Page 35 of The Baron Takes a Bet
A gasp may have dropped from her lips as he continued kissing her, nipping at her bottom lip in a way that made her shake, when suddenly he pulled away, throwing her off balance.
Holly was breathing heavily as he watched her with a hard, confused stare. He appeared perplexed, and though Holly wanted to lean into him and continue, he set her back, his hands unsteady on her shoulders.
The look in his eyes seemed apologetic yet hungry. What was the matter?
“I… Excuse me,” he said, shaking his head as he dropped his hands from her and quickly turned, leaving the room without another word.
Holly stared wide-eyed at the barn door as he exited, unable to move for a long time as her beating heart began to settle.
What had that all been about?
Chapter Eight
As the carriageswayed back and forth over the uneven dirt road that led to London, Gavin couldn’t help but steal another glance at Holly, sitting straight back against the carriage wall opposite him. After several hours of travel, he found it challenging to feign much interest in the landscape rolling by. Still, he couldn’t just openly gawk at her, not with Lady Violet and Katrina in the carriage. Besides which, he found it difficult to meet her eye. Gavin knew Holly was less than pleased with him.
He had acted like an idiot, kissing her in the brewery and leaving afterward, but he had been dumbfounded by his reaction to her. Getting out of her presence had been the only thing he could do to stop himself from taking her right there on the dirty floor of an empty building.
What had possibly possessed him to do something so rash? It wasn’t as though he were some inexperienced, young lad. He had a string of former lovers who could attest to his patience regarding lovemaking, and yet all reason and sensibility had vanished the moment he held her in his arms.
It had come over Gavin suddenly, the burning need to have her, but if he was being honest, those feelings of desire had started the first moment he saw her. Her voice had plagued his dreams since coming to Kingston House. Whenever she spoke, her lyrical vocals reverberated in his very soul. Her blue eyes and walnut hair were a striking combination, in his opinion, and hecouldn’t quite recall a more attractive woman, but the tone of her voice seemed to hypnotize him every time.
Moreover, there had been a growing desire to care for her, especially when it became clear that she had little faith that he would or could. Was it because she was his wife? Or was it something else that drove him?
Questions that need to be answered, he thought as a substantial rain began to fall once again, the droplets slamming against the carriage roof and walls as they drove on. He supposed he could break the silence by mentioning that Mr. Mannion had written him a letter, offering to buy Felton Manor for more than whatever the imaginary buyer had offered Holly. It seemed the old man had finally realized his shortchanging would get him nowhere, especially when he was desperate for the property. But Gavin doubted that his new, higher offer would change anything. When it came to her home, he knew no money could persuade her to sell. On the other hand, Jasper would likely be thrilled to learn about Mr. Mannion’s offer, but Gavin wasn’t going to tell him about it just yet. The siblings still had things to discuss, and he wouldn’t betray Holly’s confidence.
The carriage was tight between him and the three ladies, but he did not complain. He had tried for a while to facilitate some small talk, but his mind seemed solely focused on Holly and she had done little but ignore him since their meeting in the brewery. He guessed it was because she was angry that he had left without explanation, but he wondered if it was better this way. The further she kept herself away from him, the better off he was. Less contact meant fewer mistakes.
Still, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at her from time to time. The trip to London would take two days, and they had plans to stay the night at an inn, the Carriage and Crown, that sat nearly halfway between Kingston House and London.
At first, the silence seemed welcome, but as the hours passed, Katrina also became restless, and she began asking questions during the second leg of their journey.
“Are we to stay in Mayfair? I’ve heard that’s the most fashionable neighborhood, but that there are many fine houses in other districts as well. I believe Marylebone is also nice, though I certainly have no reference for judgement.”
“My own house is in Marylebone, but we’ll be staying at the Berkeley Square residence. Bairnsdale Terrace.”
“How exciting,” Katrina said, turning to her left to see her sister. “Isn’t that exciting, Holly?”
“Yes, very,” she said, sounding anything but excited.
Katrina frowned at her before turning back to Gavin.
“I remember you saying that you’d only just arrived in London a few weeks ago, after your tour of the continent,” she pressed. “I’ve never left England before.”
“I highly suggest it,” Gavin said, stretching out his legs as best he could. “The world is vast and beautiful.”
“We haven’t had the funds to travel to London, let alone the continent,” Holly said quietly.
Katrina’s shoulders slumped at her sister’s practical talk, but Gavin wouldn’t let her have the last say. Leaning forward, he spoke directly to Katrina.
“Traveling is a wonderous thing and I for one appreciate it. If only to get a different perspective on the world, it would be worth it, but then there is so much one can get out of it.”
Katrina opened her mouth to speak, but Holly’s voice hit his ears first.
“It’s a wonder you came back to England at all then.”
Was that annoyance in her tone? Wanting to tease her, he spoke.
“Well, I couldn’t very well let my wife miss out on all the adventures.”
