Page 208 of Dukes for Dessert

Reason began to fade. His vision blurred. His mouth grew parched, and he sipped urgently from her mouth to quench his ungodly thirst. Try as he might to disengage, his hands took on a will of their own, unclenching at her back, and sliding to her waist... such a deliciously small waist. He tested the circumference with his hands, then danced his fingers back up along her ribs, discovering each one by turn, stopping only when his thumbs reached the curve of her breasts. For a long, torturous moment, he envisioned himself bending low, ripping her bodice with his teeth, tasting her passion on her skin… and then lowering to her belly... ripping at her clothes, until she lay naked… and purely by those thoughts, he was nearly undone. Burying his face against her soft throat, he groaned aloud, commanding himself to stop.

Margaret sighed, oblivious to his torment, and curled up like a wee-kitten in his lap, saved by the many, many layers of her skirts from discovering his lascivious intent.

After all, she trusted him to keep his word—to kiss her and do no more. He held her for a long while, stroking her cheek with a thumb, and finally, he cleared his throat. “Are you sleepy?”

“A little,” she confessed, sounding sated, though he was anything but.

He needed something to take his mind off his baser thoughts, and he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. Giving himself a mental shake, he asked, “How about we play a game to pass the time?”

Perhaps he could jog her memory.

She didn’t stir. “Game?” she asked with a breathy sigh. “What sort of game?” She yawned and started to rise, but he held her fast.

“Stay,” he begged. “Rest a while. It’s been a long night. We’ve a long way to travel. I was thinking we’d play a game to better know each other. I will say a word. You tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.”

She settled back, peering at him between thick, dark lashes, scrutinizing him. “I always liked that game,” she confessed.

He had to resist the urge to answer, “Yes, I know.”

“Good,” he said. “We’ll play awhile and then be home before you know it. Laughter,” he began.

“Laughter?”

“That’s my word.”

“Children,” she said at once. “That was easy.” He smiled when she cozied herself into his lap, making herself more comfortable.

“My turn.” He smiled at her enthusiasm. “Blue,” she said.

“Sky,” he answered. “Play,” he countered.

“Work.”

Gabriel frowned at her response.

“Books,” she said.

“Boring,” he answered, and chuckled.

She laughed as well. “Not so boring,” she demurred.

“I rather suppose it depends on what you might be reading. The books I read are quite tedious,” he maintained. “Kisses,” he offered.

“Nice,” she said, without pause.

Gabriel smiled. “Regrets?”

“None.” She sighed, too, and cuddled deeper into his embrace.

“What about you?”

“What do you think?” he asked, then dared to tickle her ribs with a finger as he used to do.

She giggled. “Stop. Stop! You’re not playing right. You cannot answer my question with another question! Nor was that one word, it was four. You must answer properly.”

“No.”

She lifted a single brow. “Was that no, you will not answer properly? Or no, you have no regrets?”