Page 31 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
“What is it?” Gabriel said, hoping Gemma had not found a spider.
“Look.”
Gabriel turned around and saw an ancient mural painted on the back wall of the storage room.
He took a step towards the mural and ran his hands along it, feeling how flat the wall was and his hand came away with dust.
The mural seemed to be another clue as the two gazed at it.
“What do you think it means?” Gabriel asked Gemma.
As he turned to look at her, he realized they were right next to each other, their unexpected proximity in the candlelight making for a romantic atmosphere.
Gabriel couldn’t help but notice how Gemma glowed in the light as shadows moved across her face. This woman’s beauty was driving him mad with passion, and affecting his brain. His need to protect his heart was losing out to his growing feelings for Gemma.
He reached a hand up to touch her cheek where the light was the brightest. Her skin was so utterly soft and smooth.
Gemma swallowed at the feel of the duke’s hand on her face.
Gabriel was overcome with the sensation to kiss Gemma and when Gemma closed her eyes and leaned towards him, he knew he was going to do just that.
Their lips touched in a spontaneous and passionate kiss.
Gabriel’s hand on Gemma’s face went into her hair. He intertwined his fingers in her long tresses and pulled her tighter against him.
Gemma’s hands were on his chest as their mouths moved together as one.
The kiss made Gabriel’s heart stop and he couldn’t breathe. The only thing he knew at that moment was that he wanted Gemma’s lips on his forever.
She tasted like strawberries.
It was his new favorite fruit. Strawberry kisses from Gemma.
Their mouths seemed welded together as the kiss deepened. Gabriel pulled away first.
Each was stunned and breathless. Neither wanted the kiss to end.
The two gazed at each other, as the weight of what just happened settled upon their shoulders. They had just kissed and thankfully no one was around to witness it. Which also meant that they were alone together. While Gabriel was Gemma’s guardian, the whole situation was improper. Suddenly, Gabriel didn’t care about proper. He cared about Gemma.
It became clear to him that he wanted Gemma. Truthfully, it was long past wanting her. What he felt now was much deeper. He did not intend to ruin her, naturally. There was no audience so must he be concerned about this detail?
He had not been able to stop himself. Simply put, he needed to kiss Gemma, and certainly, his emotions and his passions had truly possessed him in the moment.
Gabriel untangled his hands from Gemma’s hair and Gemma’s hands instantly went up to fix her the pins which he had completely disrupted.
She looked simply stunning with her hair a mess, but Gabriel knew if they were caught in this situation they would be forced to wed, which wouldn’t be a terrible thing for him, but he feared that Gemma did not feel as strongly for him as he felt for her. If only he could manage his errant thoughts when it came to this woman.
Gabriel watched Gemma fix her auburn locks before he realized they were still stuck in the storage room.
He went to the door and slammed against it. The door rattled on its hinges but stayed firm.
Gabriel realized that he would be able to knock the door down, but it would take some effort.
“What was that?” Gemma asked breathlessly. “What are you doing?
The sound of her voice sent a shiver down Gabriel’s spine. Her breathy, sensual voice was doing things to him, deep within himself, that it had no right to do.
“I am trying to get us out of here,” Gabriel said as he focused on knocking down the door.
