A Gentleman's Vow (Saints and Sinners 2)

“I’m sorry, too. I do care for you, more than I ever expected I could.” He quickly took a step back, determined to do what he’d intended. Starting a courtship with a woman you’ve known since she was months old was complicated, and he wanted to do this right. “You’ve seen me now, so please go back to your room. You’ll see me tomorrow. His grace invited Rafferty and I to stay a week or two, you know. I’ll be here until your unwanted suitor is long gone.”

“I am not going to go back to my room.” Jessica laughed softly. “Come along, Giddy. I’m going to see the stars from the top of your hill tonight. Nothing will stop me.”

She moved off without him. Save restraining her, which wasn’t a very gentlemanly thing to do, he really had no power to stop her exploring the grounds unchaperoned in the dead of night. He’d made a vow when she was a child to protect her, and another earlier today, and a gentleman never went back on his word. He couldn’t allow her to come to harm, so he would follow at a distance.

Jessica gave a little devilish laugh—and then suddenly sprinted off into the trees.

Minx! She hadn’t tried to elude him in years. He shook his head and gave chase, rushing through the woods with no care for himself. Having her disappear and reappear ahead of him was maddening, and he caught up to her as quickly as he could.

He grabbed her hand just before they reached the top of the hill and stopped her mad flight. He spun her about in a circle. Jessica shrieked but then fell against him, appearing happy to be caught.

Her hands slid up his chest in a sensual caress that wasn’t in any way proper. “You are still faster than I am, sir.”

“Years of chasing after you have kept me fit.” He warned her, “Do not run off again.”

“I won’t.”

She sounded contrite, but he was reasonably sure she was enjoying herself immensely as she clung to him. No doubt about it, she’d planned this escape. She’d been counting on him to follow her.

“Come and view the heavens with me.” She strolled away a bit, and when she went to sit on the grassy slope, he quickly offered his coat for her to rest upon.

Jessica removed his spectacles from the pocket before they could be broken and perched them on top of her head. Gideon snatched them back and held them to keep his hands occupied. “What are we doing here, Jessica?”

“Being together,” she murmured, settling to the ground. “I could never see the stars in London.”

She stretched her hand toward him, fingers beckoning as she did the other day, and then folded her arms behind her head and lay down on her back. Gideon closed his eyes, but the vision in white silk and lace was burned into his brain. She remained silent, obviously finding nothing wrong with her request.

He opened his eyes as he moved toward her. He sat a safe distance away—if there ever was such a thing around her now.

She turned to face him, and he swore her eyes were laughing at him. “I don’t bite.”

Gideon might. He dropped his gaze to her breasts, nearly spilling from the bodice of the elegant gown she wore tonight. This was almost torture. His traitorous prick thickened at the notion of feasting on her body. He swore under his breath and lifted one knee to hide his unfortunate condition from her.

“We sat closer than this at supper,” she protested.

“There were chaperones. You can hear and see me well enough from over here.” He frowned. “Tell me what you want from me, Jessica.”

“I would have thought that obvious by now.”

“Say it.”

“Very well. I want you, Mr. Whitfield.”

His head spun for several minutes. Quite a definitive answer. Not one he could misinterpret. “Well, all right then.”

She placed one hand on the ground and leaned toward him. “Do you fear for your virtue around me now?”

He shook his head, fighting the pull of attraction toward her. If she knew the manor of thoughts her words put in his head, Jessica might fear for her virtue, too. “Not exactly.”

“It is nice, isn’t it, being so far away from everyone? We can speak our minds and not worry about being overheard.” She rolled onto her side, using her hand to support her head, and looked right at him. “I never imagined you would blush, but you are, aren’t you?”

He gave her a stern look. “You should be blushing, too, young lady. Running off alone with me in the middle of the night again. Your family would be scandalized.”

“Fanny wouldn’t be. She’d love me no matter the scandal I caused.”

“Mrs. Warner would never let you forget this if she found out,” he warned her. Mrs. Warner might shoot him first and force a marriage while he bled out at her feet.

She laughed then and rolled onto her back. “Lie down next to me, Giddy. No one else will know about tonight unless you say something.”