Trials of Artemis (13 page)

He
cupped her chin in his hand and brushed his lips gently over hers, stroking the
corner of her mouth with his thumb. Keeping his kisses lighter than butterfly
wings he touched her cheeks, her eyelids, and then made his way back to her
lips again. The sweetness of it made her want to weep. She clutched at the lapels
of his robe, her fingers sinking into the slick softness of the silk. His grip
on her jaw strengthened and the kiss deepened bit by bit. His other hand slid
her nightgown off one shoulder and he moved his mouth to follow it down her
arm. When he bared her breast she heard him moan deep in his throat, his hand
cupping the globe while his tongue laved the nipple. When he sucked her nipple
into his mouth she gave a gasp of surprise. He drew back to look down at her,
concern clear on his face. His hand stroked her face, running his fingers
through her hair to cup the back of her head.

"It
will be all right," he said.

"I
know," she said, nodding and bringing her gaze down to where her hands
clutched at his chest. "I'm just afraid that I don't know... know what to
do."

He
pulled to his chest again, where she nestled in the comforting warmth of him.

“I’m
sorry, Gideon.”

“Shh,
it’s all right.”

He
continued to stroke the nape of her neck until she began to relax.

"Stay
here," he said, drawing her nightgown back up to her shoulder and kissing
the top of her head again.

Jack
nodded, feeling miserable and out of place. And truly cold now that his body
didn't warm hers. It was odd to feel so despondent with
the sun was shining cheerfully through her windows. This time hadn't
been like the others. She hadn't lost her fears to the rush of desire and
longing that he could stir in her. Her mind had raced with questions and
anxiety about what she should be doing. She leaned on the bedpost for support
and watched the door between their rooms. Shortly he came back in, holding a
small book in his hands.

"You
read French, I trust?"

She
nodded and he handed the book to her.

"Don't
leave it out where the servants can see it or someone will likely take it. Tell
me if you have any questions." He rubbed her arms and kissed her forehead.
"Stop worrying, Jacqueline. Now I'll leave your to your studies."

She
looked up into his face and he was smiling wryly at her. He tapped the tip of
her nose with his finger and turned to go. When he reached the door she called
out, "Gideon?"

He
turned towards her. "Yes?"

"I...
Thank you for the book."

He
nodded and slipped through the door.

Why
couldn't she tell him that what she really wanted was him, not the book? She
was still chilled and unhappy, wanting to be held in his arms. He was probably
still in his room, changing back into his day clothes. She could go to him and
he would hold her like he did that morning of the society article. Then he
might kiss her like he had that first night in the library. Or at the party. Or
even their first night at Kellington. Her skin warmed and tingled at the
direction of her thoughts. And then he might... Well, she didn't know what came
next really. She opened the book in her hands and almost immediately discovered
that it was illustrated in a most shocking manner. She didn’t even know that
such books existed! She withdrew to the window seat to start from the beginning.
This was
definitely
a book she didn't
want the maids to see her reading.

Gideon
jogged down the front steps of Kellington on the way to ride to one of the more
distant farms on his estate. He was intensely frustrated and honestly wondered
how he managed to function on a daily basis. But he felt good about giving Jack
the book and waiting for her to read it. Of course his studious, educated wife
would want a book to study on the subject and he should have thought of it
earlier. A blindingly simple solution, really. But sometimes the obvious things
were the hardest to see. Right now all he wanted to see was the most beautiful
breast he had ever encountered in his life. Ripe, succulent, and soft. The
dusty rose color and upturned tip begging for his ministrations had made him
think that mid-morning sex on a sunny day had much to recommend it. He wondered
what she was doing now. Had she dressed or was she still in her nightgown? The
thought that she might have already discovered guidance on pleasuring herself,
could be doing it even now, almost sent him straight back into the house. He
wrestled with his impulse and finally forced duty to win out over desire. An
estate didn't run itself and he had responsibilities to attend to. There were a
limited number of hours in a day, and days in a year. If he didn't stay on
schedule he would have no hope of covering all the territory he had planned. Visiting
Cornwall in the first quarter had already fallen through. No more delays.

Since
her husband had still been out riding the estate at lunch, Jack had eaten quickly
and gone back to her room. She left instructions with the staff that she was to
be informed when Gideon returned. By mid-afternoon she had read the book three
times, and studied the illustrations even though many of them seemed impossible
or at least unlikely to her. She hid the small book underneath other less
interesting tomes in her trunk, on the theory that no one would dig past a
large botany book written in Latin and two Greek texts on astronomy. She chose
a French novel to while away her time in her sitting room.

Shortly
before dinner was usually served, her maid Lara entered the room and curtsied.
"The earl has returned, my lady."

"Where
is he?"

"I
believe he was returning to his room, my lady, in order to change for
dinner."

"Thank
you, Lara. That will be all."

Jack
set aside her novel and went through her bedroom to the connecting door. It was
slightly open as seemed to be their new habit, and she could hear someone
moving in the room beyond. She knocked.

"Come,"
he said briefly.

When
she entered she could see that he had already removed his jacket and was taking
off his ring to set on the bureau while he washed. He appeared dusty, tired,
and forlorn.

"What's
wrong?" she asked.

He
looked over at her and after a moment shook his head. "It's nothing."

She
walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on
his chest. After a moment he put his arms around her back.

"I
need to get dressed for dinner," he murmured into her hair.

"Why
don't we eat up here?"

She
felt some of the tension leave his body at the suggestion. "Hmm, that sounds
nice. You aren't going to throw your wine at me, are you?"

"Has
anyone ever told you that you have a tendency to hold a grudge?"

He
laughed at that and his arms tightened around her.

"If
you don't let me go," she protested, "then I can't talk Dibbs into
having dinner sent up."

"Starvation
seems a small price to pay."

"You
would let me starve?"

"Manipulative
minx. No I wouldn't let you starve." He pulled back to look down at her.
"How was your day?"

"It
was..." she thought for a moment. "Educational."

He
laughed again. "Perhaps at dinner we can talk about your further
instruction."

"That
sounds promising. Now you wash up while I go sweet talk Dibbs."

"Dibbs
doesn't require sweet talk."

"No,
but he likes it."

"Now
I have to worry about my wife with the butler," he said with an
exaggerated sigh.

She
laughed as she walked out to arrange dinner in their rooms. Upon her return she
saw that after Gideon had washed he had stretched out on his bed and was now
sound asleep. She was loathe to wake him since he'd seemed terribly tired.
After she ate her fill she made up a plate for him of items that wouldn't spoil
and, covering it with a napkin, left it on his bedside table. Although she was
tempted to crawl into the bed next to him she still found herself too shy to do
such a thing. She pulled the free half of his coverlet over him and gently
kissed his forehead before going to her own bed.

When
Gideon awoke he swore he could smell roast. Once he had his eyes open and could
focus he saw that a lamp was burning low on his bedside table and a covered
plate was near at hand. He was absolutely starving and made short work of the cold
food. He went out to the sitting room to see if there were any more leftovers, but
his footmen had been diligent and already cleaned up after the meal. He prowled
his rooms, briefly considering going down to the kitchens for something more to
eat. But he knew what he really wanted. His eyes kept straying to the door
leading into her room. He decided he was tired of waiting. It had been a fortnight
since their wedding. She had all but told him that she was ready for marital
relations. No, he thought to himself with a smile, she had
implied
it. He went through the door before he could second-guess
himself again. Her room was bathed in moonlight, and as he approached her bed
he saw that she slept on her side with one hand curled under her chin. She had
plaited her hair into one long braid, which he hadn't seen before, and the
simple hairstyle made her even sweeter, more innocent. Moving to the other side
of the bed he drew off his robe and pulled back the covers to join her. When he
settled against the pillows she mumbled and rolled over toward him. He put an
arm around her and pulled her closer, so that her head rested on his shoulder
and one of her legs was thrown over his own. It was both arousing and oddly
comforting. Stroking his hand up and down her back he decided he didn't want to
wake her and that waiting was for the best. He fell asleep again, inhaling the
scent of her hair and feeling her soft breaths on his chest.

He
awoke before dawn with her still pressed against his side. His body had already
reacted to that soft warmth and he realized his thumb was gently stroking the
side of her breast. She murmured and nuzzled closer to his throat bringing him
to a nearly painful state of arousal. He turned to face her, fully cupping one
breast and testing the weight in his hand. Beautiful. Perfect.

Gideon
wanted to push her down into the feather bedding, cover her body with his own,
and thrust into her until they were both crying out. His need for her had
become so great that his hand trembled as he stroked her. She sighed and
stretched under his touch, pushing her nipple against his palm and his body
flamed even hotter. What was this need to claim her, possess her? It felt like
he was bordering on madness. Would this pass with their joining, or become even
more pronounced? Raising himself up on his elbow he looked down into her sweet,
young face softly outlined in the dim light and his heart twisted in his chest.
He felt raging need, cloying panic, and something else he dare not name. He
carefully and silently withdrew from her bed and escaped to his dressing room
to put on his riding clothes. A vigorous ride across the countryside would
certainly ease both his panic and desire. As the sun rose he was hurrying down
to the stables
.

Jack
awoke slowly, feeling languid. She stretched and curled up on her side to doze
for a few minutes longer, slowly realizing she was on her left side, when her
habit since coming to Kellington had been to sleep on her right. She sat up and
saw the mussed bed clothing on the left side of her bed. Pulling the pillow to
her nose she confirmed her suspicion. Mint, cloves, and man.
Gideon. He had slept here for some portion of the
night, undoubtedly coming for some bed sport and she hadn't awakened.

Her
capacity to sleep through almost anything during the dead of the night had
provided years of entertainment to Sabre and George. Whenever the girls stayed
together she could count on them attempting to do something to her while she
slept. Pose her, re-braid her hair in an amusing way. One time they had carried
her outside on a blanket and left her in the rose garden, where she had
awakened to the gardener's gasp of surprise.
Over
time she learned that her sole defense against their shenanigans was staying up
later and rising earlier than the two of them could manage. Rising early was
something that came naturally to her, and since she had been here she had
enjoyed exploring Kellington's grounds on morning rides with Gideon. He was
most affable in the morning, perhaps because it was before he began reviewing
the financial and Parliamentary papers that flowed unceasingly into the house.

She
dressed in her riding habit and hoped that he hadn't risen much earlier than
she. She suspected that he now waited for her at the stables some mornings when
he had awakened early, and the idea that he looked forward to their quiet
morning rides together as much as she did warmed her. It was interesting that
what had just seemed polite and perfunctory in the beginning was taking on the
significance of sweetness and companionship. And now… now there was something
more. Or perhaps there always had been.

She
looked out the window and, assessing that she had overslept, hurried down the
steps and out towards the stables. Before she could enter the spacious building
she heard the clop of hooves trotting over gravel. Shielding her eyes against
the early morning sun she saw Gideon riding in from the fields. His horse
Falcon was lathered and winded. Gideon had an oddly severe expression when he
saw her. Trotting Falcon into the stableyard he pulled up in front of her.