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"Abby," he growled, furious at the tightening he felt in his gut Would she forever drive hirowl…" Her eyes widened, then softened "Your roguish tendencies turn rowl!" Against his will, his ar her with it

"Yes, you did What are you doing?" she gasped when he licked the very edge of her lips "You intend to ravish me, do you not?"

His half-drunken brain was inundated with the warmth of her slender body, the soft scent of her, and the voice he loved Her cries in orgas even now, he was so aroused, and she had done nothing toindefinable about her

"No," he murmured in her ear "I intend to fuck you"

"Rhys!"

When he released her wrist and reached for her breast, he was not surprised to find her nipple hard against his pal, delicious nipples He pulled her to the floor

"What? Here?" Her shock would haveso fiercely on yanking her skirts out of the way "On the rug? What about the bed?"

"Next tian to work his cock into her with a groan of surrender Abby whiret this, too?" she asked, squir beneath him

He knew she was sore, could feel hoollen her tissues were, but could not desist Watching her as he forced her body to take hiolden flecks "Never," he vowed

"You lied earlier" Her smile was brilliant and watery with renewed tears "I have never been so happy to have been lied to"

He had never been so happy either

Which was a tor to leave Isabel after her apparent upset the night before, Gerard found hi several feet behind her as the Harooms and walked to a location prepared for an alfresco picnic Dressed in flowered e satin bow at the back and a wide-brimmed straw hat upon her upswept auburn tresses, his wife looked both elegant and young The latter effect was enhanced by her sparkling eyes and wide smile

That he was responsible for her look of contento, he had never pleased anyone but himself, and he’d never in his life made a woman happy outside of sexual intercourse He had no notion how he’d ed the deed He knew only that he would continue to keep her so blissful if it killed hiher in her eyes was beyond heavenly To feel her turn to hirew cold…It was a type of intimacy he hadn’t known existed, and he had found it with his wife, the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world He deserved it less than anyone, but he had it And he would cherish it Spilling his seed inside her had been a foolhardy lapse, one he would not repeat He could not risk i aside, he studied Trenton and said, "You still lookits wonders on you?"

"No," Trenton gru "My ail else"

"What kind of ail, Gerard said, "I hope to be slowly developing a cure for that myself Unfortunately, I doubt it would help you if I do"

"Once Isabel discovers a dalliance on your part," Trenton warned ominously, "the saints above will not be able to cure you"

Gerard came to an abrupt halt and waited for Trenton to face him The rest of the party continued on until they were quite alone "Is that what you told ht? That I would stray?"

"No" Trenton stepped closer "I merely told her to be practical"

"Isabel is one of theyour pardon?"

Trenton smiled wryly and shook his head "Isabel is a ro about my wife? The woman who discards men who become too attached to her?"

"Lovers and spouses are two very different things, would you not agree? She will become attached to you if you continue on your present course And women can be positively demonic when their affections are rebuffed"

"Attached to ’s playful affection was any indication of what Pel was like when attached, he wanted more of it All of it Today was the best day of his life What if all of his days could be like this one? "I’ve no intention of rebuffing her I want her, Trenton I intend to keep her happy"

"To the exclusion of all others? Nothing less will content her For some unknown reason, she has odd delusions of love and fidelity in e She certainly did not learn that in our fa in reality"

"No others," Gerard said, distracted He looked ahead, wishing he could see his wife froht of her, she appeared and waved, causing hi at the bit," Trenton observed

"How should I win her heart?" Gerard asked "With wine and roses? What do wohts and off-the-top-of-his-head poeoals were different now,for Isabel had to be perfect

"You are asking me?" Trenton’s eyes widened "How the devil would I know? I’ve never in my life wanted a woman to fall in love with me Damned inconvenient when they do"

Gerard frowned Pel would know and he longed to ask her, just as he had always turned to her for advice and her opinions But in this instance, he was quite definitely on his own "I will puzzle it out"

"I alad you appreciate her, Grayson I often wondered what Pelha for outside of wedlock when he had Isabel so s"

"He was an idiot I as If she can see past the and Trenton fell into step beside him

"I would think that to love a person in spite of their faults, rather than because you cannot see those faults, would be the deeper of the two attachht a rin Which faded as they rounded a large tree and he saw Hargreaves speaking with Isabel She laughed at so look was both open and fond They stood together with an obvious fa twisted and churned His fists clenched Then she saw hi toward hi his ar inside him quieted and he exhaled audibly He wished he were alone with her, talking with her as they had last night when they’d returned to their rooers linked over his chest, he had told her about Emily Told her about what he had discovered about himself, and listened to her assurances and voice of reason

"You are not a badand in need of adoration after living with abut chastise you"

"You make it sound so simple"

"You are co si farewell to Emily"

Puzzled, he asked, "How aloith the reflection of the firelight "In your heart In person In any way at all"

He shook his head