Page 30 of The Gilded Lady (The Gilded West #3)

Chapter Fifteen

G lory awoke to soft morning light filtering in through her pale blue curtains, casting a soft glow over her bed.

The first thing she noticed was that the space beside her was empty.

She lay there for a while wondering if the past night had been a dream.

She could remember sitting with Sally in the parlor, but after that things became a little bit hazy.

She’d been afraid for Zane and angry that he hadn’t talked to her about finding Justin.

They’d argued and she’d eventually told him about her past.

Well, most of it. There were some things she couldn’t tell him, not yet anyway. Maybe not ever.

Then he’d lain down with her. She pressed a hand to her stomach, remembering the press of his palm there.

Last night had been no dream. It had felt so good to have him at her back with his arms around her.

For the first time in a long time she’d gone to sleep with a feeling of peace surrounding her.

Even this morning she carried that feeling with her, which was a surprise.

Justin had found her and she knew that meant he was coming for her.

But while she was concerned and even anxious about that, she felt lighter than she had in years.

When she took a deep breath her chest didn’t feel pinched with the weight of all that she’d carried with her since stepping foot on the Dubose estate so many years ago.

It actually felt good that she’d talked to Zane.

A door shut in the other room, so she sat up quickly listening for any signs of Zane.

How did he feel this morning? Had he left her as soon as she’d gone to sleep?

Had he stayed? Had her confession changed things between them?

His familiar step moved across the parlor, prompting her to get to her feet.

Grabbing her dressing gown from the armoire, she put it on over her chemise and sat down at her dressing table to run a brush through her hair.

A piece of paper caught her eye as she reached for the brush and she paused, her heart skipping over itself as she recognized the paper as that from Zane’s sketchbook.

The bottom corners of the parchment were slightly worn and softened from months of being held in his hands and carried in his coat.

The top edge was jagged from where he’d torn the page out of his sketchbook.

Her heart pounded as she turned it over, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

Her own image stared back at her, only it couldn’t be her.

Could it? The woman was stunning in her sleep.

She lay with one arm in a graceful sprawl above her head and the other on her belly.

Her hair fell around her in a riot of waves.

She looked both peaceful and confident, innocent and mischievous.

Glory recognized the chemise as her own, except the ribbon between her breasts hung free leaving the valley between them exposed.

She gasped as she noticed the chemise was see-through and even stupidly looked around on impulse to make sure no one was around her to see the drawing.

A faint outline of her nipples and areola could be seen through the material.

Heat warmed her cheeks as she looked closer to make sure that’s what she really saw.

Yes, they were both there, the shading there was different than the rest of her chemise.

Surely he hadn’t seen her like that. Her own nipples grew hard beneath the linen of her chemise at the thought of him looking at her.

She giggled and opened her dressing gown to look at herself in the mirror.

“Dear Lord,” she whispered. The darker nipples were barely visible through the thin material and the ribbon had fallen untied. He’d seen them. He’d stayed awake after she slept and drawn her and he’d seen them through the fabric.

Her blush spread from her face to her chest. She couldn’t seem to stop smiling as she realized how much she wanted him to see. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin and to know what it felt like to have his mouth on her.

Running the brush through her hair, she quickly braided it over her shoulder and tied off the end with a piece of ribbon.

Deciding that Able might come up this morning, she hurried into the first gown she pulled from the armoire.

It was a simple morning gown in white muslin and one of the few she had that she could wear without much assistance with the fastenings.

She was nearly breathless as she rushed out the door.

Zane looked up from where he stood at her dining table filling a glass with water.

“Good morning,” she said, unable to read his expression. This was like their first morning together all over again. Her unsure of him but unable to stifle the inexplicable feeling of hope that wanted to take hold of her.

He smiled and the hope dug its roots in a little bit deeper. “Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Surprisingly good. I didn’t mean to drink so much.

” Sally had kept filling her glass and the fiery liquid had helped, she had to admit.

It had kept her terror at bay. Even now she could feel it starting to creep back in, but she wouldn’t let it.

She was stronger than she’d been the last time she’d seen Justin.

This time would be different. This time she could fight back.

“Charlotte came by to check on you this morning, so I asked her to send up breakfast. I wasn’t sure if you’d be up for going downstairs.”

Well that explained the plates of steaming food and coffee pot on the table. She was gratified to see that there were two plates. He meant to take his own breakfast with her.

“I feel good, but thank you.” She really needed some water, but other than that and a light headache, she felt better than she should. “I’d rather have breakfast with you than go downstairs.”

His expression changed in an instant. His eyes became hooded and deep and he gave her body a quick sweep as if remembering what she looked like beneath the clothes. Her nipples beaded again, sending a tight dart of pleasure rushing through her. His gaze warmed every place it touched her.

His smile broadened and he set the pitcher of water down and walked over to her.

Coming to a stop only inches away from her, he tilted her chin up.

He was so tall and broad he completely towered over her.

At first she had found that unsettling, but now it made her feel protected and safe.

He wouldn’t use his strength to bring her harm.

She slid her palms up his chest and around the nape of his neck, feeling as if she had some right to touch him after all they’d share.

Lacing her fingers together, she pulled him down for a kiss.

His mouth was hot and tender as it closed over hers.

He also seemed more hesitant than he’d been last night, the kiss was slow and easy.

When he pulled back, she stared up at him searching for the reason why.

But his smile was still in place and he kissed the tip of her nose.

“You’re beautiful in your sleep.”

Her face burned again. “Thank you for the drawing. It’s beautiful, although I think you tend toward flattery.”

He laughed, a soft, deep sound that moved through her in the most delicious way. “Is it still flattery if it’s true?”

She couldn’t answer that. She didn’t think it was true, but she was glad that he saw her that way. “Thank you. You make me feel beautiful.”

He opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

She sat down at the table while he went to answer it.

She’d become accustomed to not answering her own doors with him around.

Able stepped in, mumbling a greeting to Zane, but his gaze found her.

She was touched by the concern she saw there.

Able’s friendship had gotten her through so much, she couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened without him.

“Morning.” She forced a brighter smile, because now that those few precious moments with Zane were over, reality was starting to intrude. Justin was coming and they had a very big problem to deal with.

Able pulled up a chair and Zane took his seat across from her.

“Breakfast?” She offered him her plate. When Able shook his head, she asked, “How’s Clara?”

“Good.” His brow was furrowed as he said that. He was clearly upset.

“How are you?” She reached out and squeezed his hand.

He shook his head. “I never thought this day would come. I knew it was possible, but after the first few years I didn’t think it was likely. Why would he still be looking after so long?”

Zane paused from cutting through a piece of sausage on his plate and looked up at her, as if he had wondered the same thing.

She shrugged. “Justin isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. He doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way. He really doesn’t like it.” In Justin’s mind she belonged to him and he couldn’t cope with the fact that she’d gotten away.

Able nodded along, likely remembering his own run-ins with him.

Zane frowned and put his fork and knife down. “I won’t let him take you back, Glory. I promise you that.”

Glory took a breath. She knew that he’d try and that he’d even likely succeed, but she didn’t like the danger that she was putting everyone in.

An idea that had been lurking in the back of her mind came to the forefront.

“I’ve been thinking…” Both men looked at her expectantly.

“I think it’s me that he wants. He thinks he owns me and it must have been eating at him all these years that I escaped.

If we split up, I could draw him away from you. I could leave.”

Able shook his head immediately. “It’s too late for that. He knows I’m here. He’ll stop here anyway.”