he routinely greeted late-night visitors while wearing his dressing gown and a long nightcap.
“Since he’s behind the door and has obviously heard every word we’ve said, that would be somewhat awkward.” Gillian stifled a yawn and walked down the stairs. “But do find out who it is first.”
“Very well, my lady.” Wilkins sniffed and turned back to the door.
Without warning it swung open, smacking into Wilkins’s rotund figure with a fleshy thud.
“Pardon me, old chap. You should watch where you stand, you know. Do take care.” Shelbrooke brushed past the butler and nodded to her. “Good evening.”
She widened her eyes in disbelief. “Evening was over hours ago. It’s nearly dawn.”
“Is it?” He grinned and ran his fingers through already tousled hair. “Imagine that. I wonder what happened to the night?”
“For most of us it was spent asleep in our beds,” she said sharply.
“In our ... bed?” His gaze met hers, and at once the innocent words were fraught with a far different meaning than she’d intended.
“Beds.” She swallowed hard.
“Isn’t that what I said?” He caught her hand and raised it to his lips. His jaw was dark with stubble, and she found it oddly intimate and just a touch exciting.
“No.” Her voice cracked, and she couldn’t tear her gaze from his. “You said bed. I said beds— more than one. Each with his own.”
“My mistake.” He brushed his lips across the back of her hand and her stomach fluttered. “I do hope I haven’t disturbed you.”
“No, of course not.” His eyes were deep and intense and seemed to beckon her closer. “I couldn’t really sleep anyway.”
“What a shame.” He released her hand, his gaze drifting over her in a far too familiar manner. At once she realized her wrapper hung open and the far too revealing nightrail she wore beneath left little to the imagination.
“What are you doing here?” She backed away, pulling the edges of the robe tighter around her.
“I’ve come to give you my answer.” He smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled into the parlor.
“Your answer? Now?”
“It’s been on my mind,” he called over his shoulder. “And I suspect it’s the very reason why you were unable to sleep.”
“I scarcely think so.” Goodness, the man certainly made up in arrogance what he lacked in money. She stalked after him. “It was more likely a bit of dinner that disagreed with me. Or I simply might have been too tired to sleep. Or my mattress might have been just a bit—”
“Gillian.” He turned so quickly that she nearly stumbled into him. “I have given your proposal a great deal of thought.”
“And?” Her heart pounded in her chest.
“The biggest impediments to a marriage between us are your conditions, this marriage in name only nonsense, and my refusal to agree to it.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“However, if I recall correctly, it was also your suggestion that we spend the next two months getting to know each other in a sort of trial betrothal, so to speak—”
“I didn’t really—”
“—in hopes that at the end of that time you will have come to the realization that I am not completely repulsive to you—”
“I never said you were repulsive!”
“Forgive me, what I meant to say was that sharing my bed was not completely repulsive to you. That is more accurate, is it not?”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “No.”
“I see.” He raised a brow. “Then you have changed your mind and you are ready to be my wife in every sense the title implies.”
“No!” He cast her a questioning look. She shook her head impatiently. “Botheration, my lord, you have me completely confused.”
“Do I?” He looked rather pleased with himself.
“Yes, you do.” She turned away, squeezed her eyes closed, and pressed two fingers between her eyebrows to a point just above the bridge of her nose in an effort to stave off the dull throb she knew would begin any
“Since he’s behind the door and has obviously heard every word we’ve said, that would be somewhat awkward.” Gillian stifled a yawn and walked down the stairs. “But do find out who it is first.”
“Very well, my lady.” Wilkins sniffed and turned back to the door.
Without warning it swung open, smacking into Wilkins’s rotund figure with a fleshy thud.
“Pardon me, old chap. You should watch where you stand, you know. Do take care.” Shelbrooke brushed past the butler and nodded to her. “Good evening.”
She widened her eyes in disbelief. “Evening was over hours ago. It’s nearly dawn.”
“Is it?” He grinned and ran his fingers through already tousled hair. “Imagine that. I wonder what happened to the night?”
“For most of us it was spent asleep in our beds,” she said sharply.
“In our ... bed?” His gaze met hers, and at once the innocent words were fraught with a far different meaning than she’d intended.
“Beds.” She swallowed hard.
“Isn’t that what I said?” He caught her hand and raised it to his lips. His jaw was dark with stubble, and she found it oddly intimate and just a touch exciting.
“No.” Her voice cracked, and she couldn’t tear her gaze from his. “You said bed. I said beds— more than one. Each with his own.”
“My mistake.” He brushed his lips across the back of her hand and her stomach fluttered. “I do hope I haven’t disturbed you.”
“No, of course not.” His eyes were deep and intense and seemed to beckon her closer. “I couldn’t really sleep anyway.”
“What a shame.” He released her hand, his gaze drifting over her in a far too familiar manner. At once she realized her wrapper hung open and the far too revealing nightrail she wore beneath left little to the imagination.
“What are you doing here?” She backed away, pulling the edges of the robe tighter around her.
“I’ve come to give you my answer.” He smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and strolled into the parlor.
“Your answer? Now?”
“It’s been on my mind,” he called over his shoulder. “And I suspect it’s the very reason why you were unable to sleep.”
“I scarcely think so.” Goodness, the man certainly made up in arrogance what he lacked in money. She stalked after him. “It was more likely a bit of dinner that disagreed with me. Or I simply might have been too tired to sleep. Or my mattress might have been just a bit—”
“Gillian.” He turned so quickly that she nearly stumbled into him. “I have given your proposal a great deal of thought.”
“And?” Her heart pounded in her chest.
“The biggest impediments to a marriage between us are your conditions, this marriage in name only nonsense, and my refusal to agree to it.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“However, if I recall correctly, it was also your suggestion that we spend the next two months getting to know each other in a sort of trial betrothal, so to speak—”
“I didn’t really—”
“—in hopes that at the end of that time you will have come to the realization that I am not completely repulsive to you—”
“I never said you were repulsive!”
“Forgive me, what I meant to say was that sharing my bed was not completely repulsive to you. That is more accurate, is it not?”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “No.”
“I see.” He raised a brow. “Then you have changed your mind and you are ready to be my wife in every sense the title implies.”
“No!” He cast her a questioning look. She shook her head impatiently. “Botheration, my lord, you have me completely confused.”
“Do I?” He looked rather pleased with himself.
“Yes, you do.” She turned away, squeezed her eyes closed, and pressed two fingers between her eyebrows to a point just above the bridge of her nose in an effort to stave off the dull throb she knew would begin any
Similar Books
