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Squaring his shoulders, Gerard waited for his lioness to turn and face him When she did, he flinched at her thundercloud expression She stared at him aabout her torso, her lush body covered in a dressing gown Then she turned away,quickly to her room

"Isabel"

He fu his hand out to prevent the rapidly closing door fro him in the face Once inside, he studied her warily as he dressed, watched her pacing, wondered how to begin the conversation Finally, he said, "I did not instigate nor participate in that advance"

She shot a sidelong glance at hi

"I think you want to believeinvectives at him, or objects for that matter

"It is not that siht her shoulders, forcing her to still It was then he felt her labored breathing, which caused his heart to race desperately "It is that sihtly "Look at aze lifted and bore that same dazed, unfocused fil her cheeks with his hands, he tilted her face up "Isabel, my love" He pressed his cheek to hers and breathed deeply, inhaling her scent "I aer…"

She clutched his robe in clenched fists

He sighed "I aer that man, and I have never been Pelha from you From the moment we met, I have opened myself to you like I have with no other You have seenhis head, he kissed her cold lips, licking the sea them softly to open "Can you not find it in your heart to see ue brushing tentatively along his, roan

"Yes" He pulled her closer, taking ruthless advantage of that tiny shoeakness "Trust me, Pel I have so ive ive us--that chance"

"I a what he had known, but aiting for her to say

"How strong you are to reveal that," he praised, "and how lucky I am to be the ed at the loose belt of his robe, undid her own, and pressed her bare skin to his No barriers between them Her cheek to his chest, he knew she listened to his heart, heard its steady beat He reached beneath her dressing gown and stroked the length of her spine

"I don’t kno to do this, Gray"

"Neither do I But surely, using our coe I was always able to tell when a para of me Surely--"

"You lie No woman has ever lost interest in you"

"No sane wons with Pelha without his brain?"

Isabel rubbed her face in his chest and laughed It was a shaky sound, but true ns, yes"

"So we shall ain, you and I You tell n, and I promise to reassure you in a way that leaves no doubt"

She pulled back and looked up hied with chocolate-colored lashes He stared, enraptured by her features, which were nowhere near refined or delicate Isabel was a raving, brazen beauty

"God, you are so lovely," he murmured "It hurts sometimes to look at you"

Her crea volumes Pel was a woman of the world if ever there was one, but he could irl

"Do you think your plan ork?" she asked

"What? Talking to each other? Never allowing doubts to fester?" He sighed drauess ill simply have to stay abed and fuck like rabbits"

"Gerard!"

"Oh, Pel" Lifting her, Gerard spun in a circle "I am mad for you Can you not see that? Asyours"

Isabel wrapped her slender arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his cheek "I a "I know"

"Conceited rake"

"Ah, but I am your conceited rake, which is just how you want me No, don’t pull away Let’s make love, and then talk"

She shook her head "We cannot skip dinner again"

"You dressed to seduce me, and now that your curves are pressed to my skin, you withdraw? What torture is this?"

"Considering how no provocation is required to lure you to sex, that was not my intent I am undressed in this fashion because I napped" Her mouth curved in that wicked smile he adored "And dreamt of you"

"Well, now I a of you"

"As if you are deprived" She stepped back, and heto release her

Growling, hehere was an error, but I think not"

"I think not either" She shot his come to those ait"

"Do tellher

"I shall tell you while you help s first, you keep that woain, I will definitely take that as a sign"

"Never fear, vixen," hehis arms about her waist as she paused in front of the armoire "I believe your point ell and truly ers with his at her abdoht she intended to scratch my eyes out!"

Spencer shook his head and looked across the Hammond lower parlor to where Isabel stood off to the side, speaking with Lady Ansell "What the devil were you thinking?"

Barbara wrinkled her nose "When I exitedhis, I assuuests"

"It was daft of you, however you look at it" He caught the eye of his brother, whose glowering look spoke volumes Rein her in, it said

"I know," she said morosely

"And really, you know, I’ve tried to tell you--one Faulkner cock is as good as another"