Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

T he surprise plastered across Gideon's face was so humorous that Amelia nearly surrendered to laughter, her serious expression teetering on the brink. She arched a brow in question, watching as he fumbled for a response. It was quite the rare sight – coming from the infamous and charming Duke of Stanhope.

"It… it did not occur to me that you might be aware of my presence," he confessed at last.

"How could I not when you make no attempt to lighten your footfalls?" Unable to hold back any longer, Amelia's stern demeanor slipped, revealing a suppressed smile. "Yet you have still not answered my question. Why were you following me?"

Gideon mirrored her smile, and heavens, if it didn't make her heart flutter in her chest. "I was curious to see what you were up to." His gaze swept across the small room. "I'd nearly forgotten this library was here. How did you find it?"

"Jenny showed it to me while we toured the castle together."

"Jenny?"

"My maid," Amelia explained, rolling her eyes innocently enough. She spun elegantly, heading to the small writing nook she had made for herself. Realizing that she had left her papers scattered across the desk, she flushed, trying to hide them with her body.

She was not very subtle, however. Gideon followed and easily sidled past her, plucking the first sheet of paper he could reach from her desk. "What have we here?" he inquired.

Amelia resisted the urge to snatch it from his hand, fighting the flush creeping up her neck. She'd been working on an intimate letter to Dorothy and she was still trying to find her words.

"It's only something I have been working on," she answered lightly, hoping that her voice sounded dismissive enough to kill any interest in what he was holding. "It is quite impolite to peruse someone's belongings without their leave," she quickly added.

Gideon chuckled, a deep low rumble that only complemented his boyish grin. "I am not perusing through them. Hmm, merely… glancing."

"Without my permission."

"Is it so wrong to be curious?" He made another attempt to glance at the paper from above her head and it took all of Amelia's strength not to hide her face in embarrassment. He was reading it. The short story she had been working on for the past few days was now being exposed to someone else's eyes and she didn't know what to do with herself.

Under different circumstances, with a different person, she might have been fine. Annoyed, perhaps but not nearly as anxious as she felt presently. But because it was Gideon, she suddenly felt eager for his approval. She fell silent, her eyes not leaving his face for a second. She watched as his eyes slowly skimmed from side to side, his smile falling as he continued to read. It felt as if she was standing at trial awaiting her judgment, though she doubted being before a court of law would be as nerve-wracking as this.

A recount of the last two years, the stories she had hidden in her heart… Amelia had wanted to send it all in a letter to Dorothy when the time was right.

"Amelia…" he began, signaling the end of his perusal.

Her emotions took flight. Amelia couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks. "That was not for your eyes," she dismissed shyly.

"I didn't expect it to be so… intimate." His tone was earnest. Slowly, he lowered the paper back to the desk, his gaze never leaving her. "Is that… man, supposed to symbolize your father?"

Amelia wasn't sure what to say at first. Then, she nodded carefully, watching Gideon's face for anything.

"I'm—I'm sorry such a tragedy befell him. Who was this all intended for then?"

"No one," she quickly responded. "And I haven't even finished yet."

"Well, I appreciate the fact you felt comfortable enough to share it with me. Even though I was a bit forceful on that front," he admitted with a cheeky grin.

Amelia couldn't help sharing the smile. A weight had been lifted from her chest. "At least you are honest enough to acknowledge your wrongdoings. And now that you have seen what I came here to do…"

Gideon didn't seem perturbed by her subtle attempt to ask him to leave. Casually, he perched at the corner of her writing desk and folded his arms, a playful pout gracing his lips – and Amelia felt her resolve crumble. "Are you that eager to get rid of me?"

On the contrary, Amelia was quite content with his company. She'd initially made her way to the library with the sole purpose of distracting herself from the urge to seek him out, not wishing to be an unwelcome distraction. And yet, here he was, turning the tables and seeking her out instead.

Shrugging, she conceded, "You're welcome to stay then," pretending as if her heart wasn't jumping with joy at his desire to spend time with her.

"Your generosity knows no bounds, ma'am," he cooed and she rolled her eyes again. As Amelia moved to navigate past him to her chair, he gently captured her wrist, halting her progress. "As much as I would love to see your creative mind in action, there is actually another reason why I followed you here."

"What is that?" she whispered. Surely he could feel her pounding pulse under his thumb. She hoped he wouldn't comment on it.

"Let's just say… I am in dire need of distraction. Fortune hasn't favored me lately, you see." With a gentle pull, he drew her closer. His large hands found a natural resting place at the curve of her hips.

Amelia didn't know what to do with herself. She could hardly breathe properly. She watched his devilish face for a hint of anything, but the hooded gaze he gave her seemed only full of veiled lust. Heat simmered between them as if it wanted nothing more than to burn their clothes away from their flesh. With the way she was feeling right now, she wouldn't mind that too much.

But his words lingered with her. Nothing seemed to be going his way? Was he alluding to his secret work as the Masked Rogue?

"Can I help with that?" she whispered, the words a delicate offering between them.

Gideon hummed under his breath, his eyes dipping to her lips. "Allowing me to behold your beauty is enough," he murmured, the warmth of his breath skating across her skin, a tender caress that threatened to buckle her knees. "…Though I did have something in mind."

He was going to kiss her. Amelia could sense it, could discern the purpose behind his fiery gaze. And God, if she hadn't been thinking about kissing him again ever since their return from the park.

Gideon's face dipped towards her. Amelia held her breath, every fiber of her being wanting to lean forward and meet his lips. Her eyelids fluttered shut. But, just before their lips touched, he added, "I was thinking along the lines of Questions and Commands ?" When she didn't respond, nor pull away, he continued, "A pleasant little diversion before I get back to work."

Amelia's eyes shot wide open. "Uhm, yes, I was thinking the same."

"And there is still this feeling that we know very little of one another, so it can help do away with that too," he added matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I have that feeling also. In fact, I was just going to bring it up, and then—"

"You closed your eyes."

"I closed my eyes and… to think!" she quickly stammered, heat splashing through her skin. "I closed my eyes and I was thinking and you took the kiss right from my lips—words! Words right from my lips!" She looked down and cursed inwardly at the slip.

Gideon nodded with pursed lips and a repressed grin as if he didn't believe a word she'd just said. He gestured to one side of the small library with an exaggerated flourish. When she faltered in confusion, he took her hand softly and led her over to the chaise situated next to the tall bookshelf there. She sank down on one end and he purposely left little space between them by claiming the spot right beside her. The decision had her blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Let us set rules first," Gideon said. "If one person does not answer a question truthfully, a punishment should follow."

"What kind of punishment?"

Gideon gave her a devious grin. " That choice belongs to the other. I shall be the commander first then." Right as she was about to respond, his hand casually found its place on her thigh, nearly making her jump. Gideon didn't seem to notice, however. His thumb began to trace a leisurely path along her skirt. "I command you to… tell me the true reason why you kissed me at my ball the night we met."

"Wait, I never agreed to this!" She made to rise, but his hand on her lap had her falling back onto the chaise.

She glared at him, nose wrinkling, hoping it would mask how much his command had frightened her. "This isn't fair," she complained.

"Are you forfeiting then?" he challenged with a smirk.

Amelia sighed. She'd brought this upon herself, after all. She stared vacantly into the middle distance, her eyes glassy with contemplation. "I… wasn't thinking." She shook her head resolutely. "No, that's a lie. Though I might have been a little… influenced that night, I made the decision with the full knowledge of its consequences."

"You're avoiding the question, Amelia," Gideon drawled. In her periphery, she could still feel his thumb massaging her leg, making it difficult to think straight.

"I realize," she murmured. "I… well, I was feeling a little… well, this is embarrassing to say but…"

"Concupiscent?" he teased.

"Concu—What? No!" Amelia could feel how red her face had become, drawing laughter from Gideon. "I was going to say desperate. I… needed access to my inheritance and marriage was the only way to acquire it. With the Season's end nearing and my time to wed running short, it felt like I had no other choice. It is horrible, I know, but… it is quite terrifying and you as a man would never understand. Being in the situation I had been in with my aunt and uncle, I knew that a lifetime of loneliness and misery awaited me if I became a spinster. Not to forget, my…"

"Your what?" Gideon probed slowly.

Amelia shook her head. She'd almost revealed the other reason for her desperation—Dorothy and her plight. "It's nothing. I have answered your command."

Gideon shrugged. "Fair. Though I cannot say your response differs much from what you have already revealed and what I have suspected for some time now."

"Are you not upset?"

"That you trapped me?" Gideon frowned as he considered the question. "I should be, shouldn't I? Nevertheless, I believe it is your turn to be the commander."

Amelia studied him a moment longer. She'd expected him to be angry or at least resentful. But… he didn't seem to care at all. Strangely, that lightened the guilt that had been weighing on the back of her mind for some time now.

She watched him, unable to understand the warm sensation coursing through her body. Images filled her mind—of the first time he'd genuinely smiled at her, of the way he touched her unconsciously as if he wanted to be close. She'd never imagined that she could feel something as heart wrenching and as terrifying as the emotions filling her, emotions she'd never experienced before, emotions for the man whom she had despised for so long because of the part he played in the calamity that befell her family…

"Amelia?"

The room snapped back into focus. "Yes, right. My command for you—explain why you take on the guise of the Masked Rogue."

To his credit, Gideon didn't flinch. She supposed her asking that question was rather predictable.

He twisted in his seat to face her. "I am the Masked Rogue because I choose to be."

"Why?"

"That's two commands."

"Are you forfeiting?" she shot back.

"That's three." He smirked at the challenge in her voice. "Tell me something, Amelia. What do you think about the act of gambling?"

Amelia considered his question for a moment. Uncertain about where he was going with this, she decided to play it safe at first. "Are we still playing the game?"

"Consider it taking a short detour."

He was playing it safe as well.

"My views on it do not differ from many others. I understand that it can be an entertaining pastime, but it is a treacherous slope—few can escape its grasp once caught."

"I agree. Though I would much rather describe it as a sinful vice that does nothing but causes one to destroy everything in their path."

"Then why partake in it if you despise it so much?"

"Sometimes, one must step outside their moral compass to achieve an objective."

"And what is this objective you seek, Gideon?"

Her soft question had him leaning closer to her, studying her face carefully. If he intended to make her feel bashful, then he succeeded, though she didn't dare to show it. "Perhaps once I reach it, I shall tell you."

But I won't be in your life by then.

She bit her lip to keep from saying the words aloud. This was all for Dorothy. Marrying him, counting down the days until she would gain access to her inheritance. It was all so that she could get Dorothy out of her horrible situation and they could live comfortably together. There was no reason for her to feel saddened at the thought of separating because that had been the plan all along. She couldn't very well remain married to someone like the Masked Rogue.

Gideon cradled her chin as though he had the ability to read her innermost thoughts, even though Amelia knew that couldn't be the case.

"Shall we resume the game, then?" he asked her. She could only not slowly, mute. "Then I command you to tell me what you are thinking right this moment."

I think I am falling in love with you.

Her world slammed into focus. The breath in her lungs dissipated, and Amelia's entire senses ran cold. She felt paralyzed.

She quickly licked her lips. She grappled to think of a proper lie, but it was only the truth that clamored for release. Gideon arched a brow at her silence.

"Do you forfeit?" he asked her.

Amelia nodded. She'd much rather stay quiet than dare speak, knowing that she might say something she shouldn't.

"You know you must be punished, right?" Gideon continued on to say, his tone gentle, unwavering.

She nodded again, heart pounding in her ears. Unable to help herself, she glanced down at his lips, only one thought crossing her mind.

The same idea must have crossed through his because, the next second, his lips were on hers. Amelia couldn't contain the audible moan—a sound of pure want—that rumbled in her throat and it seemed to spur him on. He pressed her against the side rest of the chaise, his hand firmly squeezing around her thigh. Every scorching inch of skin that he'd branded from the last time he touched her begged for more. Gideon chuckled as she clawed away at his clothes, the shy, reticent lady from before disappearing to reveal the lascivious woman she was underneath.

He let her take charge. In tearing off their clothes, touching him, dragging his hand where she needed his touch most. By the time his fingers reached the thatch of hair between her thighs, she was dripping with need. Amelia's eyes rolled to the heavens the moment he touched her there, his name a whisper on her lips. And he proceeded with the ministrations she had been craving for every second of her existence since learning from him. She couldn't hold herself back any longer, his fingers driving her to the brink of madness. But before she could be sent hurtling toward her peak, she slapped away his hand and moved to straddle him instead.

"No, I… I want it all," she panted amidst heavy breaths.

Gideon grinned—his jawbone devilishly dashing—at what she was so intent on doing next and Amelia couldn't help but mirror his expression, giddy with desire. Her small hand encircled his manhood where it lay bulging beneath her hips and her heart thudded against her ribcage. The daringness that evolved from her earlier passions came to a head, and she began to stroke it fiercely, eliciting deep moans from Gideon's throat.

As she felt Gideon's skin against hers, Amelia's heart began to race faster and faster. She could feel the heat building up in her core, the excitement and anticipation overwhelming her senses. She had dreamt of this moment for so long, imagined it a thousand times, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality. He was so strong, so powerful, his muscular chest rippling as he drew back slightly, his dark locks tousled from their passionate kisses.

Gideon's eyes fluttered open and he leaned in again, his breathing uneven and deep this time. He consumed her lips whole, as though it might be the last kiss they ever shared.

She couldn't help but moan softly as he finally entered her, feeling full and warm and right in a way she never knew possible. It was intimate and sacred, their connection, the pain quickly fading away as she grew accustomed to him filling her up.

He began to slowly thrust inside her, taking his time, his movements so gentle that it almost felt like a dance. His head pressed into the crook of her neck as if savoring her taste, while his hands found their way to her hips, drawing her closer to him. His rhythm steadily increased, his skin sliding against hers with each thrust, releasing waves of heady passion through her entire being. Gideon's lips trailed soft kisses down her neck, sucking at her pulse point, making her gasp softly.

Amelia's eyes shut tightly as she focused on the feeling building inside of her, the sensations overwhelming yet exhilarating all at once. The library drapes were slightly ajar, letting in just the slightest bit of moonlight that bathed them both in an ethereal glow. The sound of their bodies moving together echoed through the otherwise silent room, filling the air with the music they made. As Amelia grew more comfortable, she began to grind her hips against Gideon, the movement causing delicious friction between them. He watched her closely, his eyes never leaving her face as if searching for any sign of distress. She felt his warmth inside her, surrounding her, claiming her completely.

His fingers dug into her hips as he pushed deeper, his teeth grazing her earlobe causing a shiver to run through her body. He growled low, his breath hot against her collarbone. She bit her lip, trying to hold back a cry of pleasure, feeling his muscles stiffen beneath her fingertips. "Does it hurt?" he whispered.

"A little," Amelia breathed heavily.

"Tell me if you need me to stop."

"I won't," she replied, her eyes meeting his with a fierce determination. "I want all of you, Gideon."

Amelia let out a sudden gasp when he acceded and pushed deeper, her back arching involuntarily. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer, their skin slippery with sweat and desire. The sound of fabric tearing filled the air as their tangled limbs made quick work of the delicate lace of her gown. She could feel his hand gently brushing the side of her exposed breast now, teasing a nipple with his thumb.

He leaned forward, capturing one of her rosy nipples between his lips, swirling his tongue around it before sucking gently. Amelia gasped, her fingers tangling in his dark hair, urging him on. The sensation of his mouth on her sensitive flesh was intoxicating. As he lavished attention on her other breast, Amelia increased the pace of her hips, grinding against him more forcefully.

"God, Gideon…" she moaned, "I need you so…"

The intensity of her desire seemed to ignite something within Gideon, and his hazel eyes darkened with lust. With one powerful arm wrapped around her waist, he began to match her fervor, rocking into her with more passion and ferocity than before.

"Is this what you want, darling?" he asked, his breath hot against her ear as he whispered the words.

"Yes, Gideon, yes!" she cried out, overcome with the sensation of him filling her so completely. Her body grew slick with perspiration and desire, making their movements even more fluid. She could feel the pressure building inside her, a crescendo of ecstasy that threatened to consume her entirely.

Her head tilted back, exposing her neck to him, an invitation Gideon took without hesitation. His lips traced a path down to her collarbone, then to the delicate skin of her neck, his teeth grazing lightly behind her ear. She cried out softly, her fingers digging into his shoulders, nails leaving marks behind. "Don't stop," she pleaded breathlessly. "Never stop."

"I can show you other ways to bring you pleasure… if you'd like," he murmured hotly against her throat.

"Yes, please," she breathed, her eyes pleading with him to continue.

Gideon carefully guided Amelia to lean on the armrest of the chaise, her knees sinking into the soft cushion as she kneeled over, her head resting against the plush fabric. The new position left her feeling exposed and vulnerable, but also achingly excited for what was to come.

Gideon didn't hesitate as he positioned himself behind her, entering her once more with a slow, deliberate motion, that preceded a loud moan from her lips. The angle was different than before, deeper and more intense, sparking a fresh wave of pleasure that threatened to overpower her soul.

"Ah, Gideon!" Amelia gasped as he began to move within her, each thrust driving her closer to the edge of reason.

" God, you're so beautiful like this ," Gideon murmured, his voice strained with his own mounting passion. His hands gripped her waist tightly, anchoring her to him as he increased the pace of his movements.

Amelia's body arched off the chaise, meeting him stroke for stroke, her fingers twisting into his dark hair as his heavy breaths tingled her skin. He placed soft kisses down her neck, nibbling at her earlobe, teasing the sensitive skin before drawing it gently between his teeth. An arm encircled her body once more as it went possessively against her breasts, pressing her back against his chest. Then, Gideon's free hand drifted down to her wetness, rubbing at her sensitive pearl as he continued his rocking.

Her back arched again, and she cried out as she felt him hit something inside her once more. His name spilled from her lips in a hot rush of air, a plea for release. He answered by picking up the pace, his hips thrusting harder, faster, deeper. Their bodies were animated in a feverish dance.

"I need you… so bad," she begged, her voice barely audible amid the sounds of their frantic coupling. She could feel a storm of ecstasy threatening to shatter her into a thousand pieces.

The tension built within her, coiling tighter and tighter… until it finally snapped, releasing her in waves of ecstasy that rocked her very core. She cried out his name, her body trembling under his as she came, her inner walls clenching around him. A sensation unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she couldn't help but whimper in pure bliss.

His groans grew husky as he found his own release, his hips jerking against hers, body shuddering with the force of his climax. Breathing heavily, Gideon looked down at her flushed face, his eyes burning with lust and desire. Amelia thought she might have died and gone to heaven in the seconds that ensued afterward but when she came back to earth, she found him gazing at her in awe.

"What is it?" she whispered breathlessly.

Gideon simply gave a languid shake of the head, falling onto the chaise beside her. His hooded eyes were satiated and tired. "I am simply admiring you."

A warm flush spread across Amelia's cheeks as she evaded his intense gaze. He chuckled as she twisted a little so that her forehead was resting against his chest. Without a word, Gideon slid his arm around her possessively, seizing her waist. In one smooth motion, he laid back against the side rest of the chaise and pulled her onto his chest, propping both their legs up on the other end.

Amelia began to say something but, as if he sensed it, he said, "Hush, darling. Let's rest. You've tired me out and I wish to nap."

"I had imagined you would have more endurance," she teased, settling into the crook of his arms. Beneath her ear, his heartbeat thrummed hypnotically.

"I am saving my energy for the entire night ahead of us. Your punishment still awaits," he murmured.

All of a sudden, it was difficult to breathe properly again. Gently, Amelia shifted her face to look up at him, only to find his eyes closed, his breaths steady in slumber. He'd fallen asleep within seconds.

And she could only lay there, snug in his embrace, wrestling with the thought that perhaps her plan of marriage and annulment had been made in grave error.