Bride for a Night(160)

The silver eyes flared with an unexpected exasperation. As if she was at fault for desiring to remain at her husband’s side rather than him being to blame for wishing to abandon her.

“You want to be besieged by the vultures of society?” he rasped.

“Of course it is not what I wish, but it is inevitable.”

“Not if you remain here.”

Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed in a vise. After all they had endured together and for all his passion, he still wished to keep her stashed far away from society.

“I cannot avoid London forever,” she breathed past the lump in her throat.

Seemingly unaware of her mounting distress, Gabriel lifted a hand to thread his fingers through her loose curls.

“Not forever, but there is no need to return until next season.”

“That is months away.”

He frowned, clearly expecting her to concede defeat with grace.

“I thought you enjoyed being at Carrick Park,” he accused.

“I do, but…”

“And I do have more than one estate we must visit,” he continued without offering her an opportunity to respond. “My servants and tenants will be anxious to become acquainted with the new Countess of Ashcombe.”

Talia glanced away from his grim expression, accepting that he had made his decision and he would not be swayed, no matter her efforts.

“Gabriel, why do you wish to keep me from London?” she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

There was an awkward pause before Gabriel cleared his throat in obvious discomfort.

“I have told you that this is no more than a fleeting visit,” he said, his fingers shifting to cup her nape, his thumb running a soothing path down the tense line of her jaw. “I intend to linger no longer than necessary before returning to Devonshire. It makes no sense for you to disrupt your plans for what will very well be a handful of days.”

She kept her lashes lowered. “I see.”

“I promise you will be more comfortable here and I will return as swiftly as possible.”

“Of course.”

At last sensing she was less than pleased with his refusal to even consider her wishes, Gabriel shifted his thumb beneath her chin and tilted her face upward.

“You do not intend to sulk, do you, my dear?”

Actually her first thought was to flee from the room and find a place to nurse her wounded heart in privacy. She had allowed herself to hope that her future with Gabriel would be one of mutual respect, if not love. Now it was even more wrenching to realize he continued to harbor a measure of embarrassment at having her as his wife.

With effort, she managed to squash the instinctive response. No. Not on this occasion.

She was no longer that fragile young woman who allowed others to rule her life, she reminded herself. Or who retreated from the world rather than confront those who would hurt her.

Over the past weeks she had discovered the ability to fight for what she desired.

And that was precisely what she intended to do.

“Talia?” Gabriel prompted, his gaze searching her pale face with growing concern.

She blinked back the threatening tears and summoned a faint smile. Tomorrow she would consider what might be done to salvage her marriage. For tonight…

She leaned forward to lightly place her lips against his mouth.

“Certainly not.”

“Good,” he rasped in obvious relief, his hands lifting to frame her face. “Because I have no wish to waste our last evening together at odds.”


She nibbled at the corner of his lips, pleased by his low moan of approval.