Bride for a Night(82)
Gabriel swallowed his words of argument. What was the use in upsetting his wife? He would deal with Hugo in private.
They traveled in silence, at last stepping out of the trees to discover the rocky coastline directly before them.
Talia grimaced at the sight of the steep cliff, but with her typical habit of facing the difficulties in her life without complaint, she firmly grasped his arm and allowed him to lead her down the narrow trail.
The footing was loose, and a shower of pebbles greeted every treacherous step, but slowly they managed to wind their way to the bottom of the cliff.
Gabriel allowed Talia only a few moments to catch her breath before steering her around a large boulder that jutted nearly to the edge of the water. As he had suspected, a small rowboat awaited them along with a burly sailor who silently assisted Talia into the boat. Once Gabriel was settled beside her, the man rowed them toward the nearby yacht with swift efficiency.
Turning his head, Gabriel watched as Talia caught sight of the sleek vessel that had been made by the finest craftsmen in England.
Her eyes widened in suitable wonder, taking in the teardrop-shaped hull and the huge mast that could withstand the most fearsome storm. It was not, perhaps, as large as many crafts, but it was built for speed and comfort, not to impress others.
His brows drew together as he realized the crew was bustling along the decks, preparing to return the earl and his countess back to England. Calculating his next move, his features hardened briefly before he was able to smooth his expression. Talia was too perceptive not to suspect his plans if he did not take care.
There was a bustle of activity as they reached the yacht as a dozen sailors all rushed to help them climb aboard, their wide grins revealing their pride in his ability to sneak beneath the very noses of the French and return unscathed.
Of course, they did not yet know the full tale, he acknowledged wryly, leading Talia away from the curious sailors to the cabins below.
They passed through the galley and then the front saloon that was decorated in pale shades of blue and gray before reaching his private cabin. Pressing open the door, he allowed Talia to enter first, his lips twitching as she sucked in a startled breath.
“Good heavens.”
He stepped next to her, his gaze skimming over the polished walnut paneling and cleverly built-in furniture that was constructed on the same sleek, elegant lines of the actual yacht. Only the brass fittings and the moss-green blanket on the bed offered a hint of color, allowing the beauty of the wood to command attention.
“Does it please you?” he asked.
She moved forward, her hand stroking over the writing desk inlaid with teak.
“Very much.”
“It was built by my design.”
She sent him a startled glance. “Yours?”
His lips twisted, more at his ridiculous urge to boast than by her astonishment.
“Why does that surprise you?”
“It is remarkably…”
“What?”
“Comfortable.”
He nodded, his blood heating at the sight of her slender fingers caressing the glossy wood. The same fingers that had touched him with such eager passion just hours ago.
The image of her poised above him, her face flushed with pleasure, seared through his mind. He cursed, shifting as he hardened with a painful arousal. It was surely indecent to desire his own wife with such ferocity, but only the knowledge that his servants were even now preparing her bath kept him from slamming shut the door and tossing her on the bed.
Instead, he forced himself to lead her through the connecting door to the attached cabin that was designed along the same lines as his own.
Rosemary Rogers's Books
- Where Shadows Meet
- Destiny Mine (Tormentor Mine #3)
- A Covert Affair (Deadly Ops #5)
- Save the Date
- Part-Time Lover (Part-Time Lover #1)
- My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2)
- Getting Schooled (Getting Some #1)
- Midnight Wolf (Shifters Unbound #11)
- Speakeasy (True North #5)
- The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone #1.5)