Page 37 (1/2)

Gabe was having a rakish feeling that he had literally never had before It was as if Dori in his ear Before he knew it, he scooped Gillian’s sweet little body off her chair and plu the kiss--that saain when she settled on his lap, but her arms went around his neck, and so he dared to wander from her lips and run his mouth across her se potions designed to make a woman’s skin white, or red, or smooth Just Gillian’s pure, sweet skin, and the tiny sound of her breath and the way her breath hitched when he pulled her closer

He could feel her corset, and it was one of those kinds that held a woht and encased as if in steel Paradoxically, it made him ith desire She clearly had three or four layers of clothing on, and his fingers trembled as they soothed the layers and he couldn’t help it, he dipped back into her ers curled into his hair

He delved into her sweet e of death, which he was because any moment now she’d co But for thedown the London street with all the bravado and the beauty of an angel

"Kiss me back, sweetheart," he said, and his voice caold as any actor’s

"I--I--"

He shifted her just a little so that he could rub a thumb up her neck "You taste like peaches," he said into herhim back All that sweetness turned wild, and the little hoarse sounds he heard were his as well as hers Stunned, he pulled back and looked at her

Her hair was falling around her shoulders Her eyes weren’t bewildered anymore She raised her eyelashes as if they were too heavy Her lips were as deep crimson as if she’d painted them He froze, hands in the silky sweep of her hair

What had he done?

"I shouldn’t--" he said hoarsely

And just like that, all the passion disappeared from her eyes and she looked at him with all the cool calculation of an aristocrat "You," she whispered

"It’s all right," he said uneasily, picking up a hairpin and handing it to her

She leaped from his lap as if he had poked her with the pin "You’re afroht count as a sh, she didn’t begin screa, just looked at hinon that hid all that glowing color as if it didn’t exist "Well, I suppose I should thank you," she said briskly

She really was one of the oddest women he’d ever met In fact, he couldn’t even think of a repost to that

"This has taught ht Mrs Loveit and Belinda were rather foolish woence and prey to their passions"

Gabe felt queerly distant, as &uu the scene from another room, or even from the audience of a theater

"She’s your mistress, isn’t she?" Gillian asked

"Who?" he asked "I don’t think Medley has a mistress "

"This Loretta Miss Hawes"