Page 548 of From Rakes to Riches

In fact, he thought her perfect mistress material.

“Because I can’t center my entire existence around pleasing a man.”

“What if it’s your very being itself that pleases the man.”

Though they were only bantering, Rake felt the pull of truth in the words. This bold, unyielding woman pleased him very much.

“That doesn’t sound like a mistress,” she said. “It sounds like a?—”

Her mouth snapped shut, leaving the unfinished sentence hanging in the air between them.

It sounds like a…

Wife.

That was the word left unsaid.

Better it stayed that way.

Silently, she began dressing, and, silently, Rake watched.

Once finished, she met his gaze. Again, it struck him that he was unable to read her gaze. Too many emotions conflicted within. But he might recognize one…

Guilt.

Without a parting word, she was slipping out the door, and he was left wondering—what did those pretty eyes have to feel guilty about?

What they’d just done?

No.

She didn’t feel guilt over that.

Her ruse as Gem?

He didn’t think that was it, either.

It was something else.

Something more to her story that he didn’t yet know. He sensed it down to his bones.

And it was located somewhere in her adamancy not to become his mistress.

He’d meant the offer half in jest—though it was what he truly wanted when he thought about it.

But her reaction had him curious…

What was Gemma’s story?

His attraction for her tended to distract him from the fact that he still didn’t know anything of substance about her life.

He still didn’t know thewhy.

And he would have it.

14

THREE DAYS LATER

---