Page 68 of Her Tempting Traitor
“Ye have a soft heart too, whatever yer name is,” he murmured, brushing a kiss across her nose.
“Yes, well, our Uncle Rourke hired a new governess who knew nothing about raising children, which meant that she did not fight us. She worked with us, and I suspect Hunter and I were in love with her even before Uncle Rourke figured out his own heart and married her.” She shrugged. “I used to choose a different name each day, in order to settle on one I liked. I eventually chose Gabrielle.”
“Gabrielle,” he repeated in a murmur, with another kiss. “It’s beautiful, just like ye. And yer last name? I’m assuming ye changed it just for this mission?”
“Gabrielle Lindsay,” she answered promptly. “It is far better than Gather Lindsay.”
He frowned. “Better than—what?”
“That was the name my mother gave me when I was born.”
“Gather? As inHunter and Gather?”
The disgust in his voice was enough to start Gabby chuckling again. “I told you it was truly terrible.”
“It’shorrible,” Cassian spat, half laughing himself. Shaking his head, he tugged her toward one of the doors leading from the sitting room of his suite. “I’m calling ye Gabby.”
“Good, after all it is my name—oh, this is lovely!”
The bathing room was tiled in white and a blue that matched his eyes. The modern basin and toilet proved Sir Dickie had spared no expense, and the tub… “Oh my,” she whispered.
“Aye,” Cassian drawled as he bent to stopper the drain and turn on the hot water tap. “I believe Sir Dickie anticipated his guests needing room for two. Maybe three.”
Well, that explained why Cassian had insisted they return tohissuite for this bath. Eagerly, Gabby reached for the tie to her silk robe as he sat and began to unstrap his prosthetic.
Their bath was warm and leisurely. Yes, therewasplenty of caressing and rubbing. She massaged his thigh in the hot water, knowing the muscles in his leg were always tight, and he paid special attention to her breasts.
Sitting with his back against the tub, Cassian pulled her into his lap so he could stretch her out atop him, and gently slid his hand between her thighs. Gabby opened her mouth to object that he didn’t have any soap, but then his callused fingers slid along her cleft—wet from more than just the bathwater—and her intended words turned into a moan.
Splayed there atop him, buoyed by the water, caressed by his hands and his lips on her shoulder, Gabby came again, the tiles echoing with her cries.
Cassian held her tucked against his chest, occasionally brushing his lips over her hair. She could feel his hardness slowly dissipating, and knew she should offer to help him find release…but was far too sated to do anything about it.
Cassian Grey was surely the most giving lover she could imagine.
Finally, just as the water was beginning to cool, he stirred. “I suspect ye’re right. About it being easier to tell some truths in the darkness.”
Her heartbeat—so languid a moment before—began to pick up speed. He was speaking of the truth he’d begun to tell her before she’d blurted out her lie.
Perhaps she could ease him into it.
“When my uncle gave us this assignment, he chose the name Butcombe because thereisa renowned animal Doctor Butchom working in France. Trust me thatneither Hunter nor myself wanted to be known as Butt-cum.”
He snorted softly. “So yer brother is nae veterinarian after all? It makes sense. If ye’d arrived at Inverlochy to investigate me, I would’ve sent ye on yer way. But coming as Uncle Dickie’s guests, ye were welcome. And ye had time to…work yer magic.”
Gabby twisted in his arms to stare up at him earnestly, the water lapping at her breasts. “I did not set out to seduce you, Cassian. I would not use you that way.”
His smile was crooked as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “Ye’re too honorable. Nay, I seduced ye. I fell for ye without ye even trying, Gabby Lindsay. I meant what I blurted out so inopportunely, ye ken.”
I love ye.
Her smile was honest as she stretched up to kiss him, this time. “I?—”
“Nay, before ye say anything else, let me tell ye my story. Then ye can decide how to answer. If we have a chance at a future together.”
Ah.
The story of his last mission? “Of…of what happened in Belfast??”
