Page 45 of Black Widow

Gideon answered every question she put to him with clarity and deference. Not once did he belittle her intelligence, even when he laid to rest some of her more ignorantassumptions.

The one thing that did surprise him was that she’d never taken it upon herself to learn about the issue on herown.

“I think Martin did you a disservice by not even broaching the topic of sex,” he confessed. “If you were planning on having children, he should have explained some ofthis.”

Amelia had put her head close to his as they lay on their sides facing each other on the bed. “You mustn’t blame him. It was my decision to set such discussions aside. Martin had met Crispin early in our marriage, and I could see the pair were falling in love. At the time, it seemed wise to disregard any personal considerations until they could beindulged.”

He frowned at her. “I know a wife is expected to do whatever she can to ensure her husband’s happiness, but burying your own needs and desires hardly seemsfair.”

She lifted one white shoulder. “As I said, it was my decision. I had ample opportunity to educate myself as it were, had I chosen to do so. While abroad, I had to actively discourage the attentions of several gentlemen who would have only been too happy to be of service in thatregard.”

“I’m sure there were,” he growled before kissing her with a hard hunger. “Be prepared—any man who dares volunteer to be at your service now will have to answer tome.”

Gideon pulled her closer, his blatant possessiveness on open display. She should have chided him for it, but instead, she curled her body against his, stroking his chest with her hand until she fellasleep.

His life,his future, was literally in his arms. Gideon swept a hand over Amelia’s waist and hips with the lightest touch so he wouldn’t wakeher.

A confused riot of emotions stirred in his breast. Guilt was predominant among them. His current prospects for a marriage based on love and respect had come at a high price—the life of hiscousin.

Deep down, a part of him knew that this had been inevitable. He had lied to himself and to Clarke when he said he hadn’t seen Amelia since she was a child. She had been sixteen, almost seventeen, and already a stunningbeauty.

Almost eight years her senior, he had been stirred even then. Instinctively, Gideon had known she could be dangerous to his heart. From them on, he had avoided her and Martin, telling himself he would visit the following year or the yearafter.

He hadn’t wanted to be anywhere near Amelia, to be forced to confront his feelings for her, especially after she and Martin had married. Consequently, he had been unaware she was in danger from his predatoryuncle.

Then there was Martin…what if there had been a way to prevent his accident? And if his cousin had lived, would the truth of their marriage have been enough for Gideon to set aside his honor so he could selfishly claim Amelia for hisown?

I would have still wanted her, even if I had met her as his wife.He was honest enough to admit thetruth.

Unlike other men of the ton, Gideon did not dally with married women, restricting his brief liaisons to widows and once a member of the demimonde. Though those women had not asked for fidelity, he had given it to them as long as the liaison had lasted. The only time he had flirted with someone’s wife had been in France, under the auspices of the war office. But he had never been the reason a woman broke her weddingvows.

Violating the sanctity of marriage—even one as complicated as his cousin’s—would have been a stain on his honor. He had never questioned whether he was capable of such a sin untilnow.

He had to stop thinking like this. The sad fact was, Martin was gone. They had mourned him for over a year, but not even the harshest grand dame would expect a widow as young as Amelia to devote her life to his memory and wear black for the rest of herdays.

No, the ton was anticipating a second marriage for her. The fact she would be marrying him and not Lord Worthing would set tongue’s wagging, but Gideon didn’t give a damn about the gossip. As long as Amelia was his, society couldhang.

The moon was too bright. At this rate, he would spend all night staring at Amelia if he didn’t close the curtains. Gideon turned, soundlessly extracting himself from her sleeping form. He was at the window when he saw it—a pair of glowing eyes not ten feet away in the shadow of sometrees.

His mind tried to dismiss it, but the apparition did not fade. In fact, it moved, the eyes shifting position as if they were meeting his gaze. Then they winked out. The head had turnedaway.

Gideon was shocked into immobility by the strange sight. But the sound of Amelia shifting on the bed spurred him. He stormed into action. Snatching up his coat, he threw it on, dismissing the rest of his clothing. He hesitated over his boots but decided to go without—there was no time to waste pulling on the tight calf-lengthHessians.

Taking advantage of being on the ground floor, he threw open the window and jumped over the windowsill. He took care to close it behind him before running toward the spot where he’d seen the intruder. If the villain got past him, he would have to take the time to open it again if he wanted to get toAmelia.

Gideon wouldn’t let thathappen.

He narrowed his eyes and drew his pistol out of his coat pocket, squinting into the darkness under the tree canopy. By the time his eyes adjusted, he knew he was alone. His finely honed senses didn’t detect the presence ofanother.

There was no hint of a hidden person breathing in the shadows, no sound of running feet. Indeed, there was no noise at all. None of the normal sounds of the night could be heard. All was silent. Whoever or whatever had been out here was gone, but the unnatural quiet marked the spot. Something had stood here under the trees, watchinghim.

Gideon checked the perimeter of the house in his bare feet, careful to keep the gun ready in his hand. With only his coat as cover the cold bit at his exposed skin, but there was no way in hell he was going back inside if there was a chance the intruder was stillabout.

What the devil had it been?He stood outside, practically naked, until he accepted that the eyes were well and trulygone.

Shaking his head, Gideon crawled back through the window, fastening it shut with a tiny metallic scrape. He’d only been gone a matter of minutes. Amelia was still sleeping soundly in bed. Despite his rapid action, he’d left the room with practiced stealth, quiet enough to avoid waking her—at least until he slipped back under the covers, bringing the night’s cold withhim.

Startled, she stirred and pulled away from his chilled body. “What?Wh—”

---