Winter's Kiss (Howertys #3)

Chapter 28a: The Earl of Wyndon (Part 1)

The early morning sunrays filtered through the window and tickled Nick's nose as she woke the next morning. She stretched with a yawn, a large grin spreading over her face as she remembered the previous night. When Gabriel succumbed, he did so spectacularly. Her cheeks heated at the memory of the pleasure he'd bestowed on her. Beneath that honourable exterior lay a very wicked man indeed. Not that she minded. Not in the least. In fact, she wanted to see more of that side of him. A lot more.

Turning her head, she realised she was alone in bed. Gabriel had already left. She frowned as she worried her lower lip with her teeth. Did he already regret what had happened? Like every other time he had given in to their attraction, had he reverted to his boring, honourable self? This cat-and-mouse game was wearing on her. She had made a vow to stop chasing him. Last night he had finally been the one to take the first step, but he appeared to have regretted it already.

With a frustrated huff, she got out of bed and dressed. She was just putting the last few pins in her simple hairdo when Gabriel came through the door connecting their rooms. He was neatly dressed in a bottle-green jacket and tan breeches. Despite her worries, the sight of him instantly made her insides flutter to life. Heat travelled along her skin as her eyes fastened on his mouth, and she remembered exactly how skilled he was with it.

His eyes met hers. The corner of his mouth twitched. "You're staring."

She flashed him a guilty smile as she pushed the last pin into her topknot. "I beg your pardon. I was thinking about last night."

"I—" He cleared his throat. "Last night was—"

"Amazing," she cut him off before he could say it was a mistake. She didn't want to hear it. Not yet.

The corners of his mouth twitched again. "Yes. Very much so." He sighed. "It—"

"It was a mistake and it will never happen again?" she supplied helpfully, her voice terse. "Yes. I've heard it before."

His eyes widened. He shook his head. "No." He took the steps separating them and cupped her face in his hands. "Nick. Last night was better than anything I could ever have imagined."

Exhilaration sped through her, even as she couldn't quite allow herself to hope for too much. "You certainly left the room quickly enough," she muttered.

With a gentle smile, he tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "Only because I wanted to make sure they readied the carriage for us. We have a long day ahead of us. First visiting Wyndon and then continuing on to your estate."

"Oh." She had immediately assumed the worst. For once, being wrong wasn't all bad.

Bending down, he brushed his lips against hers, instantly rekindling her passion from the previous night. "Nick," he mumbled against her lips. "I wouldn't be so coarse as to leave you immediately after we had shared something like last night."

She smiled. "In my defence, you have run the opposite direction every time before."

He chuckled. "I deserved that." He kissed her again before straightening, his face growing more serious. "This is as far as we can go, though. I cannot risk anything further, no matter how tempting. I made a promise to Wortham that I would return you to London uncompromised, and I intend to keep it. Or I am certain he would happily assist your brother in shooting me."

"Most likely," she admitted, then added hopefully, "But we will keep kissing?"

In answer, he leaned down to capture her mouth in a fierce kiss that brought her blood boiling. Automatically, she moved towards him, and his arms embraced her, pulling her closer. His lips trailed ardent kisses down her neck as her fingers weaved into his hair.