panic-stricken.
Her mouth dropped open. She was too stunned to speak. Gabriel stood up, untied the piece of leather holding his plaid in place, then tossed the strip of leather on the nearby chair. His plaid dropped to the floor.
He was stark naked. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Gabriel ...” His name came out in a low whisper.
She’d closed her eyes, but not before she’d gotten a thorough look at his backside. It was enough to make her feel fainthearted. The man was bronzed from the sun from neck to ankles, and how in heaven’s name was that possible? Did he walk around without a stitch on during the sunlight hours?
She wasn’t about to ask him. She felt the covers being pulled back, then felt the sag of the bed again as he stretched out beside her. He started to reach for her.
She bounded to her knees and turned around to face him. He was on his back and hadn’t bothered to cover himself. She grabbed hold of the blanket and fairly tossed it over his middle. She could feel her face burning with embarrassment.
“You’ve been tricked, m’lord. Aye, you have!” she blurted out in a near shout.
Gabriel didn’t know what in God’s name had come over her. She looked terrified. Her eyes filled with tears, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d burst into sobs.
“How was I tricked?” He’d deliberately kept his voice calm and low. He stacked his hands behind his head and acted as though he had all the time in the world to wait for her answer.
His casual attitude helped to calm her. She took a deep breath, then said, “My brother didn’t tell you. He said he had explained . . . Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I should have made certain you knew. When I found out you already had a son, I thought you knew about me and that it didn’t matter. You had an heir. You . . .”
Gabriel reached up and put his hand over her mouth. Tears were streaming down her face. He kept his voice soothing when he said, “Your brother’s an honorable man.”
She nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth, then gently tugged her down next to him. “Yes, Nicholas is an honorable man,” she whispered.
The side of her face rested on his shoulder. He could feel her tears as they dropped on his skin.
“Nicholas wouldn’t trick me.”
“I didn’t think he would.” She sounded bewildered.
A long minute passed while he waited for her to tell him what was bothering her.
“Perhaps he forgot to tell you . . . or thought he had.”
“What did he forget to tell me?”
“I cannot have children.”
He waited for her to continue. “And?” he asked when she didn’t say another word.
She’d been holding her breath, waiting for his reaction. She thought he’d be furious. He didn’t appear to be, however. He was casually stroking her arm. An angry man wouldn’t caress. He would strike.
Johanna decided he didn’t understand. “I’m barren,” she whispered. “I thought Nicholas told you. If you want the marriage annulled, I’m sure that Father MacKechnie will see to the petition.”
“Nicholas did tell me, Johanna.”
She bolted up in the bed again. “He told you?” She looked thoroughly confused. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m here because I’m your husband and this is our wedding night. It’s a usual occurrence to share the bed.”
“Do you mean you wish to sleep here tonight?”
“Damned right I mean to,” he answered.
She looked incredulous now. “And every other night,” he announced.
“Why?”
“Because I’m your husband,” he explained.
He pulled her down next to him again, rolled to his side, and leaned over her. He gently brushed the hair away from the side of her face.
His touch was gentle and soothing. “Are you here just to sleep, m’lord?”
“No.”
“Then you wish to ...”
“Yes,” he said, irritated by how horrified she looked now.
“Why?”
She really didn’t understand. His own observation soothed his pride, but he couldn’t control his exasperation
Her mouth dropped open. She was too stunned to speak. Gabriel stood up, untied the piece of leather holding his plaid in place, then tossed the strip of leather on the nearby chair. His plaid dropped to the floor.
He was stark naked. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Gabriel ...” His name came out in a low whisper.
She’d closed her eyes, but not before she’d gotten a thorough look at his backside. It was enough to make her feel fainthearted. The man was bronzed from the sun from neck to ankles, and how in heaven’s name was that possible? Did he walk around without a stitch on during the sunlight hours?
She wasn’t about to ask him. She felt the covers being pulled back, then felt the sag of the bed again as he stretched out beside her. He started to reach for her.
She bounded to her knees and turned around to face him. He was on his back and hadn’t bothered to cover himself. She grabbed hold of the blanket and fairly tossed it over his middle. She could feel her face burning with embarrassment.
“You’ve been tricked, m’lord. Aye, you have!” she blurted out in a near shout.
Gabriel didn’t know what in God’s name had come over her. She looked terrified. Her eyes filled with tears, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d burst into sobs.
“How was I tricked?” He’d deliberately kept his voice calm and low. He stacked his hands behind his head and acted as though he had all the time in the world to wait for her answer.
His casual attitude helped to calm her. She took a deep breath, then said, “My brother didn’t tell you. He said he had explained . . . Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I should have made certain you knew. When I found out you already had a son, I thought you knew about me and that it didn’t matter. You had an heir. You . . .”
Gabriel reached up and put his hand over her mouth. Tears were streaming down her face. He kept his voice soothing when he said, “Your brother’s an honorable man.”
She nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth, then gently tugged her down next to him. “Yes, Nicholas is an honorable man,” she whispered.
The side of her face rested on his shoulder. He could feel her tears as they dropped on his skin.
“Nicholas wouldn’t trick me.”
“I didn’t think he would.” She sounded bewildered.
A long minute passed while he waited for her to tell him what was bothering her.
“Perhaps he forgot to tell you . . . or thought he had.”
“What did he forget to tell me?”
“I cannot have children.”
He waited for her to continue. “And?” he asked when she didn’t say another word.
She’d been holding her breath, waiting for his reaction. She thought he’d be furious. He didn’t appear to be, however. He was casually stroking her arm. An angry man wouldn’t caress. He would strike.
Johanna decided he didn’t understand. “I’m barren,” she whispered. “I thought Nicholas told you. If you want the marriage annulled, I’m sure that Father MacKechnie will see to the petition.”
“Nicholas did tell me, Johanna.”
She bolted up in the bed again. “He told you?” She looked thoroughly confused. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m here because I’m your husband and this is our wedding night. It’s a usual occurrence to share the bed.”
“Do you mean you wish to sleep here tonight?”
“Damned right I mean to,” he answered.
She looked incredulous now. “And every other night,” he announced.
“Why?”
“Because I’m your husband,” he explained.
He pulled her down next to him again, rolled to his side, and leaned over her. He gently brushed the hair away from the side of her face.
His touch was gentle and soothing. “Are you here just to sleep, m’lord?”
“No.”
“Then you wish to ...”
“Yes,” he said, irritated by how horrified she looked now.
“Why?”
She really didn’t understand. His own observation soothed his pride, but he couldn’t control his exasperation
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