Page 68 of Ravished

"On the contrary. There is no getting around the fact that I am not the great beauty my sister is and there is no avoiding the subject of my age. I am very nearly five and twenty, not precisely a sweet-tempered, pliable young chit fresh out of the schoolroom."

Gideon saw the hint of a smile playing around her soft mouth. He felt something deep inside him start to unclench. "Well, there is that," he agreed slowly. "It would doubtless be far easier to school a brainless little goose who had never learned to think for herself. But as I am hardly an unfledged lad myself, I daresay I cannot complain too much of your advanced years."

Harriet grinned. "Very generous of you, my lord."

Gideon stared at her, aware of the hunger that was warming his blood. It was going to be a long night, he thought. "There is just one detail I would like to clarify."

"And what is that, my lord?"

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known," he whispered thickly.

Harriet's mouth fell open in astonishment. "What rubbish. Gideon, how can you possibly say such a thing?"

He shrugged. "It is no more than the truth."

"Oh, Gideon." Harriet blinked quickly. Her mouth trembled. "Oh, Gideon."

She flew across the room and hurled herself straight into his arms.

Pleasantly stunned by the unexpected reaction, Gideon allowed himself to be toppled backward onto the bed. His arms closed around Harriet and he pulled her down across his chest.

"You are the most attractive, most handsome, most magnificent man I have ever met," Harriet murmured shyly against his throat.

"I see that, in addition to your other minor faults, we must conclude you have poor eyesight." Gideon slid his fingers into her thick hair. "But that seems a very slight and no doubt extremely useful sort of flaw in our situation."

"Your eyesight must be just as poor if you truly find me beautiful." Harriet giggled. "Well, there you have it, my lord. Matching flaws. Obviously we are ideally suited."

"Obviously." Gideon caught her face between his hands and brought her mouth down onto his.

She returned the kiss with a sweet, generous urgency that made the blood pound in his veins. He could feel the incredible softness of her breasts through the fabric of her pelisse and gown. His fingers tightened in her hair.

"Gideon?" Harriet raised her head a little to look down at him with bemused eyes.

"God, I want you." He searched her face, desperate for some sign that would tell him he need not act the gentleman on this eve of their marriage. "You cannot know how much."

Her lashes veiled her gaze. Gideon could see the warmth in her cheeks. "I want you, too, my lord. I have dreamed often of that night we spent together."

"After we are wed tomorrow, we shall spend every night together," he vowed.

"Gideon," she said softly, "I know that ours is to be a marriage founded upon necessity. I understand that you feel you must do the right thing by me. But I have wondered…"

"Wondered what?" He was impatient with her rationale of the situation, but he did not know how to counter her conclusions. She was right. He had proposed because he had compromised her.

"Do you think," she asked slowly, "that there will ever come a time when you might fall in love with me?"

Gideon froze. Then he closed his eyes briefly against the hope he saw in the depths of her turquoise gaze. "Harriet, I want there to be only honesty between us."

"Yes, my lord?"

He opened his eyes, aware of a feeling of pain deep inside himself. "Six years ago I forgot everything I knew of love. That part of me does not exist anymore. But I give you my solemn vow that I will be a good husband to you. I will care for you and protect you with my life. You will not want for anything if it is in my power to give it to you. I will be faithful."

A gleam of moisture appeared in Harriet's eyes, but she blinked it rapidly away. Her mouth trembled in a shy smile of womanly welcome. "Well, then, my lord, as we have already thoroughly compromised ourselves, I do not see any point in delaying the inevitable another night. You do not have to prove your honorable intentions to me, of all people."

Gideon's body went hard with desire. The glowing invitation in Harriet's eyes nearly robbed him of breath. "The inevitable?" he demanded hoarsely. "Is that what you call it? Is that how you envision our lovemaking? An inevitable duty?"

"It was not unpleasant," she assured him quickly. "I did not mean to insult you. It was actually quite exciting in some ways. It definitely had its moments."

"Thank you," Gideon murmured dryly. "I tried."

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