Page 11 of Her Duke of Sin: Lady Be Wicked
“Miss Adams is charged with seeing that all the guests are happy, is she not?”
“Yes, but…” She glanced away from him. “She won’t be happy if I tell you. I should fetch her and bring her to you.”
That would work for him… As long as he had her nearby, he didn’t much care how it came about. Though… “I promise I will not take advantage of Miss Adams. She is safe from me.”
Katie narrowed her gaze. “You don’t find her pretty, then?”
“She’s passably pretty.” He winked. “But that’s not why I need her.” Gideon thought she was breathtakingly beautiful, but he hadn’t lied. He adored her and wanted far more from her than one night in her bed. He wanted a lifetime. “Can you help me?”
“I suppose I can give you general directions to the wing she is in.” She formed a thin line with her lips and stared at him in disapproval. “But I am not telling you exactly what room she is in. You will have to discover that on your own.”
“All right…” He could use that. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something. “What wing is she located in?”
After Katie told him, Gideon grinned. That minx had known that they were in the same wing and hadn’t let on. Wait until he located her bedchamber. “Thanks, Katie. You’re a sweetheart.”
With those words Gideon went in search of his Juliette. It didn’t take long for him to reach the wing. He counted the doors. There were three, and one of them was his room. He liked his odds. He strolled down the hall and rapped on the first door. There was shuffling on the other side and he took that as an excellent sign.
The door opened, and he nearly swallowed his tongue. She was a golden angel wrapped in white silk. Her hair was damp and fell around her shoulders in little blonde waves. Her lips were a delicate pink, and he wanted to lean down and press his lips to hers…desperately.
She pulled her robe tighter around her and glanced down the hallway. “What are you doing here?” she hissed out.
“You promised,” he said in an accusing tone. “I had to find you. Tell me why.”
She sighed. “I can’t do this right now.”
“If not now, when?” He lifted a brow.”
“Gideon…”
He grinned and then pulled her into his arms. “You said my name.”
“Gideon,” she said again, then licked her lips. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“It’s an excellent one,” he disagreed. He leaned down and did as he had wanted to for what seemed like ages. She gasped, and he slid his tongue inside her mouth. Her taste was as heavenly as he had imagined. No. That wasn’t true. It was far better than he could have ever imagined.
Gideon pulled her tight against him and then ushered her into the room, then closed it behind them. He would not risk anyone interrupting them now. Not when he finally had her in his arms, and her kiss was more than he’d dreamt it could be.
Six
Was this really happening? Juliette leaned into him and lost herself in the kiss. His Kiss. She hadn’t allowed herself to imagine what it would feel like to have his arms wrapped around her. She hadn’t even let herself drift off into the realm of daydreams and possibilities. Not really… For some brief moments, she had thought perhaps he might want something more with her. But did she want to be just another woman in a long line of them that fell willingly into his awaiting embrace?
No.
Juliette had far too much respect for herself and the life she had built for herself. She did not need a man to take care of her. She was doing well on her own. Even if Lady Wyndam dismissed her, or god forbid, died, she would be all right. Her investments and savings would see her through. She would never live lavishly, but she would be comfortable.
She pulled away from him and put some distance between them. As much as she enjoyed kissing Gideon, she couldn’t allow it to go any farther than that. “You shouldn’t be here.” She glanced away from him and stepped farther away from the temptation. It would be so easy to walk right back into his arms and demand he kiss her again.
“Why are you hiding from me?” His voice was hoarse as he spoke.
Juliette couldn’t meet his gaze. She had been hiding. Not that she would ever admit that to him. Perhaps it was cowardly, but she had to protect herself where she could. “I’m exhausted,” she told him. “The very thought of dining with all the guests and pretending otherwise was too much for me to even consider. It had nothing to do with you.”
He didn’t speak for several moments. The silence was almost deafening. She glanced up and the look in his eyes almost undid her. There was something there she thought she would never see. Hurt. She had done that to him.
“You’re tearing up my heart,” he said and tapped his chest. “No matter what I do, you always push me away. Tell me what to do. What will make you see me and not the man you believe I am?”
She mentally cursed. Juliette was stunned at his words. Had she ever really looked at him, or had she only measured him by that reputation of his? Didn’t he deserve to have a chance to prove he wasn’t the man the ton believed him to be? “What part of your life isn’t what everyone believes? Are you something other than the rumored Duke of Sin?”
Gideon shook his head. “I am that man.” He took a step closer. “I’ll never lie to you. I have made choices and a small part of me regrets them, but I can’t dismiss them. Everything I’ve done, every step I’ve taken…” He cupped her cheek. “They made me who I am and I like the person I’ve become. What I don’t like is that you do not think I’m worthy of you.”
