of three cards.
Gideon pretended to sigh. “Alas, you are too good for me.”
She frowned. “I think you are lying, sir.”
He revealed a run of four hearts. “I believe you are right. Take off your coat.”
“I suspect I shall lose more than my coat this evening.”
He risked a glance at her over the top of his cards. “I can promise you that you
won’t lose your precious virginity.”
He’d already calculated exactly how many tricks he could afford to lose and yet still
have her naked by the end of the night. But first, one more loss for him. He played his
cards accordingly. What would she make of his unclothed chest?
After he lost, he took his time removing his shirt and left his breeches unfastened.
Antonia seemed unable to look away from the sight of his uncovered skin. For the first
time, he was glad he’d made some effort to retain his physique since his wife’s death.
He casually flexed his biceps. How would her fingers feel against his flesh, her mouth
on his nipple?
With a deliberate effort, he returned his thoughts to the cards, even more
determined to see her naked in the least possible
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