Page 32 of Cora
“However noble, taking another illegitimate young woman under your wing will only remind the world of your own parentage.”
“Charming of you to remind me how I am reviled for something I had no control over.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. Gideon collected the balls and placed them carefully within the triangular cage. Cora looked on with interest. She was as bored as Honey.
This game, however, looked fun. If she learned the basics, she could practice while he was away working.
“Teach me,” she demanded, taking up a cue stick. “I want to learn how to play.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
GIDEON
Gideon stiffened as a thrill of excitement zinged through him. The things he would love to teach her. How to wield his stick. How to yield for once in her damned life. The pleasure he would give her if she would stop fighting him for one minute.
He had anticipated resistance of a girlish sort. Easily broken. In the eleven years since he’d derailed her social ascent, she had acquired confidence in herself.
Cora’s eyes narrowed fractionally, and for a fleeting, terrifying moment, he wondered if she could read his thoughts. Then she turned her attention to the table, studying it.
“You hold it like so.” He demonstrated. Cora tried to mimic his cramped hand position, but her fingers wouldn’t bend that way. “Here. Try it like this.”
Gently but firmly, he rearranged her hold on the stick. The contact did nothing to soften the bulge pressing against the seam of his trousers. He didn’t quite dare to bend over her in an obvious attempt to press against her backside. Although he would have thoroughly enjoyed it, he wasn’t ready to risk this fragile peace.
An ache bloomed in his chest. He would do nearly anything to simply spend time with her. Yet time was one thing he did not have. He was too busy cleaning up the mess he’d made for her brother’s bank.
Unease touched the back of his neck. If Cora ever found out what he’d done…
She wouldn’t. There was no way for her to find out. He’d been so careful to keep the rumor from being traceable back to him.
He had her now. That was what mattered. He’d grumbled about her earlier this evening, for he had been tired and hungry and momentarily disappointed about the way she greeted him. Yet his heart had raced when she came to meet him at the front door. He’d been tempted to draw her in for a kiss. But then she’d insinuated that he’d gone to the House of Virtue for sex, and he’d lashed out.
An apology was in order, but offering one now would only interrupt her focus.
He watched Cora practice hitting the white billiard ball a few times. Though her wrapper was tugged tight around her lush body, the neckline gaped open every time she bent over. His body responded with each teasing glimpse of her cleavage. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tapped the white ball ineffectually a few times before finally landing a solid shot.
Her triumphant smile squeezed something near his heart.
“One practice game,” she said. “Then we’ll play for real. If I win, you’ll tell me what you were doing at the House of Virtue today.”
Gideon chalked his cue, considering. “I am not going to start a habit of accounting for my whereabouts to my wife.”
“As long as you’re comfortable with me taking the same privilege.”
A scowl tugged at his features. He was not, in fact, comfortable with her taking the same privilege. Nor did he enjoy having his hypocrisy thrown back at him.
“I’ll win, you know,” he said.
“Possibly.” She tossed her head, and a cascade of thick sable hair went sliding over her shoulder. He wanted it sliding over his bare skin. His thighs. He wanted her gorgeous green eyes staring up at him with that mischievous sparkle as her lips parted to?—
“You can’t win all the time, Gideon.”
He blinked and returned to the present. “I guarantee I’ll win against a neophyte billiard player.”
Unless she was faking her inexperience? Had one of her brothers taught her to play?
“What do I get if I win?” he asked.
She twisted to glare at him. “The pleasure of knowing you won.”
