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Her eyes sparkling, she took his arm, and they headed toward the music.
The dance floor was filled with villagers. The musicians played lovely country tunes neither Evie nor Gabriel knew the moves to. So they just stood opposite each other and tried to imitate what other people were doing. They laughed uproariously as they got every move absolutely wrong. After they bumped into three couples, they decided to leave the floor.
They were still laughing as they reached the edge of the woods. They could still hear the music and the laughter accompanying it.
“No people to bump into here.” Gabriel shrugged. “Care to join me in this dance?”
“Here?” Evie’s eyes widened, and she swallowed a chuckle. “Now?”
“No place like here, no time like now.”
Gabriel offered his arm with a flourish. Evie laughed and placed her hand in his. They danced, twirled, and laughed to the music. By the end of the second dance, Evie was laughing so hard she doubled over and leaned her back against the tree.
Gabriel took her by the shoulders and looked into her laughing eyes.
“You,” he said, looking at her closely, “have the most beautiful laugh.”
Evie smiled self-consciously. “And you,” she retorted, “have the smoothest silver tongue.” Her eyes danced with laughter, but his gaze suddenly concentrated on her mouth.
“Do I?” he said absently. “Care to test that theory?”
She blinked up at him, not sure about his mood, as his face moved perilously close to hers. He stopped when his mouth was a hair’s breadth away from hers. Then he raised his smoldering eyes to hers. Evie swallowed audibly as she stared into his hypnotic gaze, transfixed. Gabriel braced both hands on either side of her, his body not touching hers anywhere. And yet, she felt his warmth all over. Unable to bear more torment, she leaned up on her toes and kissed him. She felt him smile before his mouth closed on hers in a demanding, scalding kiss.
Evie clutched at his lapels, holding on to him like he was a lifeline. She opened her lips to him and allowed his tongue access to her mouth. Her hands traveled up his chest as she placed one hand over his neck and ran her fingers through his hair with the other. A tingly sensation ran through her fingers. Gabriel groaned as he moved his hands down to her rear and gathered her close, rubbing her pelvis against his hot, aroused length.
Evie fit her body to his, rubbing her own body all over him, clutching him closer to her, unable to get enough of him. When he tore his mouth from her, she whimpered from the loss. But instead of raising his head, he traced his mouth down to her neck, placing tiny bites on her skin, suckling on her pulse at the base of her throat. His hands moved up to the bodice of her dress, and he started tugging it down.
“Gabriel,” Evie breathed, unable to think.
“Yes, sweet?” Gabriel succeeded in freeing one of her breasts from the bodice and licked at her hardened nipple.
Evie whimpered at the sensation. Then he took the nipple into his mouth and sucked on it, rolling it with his tongue. A breathy moan escaped her as she melted into his arms. Gabriel tugged the bodice lower, freeing her other breast and repeating his earlier ministrations while squeezing her other nipple with his thumb and forefinger. Evie felt feverish. A peculiar ache settled low in her most private place. She wriggled in frustration.
Gabriel bunched her skirts in one hand and tugged them up before wedging his thigh between her legs. He moved his thigh, introducing unknown sensations at the core of her. Then he returned his mouth to her lips in a passionate kiss.
He devoured her, all the while moving his thigh against her center, sending hot waves of pleasure through her body. Evie’s skin grew hot, and sweat covered her body. The tingly feeling originating at her center started spreading through her body as she writhed, riding him.
Needy whimpers and moans started escaping her mouth, and she clutched Gabriel closer to her while still moving against him, chasing the fluttering sensations, wanting more, needing—
A small cry escaped her lips as a feeling of pure bliss surrounded her. She closed her eyes tight and clutched at Gabriel, needing him closer, while her entire body pulsated from the inside. When she opened her eyes, she was breathing heavily, her body buzzing with the aftershocks of pure bliss.
Gabriel watched her, his breath coming in fits, his wintry blue eyes dark, like the sea during the storm. He slowly took her by her waist and set her aside, all the while looking down at the ground, unable to face her. Evie waited for her heartbeat to slow. When that didn’t help, she tugged her bodice up and started adjusting her clothes. Gabriel turned away, raking a hand through his hair.
“We should do something about this, Evie,” he said with his back still to her, his voice hoarse. “I mean, we are obviously attracted to each other. There is no point in denying that.” He cleared his throat and looked at her over his shoulder. “I want you too much to keep traveling with you and not do anything about it.”
Evie licked her lips in a nervous gesture, which drew his gaze immediately to her mouth.
“Fuck.” He shook his head and turned away. “If you still want me to not act on it, we need to spend as little time as possible together.”
Evie swallowed audibly. She didn’t want to spend time away from him. During their travels, she’d learned to love his lewd sense of humor, his warm gaze, his seductive smile. She loved that she could talk to him about anything, and he wouldn’t dismiss any topic as not for a lady’s ears. He didn’t care to offend her ‘delicate sensibilities’ and treated her as an equal. She even enjoyed his teasing, the way he coerced her to eat more, the way he worried over her. And most of all, she enjoyed his kisses. A little too much.
She also knew that way lay heartbreak. They would be back in London in several days. After that, she’d be back at Peacehaven, and he’d be back to his many conquests. She couldn’t get attached to him. She had to stay away for her own good.
She understood that logically, and yet her heart refused to cooperate. That’s why she stood there, mutely looking at her handsome husband, wishing they could be married for real, wishing he could have loved her. Her foolish, foolish heart.
Gabriel recovered first. He turned to her and extended his arm. “Let us go,” he said soberly. “Our room must be ready.”
They walked toward the inn in silence. The moment they reached the main floor, Gabriel disengaged from her side.
“I need… some time. Fresh air perhaps,” he said, not quite meeting her gaze. “You go up to our room. I shall be there shortly.”
She nodded, but he didn’t see it. He was already walking away.
