Kidnapped (3 page)

 He looked like every woman’s vision of a tortured hero, tall and lean with a face that could knock a woman to her knees.
 

     She tasted so sweet, and it was all Gabriel could do not to rip off her clothing and thrust into her there, God he had been so long without a woman’s touch, but she was an innocent and he could never go against his honor like that. She was his prisoner, his to protect.
 

 The thought was like a cold douse of water, effectively putting a damper on his lust. Pulling her away, he set her down beside him on the chaise lounge. Her hair was in disarray, and she was breathing hard. Her lambent eyes were dark green with passion, and her kiss bruised lips held his attention for a long moment. With great difficulty, he had to remove himself from beside her, standing he clasped his hands together tightly behind his back to avoid reaching for her.
 

“This is not right.” Alexis blinked; she had been so lost in the myriad of feelings the kiss had produced that she had not been thinking about the rights and wrongs of it.  Her heart was beating nearly out of her chest, and an unfamiliar dampness had placed itself between her legs. Squeezing her legs together experimentally, produced a sharp, shocking tingle of passion that made her gasp.
 

 Desperately trying to pull herself together she began straightening her bodice. It was then that she realized she still wore her ridiculous wedding gown and the realization that within the space of twelve hours she had nearly married a monster, been kidnapped at pistol point and then willfully been seduced by her kidnapper; all while wearing this monstrous silk wedding gown.
 

A giggle escaped between her lips and Alexis clapped a horrified hand over her mouth to stop it. But she could not, she began to giggle in earnest, it was just all too much to bear. Gabriel looked at her as though she had lost her mind. “I am sorry; it is just… look at me!” Alexis gestured to her grandiose white gown, her mussed up hair and finally to Gabriel himself.
 

 “I have been nearly married, kidnapped, willfully seduced all within a day’s time, and I am still wearing this
ridiculous
gown.” Alexis was nearly in tears from her hysterics even as she reached out and viciously ripped a lace bow from her dress.
 

 Gabriel looked hesitant; it was obvious that the woman was exhausted, and overtly emotional, most of which was his fault… well, entirely his fault; he could not help thinking guiltily. “Perhaps we should go to bed…” He suggested and Alexis stared at him, her eyes quickly darting down to the bulge of his arousal in the front of his pants.
 

 “I…” She hesitated a moment before with a shrug she gave in, throwing caution to the wind, she was already a ruined woman, and she had nothing to return too. If she had to return to shame and be an old maid that no respectable man wanted to marry, she at least wanted the memory of what his kisses promised. “I suppose we could try...” It was then that Gabriel realized with horror what he had said and what she thought he had meant.
 

“I meant that we should go to our own
separate
beds” He amended hastily and watched as her face flared in embarrassment.
 

“Of course that is what you meant.” She surprised him by replying with the grace of a Duchess, motioning for him to lead the way. Gabriel was holding on to his sense of honor by a thread; she had
agreed
to go to bed with him; his erection hardened further at the thought of taking the red headed temptress to his bed and he had to smother a groan of need as he led her to the room he had arranged for her opposite his own.
 

 “Not going to lock me in or tie me to a bed post?” She asked saucily once they reached the door and Gabriel was amazed once more by her spunk, after everything she had been through she was making a jest of the situation.
 

 “Not unless you think I need to?” Gabriel responded with a roguish wink that had heat pooling in her belly and lower.
 

“Perhaps another time…” Alexis responded blithely, though it was the last thing she felt.
 

“Goodnight then.” Gabriel leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, he could not help himself. Alexis watched him turn and go into the room directly across the hall and firmly close the door before placing her fingers soothingly across her tingling lips.
 

Her room was quite nice, not what she had grown accustomed to in her parent’s palatial mansion in the upper crust of London’s Mayfair, but it was far more welcoming; Alexis found a fire roaring merrily in the grate as well as a pitcher of heated water.
 

 The Earl must not have been telling the truth when he had said that they were completely alone, there was obviously an unseen servant at work here somewhere. There was also a snack of thick sliced bread and creamy fresh cheese, which Alexis enjoyed with vigor; it had been several hours since she had eaten in the coach.
 

 A quiet knock sounded on the door, and Alexis felt her heart rise in her throat, was the Earl coming back, had he changed his mind? A thin little maid popped her head in the door then, and Alexis did not entirely like the disappointment that flared to life inside her.
 

 The maid helped her undo the ruined wedding gown and digging through the drawers found her a faded night rail, that had apparently belonged to Gabriel’s sister. The maid explained that this had been their family home after their parents had died and before they had gone to live with the Marquis. From time to time, Gabriel and his sister had managed to slip away from Delacourt for a few days and had spent them happily. After the maid left her, Alexis sat on the bed for several moments unable to sleep. This had been an abused woman and a little boy’s secret haven. The thought saddened her beyond words.
 

 Looking around the room, she found herself curiously opening first one drawer in the bureau and then another. There was an assortment of clothing, a few painted portraits. Alexis smiled as she saw an obviously younger version of Gabriel sitting astride a pony, a woman who looked a lot like her younger brother was holding the reigns. The next drawer Alexis opened was stuffed full of journals, unsure of what to do Alexis promptly shut the drawer and padded back to the bed and sat down. Several minutes ticked by before she grew restless and got up; returning to the drawer. This was the private thoughts of a dead woman, dare she read them? Did Alexis even have a right to read them? No, of course she did not, but something was calling to her from the time worn pages and finally she picked one up and gingerly opened it.
 

   It was well past midnight when Alexis nodded off to sleep; the diary still clutched in her hands, tears streaks dried to her cheeks. She was bombarded by terrible dreams, and woke up feeling rather the worse for wear quite late the following morning. The maid knocked, and Alexis hastily shoved the diary underneath her pillow. It had been everything Gabriel had described, only heart wrenchingly worse told from the perspective of a woman constantly victimized by the hands of her vindictive husband.
 

 Alexis shuddered at the thought that last night should have been her wedding night with the monster. She had read in the journal the recounting of Gabriel’s sisters own wedding night with the Marquis. The cruelty had begun that night when he had slapped her for her trepidation of the marriage bed, before he had taken her viciously, leaving her afterwards to clean up and cry, curled up alone.
 

 He had not allowed her a ladies maid throughout their entire marriage, and had beaten and berated her for taking too long to dress when she had been unable to reach a button.
 

Alexis felt a tear slip down her cheek, she was so grateful to Gabriel for kidnapping her when he had. It had saved her from probably murdering the bastard, the first time he laid a hand on her in anger. A ruined reputation was nothing compared to the pain and degradation the Earl’s poor sister had been forced to endure. The maid informed her that Lord Adderly had offered anything she could find to wear, and after digging through the closet, she came up with a dark blue gingham morning dress belted at the waist with delicate white ribbon.
 

 They had not been quite the same size, Alexis it appeared was much taller for the dress showed off a scandalous amount of ankle. Glancing in the mirror Alexis had to approve despite the lack of finesse. She was so grateful to be waking up here in this room rather than the colossal manor she would have been waking up in, had the wedding gone through as planned.
 

She thanked Gabriel silently once again as she went padding off in search of breakfast, scandalously barefoot. Gabriel’s sister must have had the tiniest of feet, for none of her slippers would fit Alexis’s own long, wide feet and the white diamond encrusted boots from her wedding ensemble had begun to blister her toes.
 

  The Earl did not seem like a man who would expect her to stand on ceremony, considering the circumstances, and Alexis preferred to be barefoot, though it was not lady like behavior. She was now certain the Marquis would never have allowed it.
 

       Gabriel had just seated himself for breakfast when the door swung open, and Lady Alexis breezed in. His jaw dropped as he took in her attire; her ankles were showing quite hoydenishly and her feet were completely bare and void of stockings. She came to a complete stop when she saw him and blushed prettily, looking every inch as though she belonged in this rustic little country cottage.
 

Gabriel felt his loins hardening and rose from his chair with his napkin held purposely across his lap. He gestured for her to take her seat. “I hope that you are hungry.” He spoke with an easy smile, completely ignoring the fact that she was not wearing any shoes, he instead gestured to the buffet on the sideboard.
 

 “Starving” Alexis admitted, dimpling at him as she scooped up a plate and began filling it with unlady like enthusiasm. Gabriel had to marvel at her tiny frame as she sat down opposite him, her plate filled to bursting.
She looks as if she belongs here, at my table;
the thought occurred to Gabriel. She was at ease, as if it were not uncommon for her to wake up in strange surrounding and dine with a strange man. A man who had kidnapped her the day before. Any other Lady would be fainting in fits of vapors, and here she sat calmly munching her coddled eggs and toast points.
 

 “What did you have planned for today?” She interrupted his racing thoughts and Gabriel’s mind went blank; he had not thought that far ahead.
 

“I… am unsure; it is not every day I have to entertain my prisoners.” Gabe joked weakly and watched as a soft, thoughtful expression came over her face.
 

“I do not consider myself to be your prisoner anymore.” She stated matter of factly; it surprised him and threw him off balance.
 

 “You do not?”
 

 “I think you may call me your guest from now on.” Lady Alexis smiled mischievously at him from across the table. She was sitting directly across from him, and he could smell the clean, fresh scent of woman and soap, it was having a most interesting effect on him.
 

His heart sank as a thought suddenly occurred to him, “Is this another one of your plots to escape me?” He felt strangely deflated, and disappointed in her; he had thought after last night… well he did not know what he thought but he had opened up his heart to her the night before. If it had meant nothing to her, then he was a fool.
 

   She looked surprised by his words and taken aback a moment, but then her expression softened. “I am not pretending. I want to be here, you saved me from a fate worse than death yesterday.” Tears gathered in her eyes, and she hastily dashed them away. “Perhaps your method was not the best” She smiled, trying to bring a touch of lightness to the situation. “But you saved me none the less.” The smile was gone from her face; her voice was grave; her expression was so completely serious that Gabriel found himself believing her. They stared at each other a moment in silence.
 

   “Perhaps a walk?” Gabriel suggested with a smile that widened to a grin when her face lit up in delight. Gesturing to a footman that Alexis had not noticed earlier, standing inconspicuously off in a corner, the man stepped forward.
 

 “Please see if one of the maids has a sturdy pair of walking shoes that our
guest
could borrow.” Alexis beamed at his use of the word guest, and the footman hurried off. “My sister always did have the tiniest feet… I think perhaps one of the maids might be more like your build.”
 

“Thank you” Alexis smiled, going back to her breakfast.
 

   The walking boots, though a bit worn, fit near perfectly and were only a trifle large, but it was a far better fit than too small. Alexis and the Earl set off walking shortly after breakfast; the maid had offered to try to find a bonnet for her to wear, but Alexis had shrugged the suggestion off with a smile.
 

“It is awfully bad of me to wander out without a bonnet, my complexion is so fair that my mother was always terrified I would speckle, but I do so love the heat of the sun shining on my head.” Alexis laughed as she and Gabriel came upon a babbling brook. Tree’s lined either side, and it was wonderfully shaded and cool. Gabriel watched Lady Alexis exploring out of the corner of his eye and could not help thinking that she looked like a nymph wondering the woods. They walked further until they came to a place where Gabriel often liked to sit and stare out into the water, a place he had often fished as a boy. Alexis exclaimed in delight over the beauty of the spot rushing ahead to sit on the stone bench that he had placed there years ago.