“You could leave now, make your own way. You could have left for college as well.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to leave Diana to deal with our mother and sister on her own. Not that she couldn’t, but she shouldn’t have to. But Diana’s going away to university in the fall, and then I’ll be able to leave.”
“Where will you go?”
She shrugged. “I’ll probably just get married. I’m not particularly talented in anything, so I don’t think I could get a proper job. It would be the easiest way to leave without having any money.”
“Who’s on your short list? I hope I am.” She rolled her eyes and he found himself getting annoyed. “Am I not on your list?”
“Of course not. Please be serious, Your Highness.”
“My name is Gabriel. I suggest you start using it.”
“Well,Gabe, I can’t take you seriously.”
“I prefer Gabriel, Genevieve.”
“Well, I prefer Gen, Gabriel.”
He took another deep breath. “Why won’t you consider me a serious candidate?”
“How can I? You’ve basically just told me you aren’t interested in anything serious and, while you may ‘like’ me, you haven’t said anything to make me believe otherwise.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? In your room, helping you while you’re sick.”
“You’re annoying me while I’m sick, there’s a difference.”
“Do you know, no one has ever spoken to me the way you do.”
A flush swept across her cheeks. “I apologize for offending you, Your Highness. Feel free to leave my bedroom and never return again.”
He wasn’t sure why, but that thought made him angry again. “You know how to conduct yourself, I’ve seen your public persona.”
“And this is my”—cough—“real”—cough—“persona.” She took another drink of water and put her glass back on the bedside table. “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
He simply leaned closer. “That’s the problem, my dear Genevieve. I do like it, far more than I imagined I would.”
She sucked in a breath.
He raised a hand to her face again but this time his hand kept moving. After brushing a thumb over her blushing cheek, he trailed his index finger down the pulse in her neck, then swept it across her bare collarbone.
He wanted to trail it down her chest, following the vee in her nightgown. He wanted to push the fabric down over her bare shoulders until a breast popped free so he could suckle and tease it. He wanted to hear her moan as he pushed the flimsy cloth off her body and feasted on her flesh. He wanted to seduce her, oh yes, but toclaimher, not to use and then discard her.
He didn’t do as he wanted. Instead, he cupped her face again and leaned close.
She was panting but not pushing him away. Even as he drew slowly closer, as his lips neared hers, she didn’t stop him.
His lips whispered against hers, giving her another chance, but she didn’t take it. He deepened the kiss and then deepened it again when she opened for him.
Her mouth was hot—she definitely had a fever—and she was struggling to breathe with her stuffy nose, so he broke away from her mouth to kiss her cheek and neck and that spot in the center of her collarbone.
She gulped breaths of air and tipped her head back, her hands diving into his hair.
He kissed her chest just above her cleavage and she still didn’t stop him.
He pushed the strap of her dress aside to kiss her bare shoulder and she still urged him on.
Over the covers, his hand found her legs and caressed as he moved up her body. When he reached the edge of her blanket, he paused and locked eyes with her.
