Page 42 of A Bargain with the Rake (Necessary Arrangements 3)

“Well, you are. Every time I think this will be the final straw, and she is going to have conniptions—” Evie laughed merrily, and Gabriel waved his hand at her. “And there you are, smiling and laughing as if it is the most fascinating adventure you’ve ever been a part of.”

“Well, first off, I do not have conniptions. And second, itisthe most fascinating adventure I’ve ever been a part of. All my life, I have been cherished, protected. As much as my grandfather encouraged my adventurous spirit, he never let me out of his sight. I loved him for it, I truly did, but at the same time, I always wanted something more. Something a bit more dangerous, a bit more exciting.”

Gabriel grunted.Cherished, protected. And now, she married the biggest scoundrel of England, and in less than a fortnight, he’d brought her to this low state. He wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility for another’s life. He shouldn’t have married her. He didn’t deserve a wife, much less a treasure like Evie.

“Want to race to the river?” she said, successfully pulling him out of his dark thoughts.

“Oh, don’t think I’ll let you win just because you are a lady.” He nudged his horse forward, and they both galloped in the direction of the river, the sound of laughter ripping through the cold night air.

Gabriel reached the river clearing first, but as he stopped, Evie ran right past him and led the horse a few inches into the river. The animal immediately bowed its head and started drinking.

“I win!” she shouted. Gabriel gave her a sardonic look. “What? I said, race to the river, not to the clearing. So, I win.”

Gabriel shook his head and laughed. “All right, you win. What’s your forfeit?”

“Hm.” Evie furrowed her brow thoughtfully.

“See.” Gabriel jumped down from his horse. “I already knew my forfeit as I started racing.”

“What was it?” Evie guided her horse back to the bank, and Gabriel helped her down. He held her by the waist a little longer than was necessary, unwilling to let go of her warm body. She felt too good in his hands, like she belonged there.

“I’m not going to tell you,” he said a half-octave lower.

“Then why bring it up?” Laughter danced in her eyes.

“I’m not going to tell you,” he repeated as he walked away from her and took off his coat and boots, “until you agree that the victory was mine. You won on a technicality.” He continued stripping away his clothes and stood on the bank in his drawers.

“I am not that curious,” she said, but her eyes betrayed her as her gaze ran over his half-clad body. Gabriel smirked.

She swiftly turned away, looking for a place to sit. Gabriel came up behind her and started undoing the buttons of her gown.

“What would you want if you could ask for anything? Good or bad, big or small? Even if it seemed impossible?”

“Right at this moment, I would ask for a big hearty meal,” she said with a chuckle.

Gabriel laughed merrily. “You are completely different when you’re not traveling on the inside of a closed carriage. I like it. All right, you will have your meal, I promise you.”

“Wait, was that my forfeit?” She fidgeted to turn and face him, but he held her tight as he pushed her gown down, successfully trapping her arms with the sleeves and continued undoing her stays. “If I didn’t ask for it, would you not provide me with food?” she said, trying to sound pitiful, although he could hear a smile in her voice.

“I would. You are my wife, after all, and I promised to protect you. I suppose protection from hunger is also somewhere in the vows.”

Evie giggled in response. “Then, I would like to change my forfeit to something less attainable.”

“Like what?” Gabriel finished undressing her, leaving her in her chemise, placed her clothing on a nearby boulder, and turned to face her. He carefully sat her down and crouched in front of her, unlacing her half-boots.

“Hm…” She tapped her finger against her chin. “This is too hard. I don’t think I want anything material. I am rich. I have six estates, plenty of gowns. Anything I do not have, I can buy.”

“And what immaterial thing would you want?”

He took off her half-boots and looked up at her. Evie had a wistful expression on her face. She gazed silently into his eyes as if trying to communicate something to him wordlessly. Then she smiled. “Go into the river, husband, I need to take off my stockings, and I am not doing it in front of you.”

Gabriel gave her a swift smile, ran into the water, and dived headfirst. He came back up and shook out his hair with a tortured sound.

“This water is like ice!” he shouted.

“Thank you. Now I don’t want to go in,” she shouted back.

“I am afraid you don’t have a choice, my dirt-stricken wife. You are a viscount’s wife, and you need to look the part.”

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