Page 47 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
There was very clearly an undeniable connection between them, a spark that ignited whenever they were together, but it seemed as if Gabriel did not want to acknowledge it in a public way, where everyone else would be aware of it. He preferred ungentlemanly conduct and secret trysts.
Gemma leaned against her door, breathing heavily, as all these thoughts invaded her mind.
She wanted nothing to do with Gabriel after tonight. His dismissal of her cut to her very bones. But she also wanted everything to do with Gabriel. That kiss was life changing. Gemma wasn’t sure if she would ever feel the way with another man the way she felt when Gabriel held her and touched his lips to hers.
The kiss wasn’t just a peek or an experiment, it was everything to Gemma and she needed Gabriel to stop playing games and tell her the truth about his feelings for her.
Was he as torn as Gemma was? Was he thinking endlessly about their kiss? Or was he merely playing with her, a toy for his passion?
Gemma didn’t know the answers, but she wanted them. She needed to know before she drove herself insane thinking about their intimate kiss.
She knew that she needed to talk with Gabriel, or else she would confide in someone else and who knew how they would react. She was not sure her friend and confidante would condone their behavior. She may even shun Gemma as her friend.
An unmarried lady kissing a man who was not her husband was a scandal. Add on top of that the unmarried lady was kissing her guardian. The Ton would tear her apart.
Gemma knew that the conversation had to be had with Gabriel soon. All of this time had passed, and she felt no closer to a resolution than she had before. How could she stand to be with a man who went back and forth with her heart as if it were a negotiation of sorts?
As Gemma got ready for bed, the sensation of the kiss flowed through her mind, and she was able to link the memory up with the first kiss between them. She was becoming quite the deviant. Kissing a gentleman when no one was around—more than once now.
But these kisses were coming at a very confusing cost to her heart and to her mind. This could not continue on in this way forevermore. Something needed to change in a drastic manner.
Gemma awoke with a start to light in her face. With her frantic state last night, she forgot to close her curtains.
As she sat up in her bed, she gazed out her window and at the cloudless sky.
Today, Gemma was going to confront Gabriel. It didn’t matter if he evaded her, she was determined to get some type of answer about their kisses. It would be better to know fully, one way or the other.
Gemma got dressed in her favorite green dress and headed down to the dining hall. On her way she was stopped by Mrs. Harrow.
“Lady Gemma,” Mrs. Harrow called out, as Gemma was descending the staircase.
“Yes, Mrs. Harrow?”
“His Grace wanted me to inform you that he had ventured out for his morning horseback ride and that he will see you later today.”
Gemma frowned deeply at the news. This was going to alter her plan to communicate directly with him.
“Very well,” Gemma responded before continuing to the dining hall.
As she found her place at the dining table, Gemma took in the wide array of breakfast foods, from eggs to bread with jam to berries. However, she left most of her meal uneaten as her mind was keeping her busy and stealing away her appetite.
She may not be able to speak with Gabriel yet, but she would be prepared for when he returned from his ride. Gemma was determined to have their discussion sooner than later.
After a rather dull breakfast, Gemma retreated to the drawing room. She decided to try to decipher the next clue of the treasure hunt. It was the only thing to hold her attention and calm her as she waited for the duke to return. The mural, while beautiful, was confusing. Gemma had no idea what she was supposed to get from it and where it would lead her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Kingsley.
“Lord Langley has arrived.”
***
“Lord Langley is here, Your Grace,” was not what Gabriel was hoping to hear upon his arrival back from his horseback ride. How did this man pop up everywhere that Gabriel hoped to never see him at all? He was like a phantom of ill intent.
With a hint of irritation, Gabriel approached Lord Langley, and he was feeling rather stiff about his own feelings from last night.
“What is it that we can help you with, Lord Langley?” Gabriel inquired, hoping to find out the purpose of his visit was to tell him he had found quarters in a different country.
“I am here for Lady Gemma, of course,” Alastair spoke. “I was hoping I could extend an invitation to the opera later for this evening.”
