time.
Antonia tried to calculate the worth of her hand for the ternary phrase of the game.
Despite her early successes, she seemed destined to lose. She slapped down her cards.
“Three jacks.”
“Four queens. Take off your waistcoat and cravat.”
With trembling fingers, Antonia complied. Now, only her shirt protected her from
Gideon’s gaze. How many tricks did she need to win in the final stage of the game to
48
Antonia’s Bargain
prevent herself from ending up naked? Gideon stretched and the candlelight burnished
his muscular frame. She wanted to lean forward and taste his golden skin.
“Are you ready for the final stage, sir?”
He shook his head as he tallied the scores. “Unfortunately, you have lost again.”
“I know that, can’t we move on?”
He showed her the score sheet. “I claim a repique. I have thirty points in hand.”
“That can’t be right!” She grabbed the sheet from him and did the calculation in her
head. “Damnation. You are not going to demand another forfeit, are you?”
“Of course I am. Take off your shirt.”
She glared at him for one hopeless second before wrenching the shirt over her head.
“Are you satisfied now?”
Suddenly it was hard to breathe. She reminded herself that he had seen her like this
before. He reached out and ran his finger along the line of the linen binding her breasts.
Her nipples became instantly erect.
“Not really. You haven’t removed the linen binding your breasts.”
“You will have to win that privilege.” She picked up her remaining cards and
studied them carefully, trying to ignore the heat of the fire on her bare skin and the
weight of Gideon’s stare. She laid out her next card. He placed one on top.
“My trick, I believe,” Gideon said, his voice calm.
Antonia stared down at the card table. He was right, drat him. “May I remove my
breeches instead?”
“No. I want to see your breasts.”
With all her courage, she got to her feet and slowly removed the linen bindings. She
closed her eyes as Gideon rose too and moved toward her. With a soft growl, he settled
his mouth over her breast and drew it fully into his mouth. Awash with unfamiliar
sensations, Antonia could only grab his hair and drag him closer. Soon her nipple
throbbed in time to her heartbeat and her ragged breaths. He used his fingers to rub her
49
Kate Pearce
other breast to complete her torment before changing sides. The ache between her legs
intensified and she slanted her mound against the curve of his hard thigh in an
instinctive search for release.
Her hands skimmed his naked back, dropped below the line of his opened breeches
and met the rounded muscles of his buttocks. He groaned deep in his throat and jerked
his hips against hers. When he abruptly set her away from him, she found it almost
impossible to stay upright.
“We haven’t finished our game yet,” Gideon said. “We have one last hand to play.”
She sank down onto the floor at his feet, uncaring of her nakedness, aware that her
nipples stood out stiff and proud from his suckling. She yearned to drag them across
the golden hair on his chest to renew the rough sensations he roused in her. Blindly, she
stared at her cards. She couldn’t even remember how to play the game. What else did
Gideon intend to do with her?
She lost again and closed her eyes, waiting for his next command.
“I will give you a choice.”
His words made her shiver with a mixture of longing and fear.
“You can remove your breeches or help me with what is contained in mine.”
“Surely, as a gentleman, you will not make me do either of these things.”
He laughed, a hint of steel in the sound. “A gentleman always pays his debts and
that is what you wish to be, is it not? I will not allow you to shirk yours.”
She opened her eyes. If she failed to choose, he would probably refuse to help her
with her charade. Which path was less hazardous? Exposing her lower body to him
Antonia tried to calculate the worth of her hand for the ternary phrase of the game.
Despite her early successes, she seemed destined to lose. She slapped down her cards.
“Three jacks.”
“Four queens. Take off your waistcoat and cravat.”
With trembling fingers, Antonia complied. Now, only her shirt protected her from
Gideon’s gaze. How many tricks did she need to win in the final stage of the game to
48
Antonia’s Bargain
prevent herself from ending up naked? Gideon stretched and the candlelight burnished
his muscular frame. She wanted to lean forward and taste his golden skin.
“Are you ready for the final stage, sir?”
He shook his head as he tallied the scores. “Unfortunately, you have lost again.”
“I know that, can’t we move on?”
He showed her the score sheet. “I claim a repique. I have thirty points in hand.”
“That can’t be right!” She grabbed the sheet from him and did the calculation in her
head. “Damnation. You are not going to demand another forfeit, are you?”
“Of course I am. Take off your shirt.”
She glared at him for one hopeless second before wrenching the shirt over her head.
“Are you satisfied now?”
Suddenly it was hard to breathe. She reminded herself that he had seen her like this
before. He reached out and ran his finger along the line of the linen binding her breasts.
Her nipples became instantly erect.
“Not really. You haven’t removed the linen binding your breasts.”
“You will have to win that privilege.” She picked up her remaining cards and
studied them carefully, trying to ignore the heat of the fire on her bare skin and the
weight of Gideon’s stare. She laid out her next card. He placed one on top.
“My trick, I believe,” Gideon said, his voice calm.
Antonia stared down at the card table. He was right, drat him. “May I remove my
breeches instead?”
“No. I want to see your breasts.”
With all her courage, she got to her feet and slowly removed the linen bindings. She
closed her eyes as Gideon rose too and moved toward her. With a soft growl, he settled
his mouth over her breast and drew it fully into his mouth. Awash with unfamiliar
sensations, Antonia could only grab his hair and drag him closer. Soon her nipple
throbbed in time to her heartbeat and her ragged breaths. He used his fingers to rub her
49
Kate Pearce
other breast to complete her torment before changing sides. The ache between her legs
intensified and she slanted her mound against the curve of his hard thigh in an
instinctive search for release.
Her hands skimmed his naked back, dropped below the line of his opened breeches
and met the rounded muscles of his buttocks. He groaned deep in his throat and jerked
his hips against hers. When he abruptly set her away from him, she found it almost
impossible to stay upright.
“We haven’t finished our game yet,” Gideon said. “We have one last hand to play.”
She sank down onto the floor at his feet, uncaring of her nakedness, aware that her
nipples stood out stiff and proud from his suckling. She yearned to drag them across
the golden hair on his chest to renew the rough sensations he roused in her. Blindly, she
stared at her cards. She couldn’t even remember how to play the game. What else did
Gideon intend to do with her?
She lost again and closed her eyes, waiting for his next command.
“I will give you a choice.”
His words made her shiver with a mixture of longing and fear.
“You can remove your breeches or help me with what is contained in mine.”
“Surely, as a gentleman, you will not make me do either of these things.”
He laughed, a hint of steel in the sound. “A gentleman always pays his debts and
that is what you wish to be, is it not? I will not allow you to shirk yours.”
She opened her eyes. If she failed to choose, he would probably refuse to help her
with her charade. Which path was less hazardous? Exposing her lower body to him
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