A Gentleman's Vow (Saints and Sinners 2)

He grinned. She did make him happy. She made him imagine a great future might be theirs if he was willing to set aside his fears. Jessica would know his character better than anyone, too.

He kissed the top of her head. “My angel, my torment, my heart.”

Unfortunately, the Duke of Stapleton chose that moment to stomp into the room.

He looked twice when he saw Gideon, and his eyes narrowed even farther when he spied Jessica cuddling up to him. The duke gathered himself up, but then lost his temper enough to shout, “What did I say about you being alone with him?”

Not to be outdone, Jessica set her lips into a mulish line as she sat up. “You and Gillian were alone every night before you ever dreamed of asking her to marry you.”

“Gillian was a widow. You are an innocent.”

Not quite so innocent anymore, and that was his fault for not doing things the right way from the beginning.

Jessica giggled. “He’s not going to ravish me in your drawing room!”

Gideon patted her hand before she got carried away in her defense of him and blurted out the truth. He certainly wouldn’t ravish her here, in her father’s home. He’d rather wait until they were at Quigley Hill again, where they could take their time. She would look very fine, naked and panting, spread over his leather settee or dining table, where he might feast upon her. “We can talk another time.”

“You mean when it fits with his grace’s schedule? No, I’m not going to wait another day and have him banish you all over again. He has to start sharing you; otherwise, I’ll be an old maid by the time he lets me have you!” Jessica kissed Gideon full on the lips. “It is my turn to convince him, Giddy.”

“Don’t go too far with this,” he warned, but he couldn’t hold back a smile. She really was something when she got worked up into a temper.

“I’ll go as far as I need to have you,” she warned.

She faced her father, and not for the first time did Gideon feel sorry that the duke was standing in her way. After eighteen years of Jessica managing her family, it was surprising the duke had the fortitude left to resist even this long.

“You are not being reasonable,” she told the duke.

“Do not talk back to me, daughter. I will lock you in your room if you don’t behave,” her father threatened.

“I thought you might say that.” She turned sad eyes on her father, and her bottom lip trembled. “Don’t you want me to be happy?”

“Of course I do.” But the duke suddenly sounded far less sure of himself.

Jessica turned to Gideon, and he saw tears in her eyes. Fake ones, he decided. “I’m going to be locked up, Giddy, and made very unhappy.”

Thank heavens he’d learned to understand her tricks years ago. “I expect so.”

“Will you elope with me?”

Gideon stood and tugged down his waistcoat. “We talked about this. I’d rather not start our marriage with a scandal.”

She leaned against him, worming her way into his arms, ignoring her father’s spluttering. “We may have no choice. I love you too much to let you go without a fight.”

Gideon brushed his fingers down her cheek. “I love you, too, but if he says we cannot marry, we will not.”

“Well, I’m in favor of creating a scandal,” she announced, and then flounced toward the door. “I’m going to pack,” she called at the top of her voice.

Gideon pinched the bridge of his nose. Every servant in Stapleton Manor should have heard that remark, or will have by nightfall.

The duke gaped after her. “Pack?”

“I swear I’m not taking her away from you,” Gideon promised as he sat down again.

When he looked up, Stapleton was scowling at him. “I’ve had it wrong all along, haven’t I? It’s not Jessica who needs protecting.” Stapleton’s eyes widened. “It’s you. From her.”

“I wouldn’t say I need protection,” Gideon murmured, but then winced. He didn’t mind Jessica’s habit of kissing him, but doing so in front of her father wasn’t good for Stapleton’s temper, obviously. Gideon cleared his throat. “You have to let Jessica go eventually.”

The duke brushed his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. “She did say she kissed you. I didn’t want to believe her at first. And then Rebecca warned she’d become secretive and could not be found after dinner. And then she told me this morning that…”