Page 85 of Tempted By the English Marquis
“Of course, it’s dark; it’s night, you dolt,” he muttered.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat upright. A little too quickly if the near swoon of his head was any indication.
The knock came again. Whoever it was, they weren’t going to go away.
“Un momento,” he called, privately pleased with his growing use of the Italian language.
He opened the door to find Serafina standing on the threshold. Her long black hair was down, hanging loosely over her shoulders. There was a glint of mischief in her eyes. She stepped forward, and into his personal space. “Invite me in,” she purred.
His manhood gave an appreciative twitch. It knew what those words and that look usually meant. A happy night of pleasure. And there was no mistaking the sultry lilt in her voice.
Gideon had long fantasized about sharing such a moment with Serafina, and his body roared to lustful life as his mind remembered those dreams.
“Wha . . . what?” he stammered.
She looked left over her shoulder, then right, then back to him. “Invite me in.” Her hand was pressed to the middle of his chest. Gideon took a step back and Serafina followed. One, two, three more steps and they were fully into the room.
Her raised foot pushed the door closed behind her. A quick spin on the other foot and her fingers were on the lock.Click.
Gideon’s hands rose in protest. Despite what his body ached to do, he was no fool. They had already crossed a good many lines today. This one was a step too far.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
She gave a little wriggle of her hips, licked her lips, then pinned him with a look that went straight to his loins. “Really? I was thinking this was the perfect place for this . . .”
Her fingers reached for the thin silk cord of her dressing gown and gave it a little tug. Gideon was lost for words as the front of the wrap opened and Serafina let it slide to the floor.
The sheerest lace shift ever made greeted his sight. Her dark rosy nipples were visible through it. Gideon had no willpower; his gaze drifted lower. The tip of his tongue touched his lips at his first glimpse of the hair at the apex of her thighs. She was utterly naked underneath the lace, and she was absolute perfection. All gentlemanly thoughts fled him.
This is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Soon she will be mine.
“Would you like me to leave this on or should I take it off?” she asked.
“Leave it on,” he whispered, his voice gravelly with lust.
She stopped and surveyed the room. Gideon bit down on his bottom lip as Serafina’s mask of seduction slipped just a little. Her mouth was moving, and it soon became clear she was trying to remember the next step. Someone had given her lessons. And from the look of it, they had been conducted in a hurry.
I don’t want her to be unsure of this. She has clearly decided on a course of action. This woman—my woman—shouldn’t be left to handle it all on her own.
He held out a hand, and as she took it, Serafina gifted him with one of her shy smiles. The day would soon come when he could finally tell her just what they did to him. Every single smile.
“Serafina. My love. What has brought you to me tonight?”
As Gideon drew her to him, Serafina sucked in an unsteady breath. He loved her shyness. It made him want to be the one man in the whole world she knew she could always trust. He kissed her forehead, then lowered his gaze and met Serafina’s eyes. They glittered brightly with the reflected flames from the fireplace.
“The man who saw us today at the restaurant must have told someone. Signore Magri came to see Enzo. They have agreed to bring the betrothal ceremony forward to this Friday. I know you hoped to be able to win my father over, but I’m afraid, my love, that we are now out of time.”
She had decided to take the initiative and force her father’s hand. If the two of them became lovers tonight, Enzo would have to allow them to marry. It was a brave thing she was doing, and it left him humbled.
Her whole future depended on tonight. If things went wrong, Serafina could well find herself an outcast. Her father cutting her off completely.
But Gideon would not fail her. Her trust in him, in his forever love, was enough for them to risk being together without the protection of marriage. Tonight, they would make their commitment to one another. They would claim their future.
“Make me yours, Gideon. Seal our destiny together.”
Gideon speared his fingers into Serafina’s dark tresses. This hadn’t been how he’d hoped things would progress for them, but in a way, he was grateful that others had forced his hand. There would be no hesitation; he was certain of what was about to take place. Of the future Serafina and he wanted to share.
“Just remember that once we are married, we will have all the time in the world, my darling Serafina,” he said lovingly. “Tonight, is just the beginning.”
