find
your
interest questionable, since you are here escorting a female.”
He gaped at her, outraged that she should turn his questions back on him. “You are the most exasperating woman I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet! Do you know what they are saying about you? They think you are like Victoria Woodhull, a free lover as well as a spiritualist! Is that the reputation you want?”
“I see.” She lowered her face, appearing appropriately demure, but Gabriel knew better. He could almost sense her restrained mirth. When she looked up a moment later, it was as if a halo encircled her fair head.
“I truly appreciate your concern. As a gentleman, it was most kind of you to instruct me in the error of my ways. I am reformed, sir, thanks to you. I shall be forever grateful.”
With that, she rose on her pink slippers and placed a schoolmistresslike peck on his cheek. “Good day, Mr. Forester. I leave you the garden.”
Gabriel’s admiration mingled with his outrage and disbelief as Jennifer daintily curtsied, then swirled to walk gracefully out of the glade. Evidently, she saw him as some mawkish schoolboy that she could toy with. His thoughts went back to her legal reply to Charles’s letter, to the incident with the police, even to his first confrontation with her. So far, she had bested him at every turn. He had to appreciate her audacity, even as it enraged his male ego. She badly needed a lesson, Gabriel decided. One that he would teach her.
“Miss Appleton?”
He laid his hand on her shoulder, intending to give her a well-deserved dressing-down, but she turned so quickly that she wound up in his arms. The merriment disappeared from her eyes and she looked at him with something else, something that made him think she didn’t entirely despise him back. His chastising words suddenly caught in his throat as he gazed into her eyes, eyes that had convinced lesser souls they’d seen a ghost. As if of its own accord, his mouth lowered to hers, unable to resist the soft, sweet temptation.
She was luscious, spicy, and entrancing like a great wine, full of innocence, yet rich with erotic promise. Gabriel groaned, wanting badly to taste more of her. Desire wrenched through him with almost as much force as his previous anger as he felt the petal softness of her lips beneath his. Forgetting everything except need, he placed scorching kisses along her throat, then to the sensitiveplace beneath her ear, then finally, back to her mouth. He increased the pressure, urging her lips to part.
Slowly, she stopped resisting and her young, slender body seemed to melt against him, making him gasp with pleasure. His own heart pounded so forcefully that he was concerned it would frighten her, but she shyly lifted her hands to his neck and buried her fingers in his hair, silently encouraging him. Almost roughly, he pulled her even closer and began to explore her mouth, plunging in fully to taste the depths of her sweetness as she yielded to him.
Jennifer surrendered mindlessly to the hot swirling emotions that seemed determined to consume her. Jolt after jolt of electrical sensation raced up her spine and through her body, jarring her nerves, making her blood sing with a gushing warmth. Intoxicated by his kiss, she unwittingly increased their passion by leaning fully against him, wanting every sensation, every delicious pleasure he could give her. Her tongue mingled with his, then her head fell back, cradled in his hand as he groaned, devouring her completely.
“My God, Jennifer …”
The sweetness of her response tore all logic from his brain. Gabriel wanted this woman desperately. He had to have her. He was lost in a sea of pure sensation, pleasurably drowning in a woman he’d sworn to hate.…
“Gabriel!”
He was jolted back to reality as Allison’s voice shattered the stillness of the glade. He pulled away quickly, furious at himself and his lack of control. He was also confused, stunned by the passion that Jennifer
your
interest questionable, since you are here escorting a female.”
He gaped at her, outraged that she should turn his questions back on him. “You are the most exasperating woman I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet! Do you know what they are saying about you? They think you are like Victoria Woodhull, a free lover as well as a spiritualist! Is that the reputation you want?”
“I see.” She lowered her face, appearing appropriately demure, but Gabriel knew better. He could almost sense her restrained mirth. When she looked up a moment later, it was as if a halo encircled her fair head.
“I truly appreciate your concern. As a gentleman, it was most kind of you to instruct me in the error of my ways. I am reformed, sir, thanks to you. I shall be forever grateful.”
With that, she rose on her pink slippers and placed a schoolmistresslike peck on his cheek. “Good day, Mr. Forester. I leave you the garden.”
Gabriel’s admiration mingled with his outrage and disbelief as Jennifer daintily curtsied, then swirled to walk gracefully out of the glade. Evidently, she saw him as some mawkish schoolboy that she could toy with. His thoughts went back to her legal reply to Charles’s letter, to the incident with the police, even to his first confrontation with her. So far, she had bested him at every turn. He had to appreciate her audacity, even as it enraged his male ego. She badly needed a lesson, Gabriel decided. One that he would teach her.
“Miss Appleton?”
He laid his hand on her shoulder, intending to give her a well-deserved dressing-down, but she turned so quickly that she wound up in his arms. The merriment disappeared from her eyes and she looked at him with something else, something that made him think she didn’t entirely despise him back. His chastising words suddenly caught in his throat as he gazed into her eyes, eyes that had convinced lesser souls they’d seen a ghost. As if of its own accord, his mouth lowered to hers, unable to resist the soft, sweet temptation.
She was luscious, spicy, and entrancing like a great wine, full of innocence, yet rich with erotic promise. Gabriel groaned, wanting badly to taste more of her. Desire wrenched through him with almost as much force as his previous anger as he felt the petal softness of her lips beneath his. Forgetting everything except need, he placed scorching kisses along her throat, then to the sensitiveplace beneath her ear, then finally, back to her mouth. He increased the pressure, urging her lips to part.
Slowly, she stopped resisting and her young, slender body seemed to melt against him, making him gasp with pleasure. His own heart pounded so forcefully that he was concerned it would frighten her, but she shyly lifted her hands to his neck and buried her fingers in his hair, silently encouraging him. Almost roughly, he pulled her even closer and began to explore her mouth, plunging in fully to taste the depths of her sweetness as she yielded to him.
Jennifer surrendered mindlessly to the hot swirling emotions that seemed determined to consume her. Jolt after jolt of electrical sensation raced up her spine and through her body, jarring her nerves, making her blood sing with a gushing warmth. Intoxicated by his kiss, she unwittingly increased their passion by leaning fully against him, wanting every sensation, every delicious pleasure he could give her. Her tongue mingled with his, then her head fell back, cradled in his hand as he groaned, devouring her completely.
“My God, Jennifer …”
The sweetness of her response tore all logic from his brain. Gabriel wanted this woman desperately. He had to have her. He was lost in a sea of pure sensation, pleasurably drowning in a woman he’d sworn to hate.…
“Gabriel!”
He was jolted back to reality as Allison’s voice shattered the stillness of the glade. He pulled away quickly, furious at himself and his lack of control. He was also confused, stunned by the passion that Jennifer
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