Page 34 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
Gemma was nearly skipping out of her shoes to hear her friend's news. “Your secret is safe with me.” Gemma assured her friend with a smile. “I promise to keep it in the strictest of confidence.”
“Hugh and I found ourselves alone in the library together.” As soon as she released the statement, Felicity blushed a deep red shade. “It was rather scandalous, Gemma.”
“What day was that?” Gemma's voice was a hushed whisper.
“The other day, when Lord Langley brought you flowers. I noticed the tension between you and Gabriel, so I escaped and hid in the library. Only to run into Hugh.”
“And… did something happen?” Gemma probed carefully.
Gemma hoped that there had been something so that she could confide her own secret. It was driving her crazy.
Felicity giggled. “I kissed him in a very forward manner.”
“You what?” Gemma gasped, a hand over her heart.
They were in the same predicament. How could she have become so lucky?
“It was merely a kiss upon his cheek!” Felicity explained. She felt the need to explain it further, whether Gemma was asking for clarification or not.
Gemma relaxed and her hope faded away. She could not confide her predicament to Felicity after all. Scandalous didn’t even begin to cover what happened between herself and Gabriel.
A cheek kiss wasn’t fully improper but a cheek kiss in private could have led to something more scandalous, but who was Gemma to judge? However, those around them might judge rather harshly.
Maybe she could share her own moment with Gabriel. The war within was growing tired. She had spent the better part of this current time with Felicity fighting the memory of it.
“Was the kiss satisfactory then?” Gemma asked and then laughed. “You don’t really have to tell me, of course. I was too forward in asking you. I apologize.”
Felicity sighed dreamily.
“It was electric. I could feel a spark as my lips touched his cheek.” She smiled blissfully. “I truly enjoyed the kiss, even though it was most improper.”
Gemma’s heart pounded at the words because she knew that feeling well. Every moment she and Gabriel spent together sent sparks down her spine. But she kept this admission to herself.
She couldn’t wait for her next moment alone with him, even though she knew just how inappropriate that thought was. Whatever was going on with her mind? She just hoped that Felicity could not read her facial expressions.
“I am happy for you,” Gemma said. “Truly, I give my whole blessing to you and Hugh. He is a decent, kind, and caring gentleman. I’m glad you have found each other.”
Felicity stopped walking. “You really feel that way, Gemma?”
“I do. I would bet my life that you two will wed by the end of the season.”
Felicity’s smile almost broke her face with how broad and bright it was. What a thought.
Gemma hoped that the both of them would be wed by the end of the season. Felicity to Hugh and herself to Gabriel. But could she say that out loud? No, she could not. For one, if the rumor about Gabriel and Vivienne becoming a match was true, then that would devastate her.
Second, if Gabriel kept up this roller coaster of pulling her and pushing her away, then she would have to decide to give him up and let Lord Langley court her. It was maddening.
At that moment, Gemma wanted to confess everything to Felicity, but she feared the worst. Gabriel wasn’t just any gentleman. He was her guardian, he was a duke, and she was his ward. If word got out that they had kissed in a closet unsupervised it would cause quite the scandal for both of them.
If Gemma wanted to be with Gabriel again, she had to be smart, which meant keeping her secret to herself. No matter how much she wanted to tell her dearest friend.
Gemma watched the smile on Felicity’s face as they continued to talk about the upcoming events of the season and decided that keeping her secret was certainly the prudent thing to do.
Chapter 16
Gabriel’s equestrian hobby was very important to him, and he had been missing it terribly. Being a proper equestrian was a notable role to play in the world that he now inhabited, as a duke with great land holdings. He considered it to be a great reward to be able to ride once more.
He loved riding and couldn’t wait to clear his mind from his kiss with Gemma. All that was on his mind was Gemma, and he had to change that. It was obsessive, to say the least.
