A Gentleman Never Tells(90)

“You think he has Prissy?” she asked.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Brent said. “But he certainly knew how to find the other dogs, and now that I’ve heard Lady Windham’s prize-winning pet has gone missing, this has gotten to be more than just peculiar. Right now, Godfrey’s the only lead I have.”

“Tell me what time you will be in the park, and I will meet you there.”

Brent shook his head. “Oh, no, Gabrie. I must do this alone.”

Gabrielle took a deep breath and scooted down the settee closer to him. “But you said he had his sisters with him. I might be of some help if you need to talk to them.”

He seemed to consider her suggestion. “The girls do seem frightened of me.”

She swallowed past a dry throat, reached up, and went for an orb. With a trembling hand, she lightly traced his outer ear with her fingertips. Softly, she said, “Then it’s settled; I’ll come.”

His brow wrinkled into a frown and his lips set in a grim, or perhaps confused, line. The news of another dog returned to his master while he was still missing Prissy obviously had him tense.

“All right. I should think they’ll be back through the park between nine and ten o’clock, after making their deliveries, so we should meet at the west gate before nine just to make sure we don’t miss them.”

Gabrielle continued gently touching him, letting her fingers move to the back of his ear and then skimming down his neck to the top of his neckcloth and back up again to draw lazy circles on the smooth, warm skin behind his ear.

All of a sudden he grabbed her wrist, kissed the back of her hand, and said, “Gabrie, what are you doing?”

Her gaze met his and held. “Touching you,” she whispered.

There was a passage where it said a man liked for a mistress to straddle him and sit on his lap. That was a very daring thing to do, but maybe she should try that. It was certainly unladylike and would surely make him see that she knew how to do things she shouldn’t know. Besides, it would make it easier for her to fondle both ears at the same time.

Her breathing was labored. Her chest felt tight, but she was beyond thinking about anything but what she had to do. And she had to do it now. Rising from the settee, she quickly lifted her skirts and straddled his hips with her knees. His eyes widened, his hands grabbed her waist, and he groaned as she settled her bottom onto his lap.

“What the devil do you think you’re doing?” he asked huskily.

She reached up and cupped both his ears with her hands and caressed them.

Looking deeply into his eyes, she countered, “Do you like that?”

His hands settled around her hips, and he pressed her harder onto his body. “Immensely, but do you know what would happen if your aunt came in and saw you sitting here on me like this?”

“She and my sister are out for the afternoon.”

“Thank God, but what about your servants?” he asked, his breaths coming faster and louder.

“There are only two in the house this afternoon and they know not to bother me when I’m painting.”

He leaned his head back against the settee. “You are not painting, Gabrie, you are seducing me, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why.”

“Do you like it?” she said softly as she moved her hands across his broad chest. She bent and kissed the corner of his eye, letting her lips softly trail down to his cheek and over to the corner of his mouth. She felt his lower body move beneath her, and Gabrielle gasped at the wonderful sensations that flooded her body.

“Very much, too much,” he whispered huskily before pulling her to him so his lips could claim hers.

Her mouth clung to his in an eagerness she didn’t want to deny or control. His kisses were rough and demanding. His tongue probed deeply into her mouth over and over again, filling her with the sweet taste of his surrender. She yielded to his strength as he pressed his lower body up to hers time and time again. Fire shot to the area between her legs, and Gabrielle moaned as she wiggled against the hardness beneath his breeches.

His hands found the front opening of her day dress and he pulled it apart, dragging it and her shift off her shoulders, laying bare her breasts to his view. He covered one nipple with his mouth and the other breast with his hand. The wanton sensations crashing through her were staggering as she cupped his head to her breasts and moaned with sweet, satisfying pleasure.

Suddenly he tumbled her back onto the settee. Her back hit the sharp end of the book, and she cried out and flinched.