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Chapter 29
Evie woke up with a ticklish sensation somewhere in the region of her nose. She swatted at the air before her and heard a low chuckle. Evie sat up and looked at the smiling face of her husband. Her eyes widened, and then she fell into his arms.
“You are awake!” she breathed. “Oh, thank God, I was so worried.”
Gabriel rubbed her back in soothing circles, and Evie felt a dry kiss on her hair. She disengaged from his arms and looked up at his face. “You look healthy. How do you feel?”
“I feel a lot better. Your healing techniques work wonders.”
“What healing techniques?”
“Falling asleep on top of me, for one thing.”
“I wasn’t sleeping on top of you,” she grumbled.
“Yes, you were. In fact, your mouth was perilously close to my cock, and I think that is exactly the reason why I recovered so fast.”
Evie groaned.
“I know. I am incorrigible.” He tugged on Evie’s arms and then collected her against his chest. “But that’s why you love me, isn’t it?”
Evie smiled against his skin. “Umm, no. I love you in spite of that.” Gabriel laughed, and Evie snuggled closer to him. “Do you truly feel better?”
“Mm.” Gabriel made a sound of acquiescence that reverberated through Evie’s body. Evie closed her eyes briefly, breathing him in, enjoying the heat of his body. When he was sick last night, his skin was clammy and cold, but now he was nice, dry, and warm. He was truly feeling better.
She disengaged from his arms once more and looked at him more carefully. The color had returned to his cheeks, and he didn’t look feeble anymore. “Are you strong enough? Do you think you can handle some… rougher treatment?” She bit on her lip suggestively.
“Oh, absolutely.” He settled comfortably against the pillows.
Evie smiled and slapped him lightly across his face.
“Ow! What was that for?” Gabriel covered his cheek with his hand, although Evie doubted she’d hurt him at all.
“What in the world were you thinking? A duel? Truly, Gabriel?”
“I had to do it, Evie. You know I did.”
“No, I do not,” Evie said, exasperated.
“I couldn’t let people think that you could be mistreated, and nobody would do anything about it. I can’t always be there to protect you. And it pains me to even contemplate that you could be out there alone and some fop would take advantage and—” Gabriel turned away with a grimace as if he truly was in pain.
Evie placed a hand against his cheek. “Gabriel, there are other ways you could have done that. The duel could have had more dire consequences. I can take care of myself against some fop, but what if you died? Or got exiled?”
“I will not apologize for trying to protect you.”
“All right.” Evie nodded thoughtfully. “How about you apologize for lying to me—”
“I didn’t lie.”
“—by omission. For going behind my back and doing exactly what I asked you not to do.”
“Well, in my defense, I was right; Bingham did delope. Nothing bad happened because of the duel. In fact, the only bad thing happened because I dined at your house. By the way, I told you we should have brought in Matilda.”
Evie let out an exasperated sigh and turned away.
Gabriel sat up in bed and took her hand. “I am sorry,” he said, and Evie looked at him in surprise. “I apologize, and I promise to never do anything that might upset you.”
“I don’t want you to account for your every step. But if we are to have a trusting relationship, we need to be honest with each other.”
