Simply Forbidden by Kate Pearce Page A

her cheerfully. “Good morning, miss. This is Lavender. She’s a nice horse, and she won’t give you any trouble.”
    “Thank you.” Miss Ross smiled brightly and gathered the voluminous skirt of her riding habit. Before Mather could step forward to help her, Gabriel was at her side. He cupped his hands to form a step.
    “May I help you, Miss Ross?”
    She hesitated for only a second before placing her foot in his hands and allowing him to toss her into the saddle. While hefiddled with her stirrups and watched her settle into her seat, he didn’t dare look up at her face. Not for the first time in his life he was uncertain how to proceed. He felt as callow as a schoolboy and twice as awkward. She’d seen him half naked and pleading for release, and, despite his anger, he couldn’t blame her for reacting the way she had. He deserved her contempt. God knew, he hated himself enough for both of them.
    After ascertaining that all was well with Miss Ross, Gabriel mounted Wellington and they set off at a slow walk toward the not-too-distant park. Luckily, at this hour of the morning there was a lull between the activities of those rushing to provision the great houses of the upper-classes and the emergence of the fashionable from those houses.
    Because of the trailing feathers on her hat and the angle of her head, he couldn’t quite see Miss Ross’s expression, but she seemed remarkably unperturbed. He couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Perhaps she was one of those women who smiled as she ripped out your heart or kicked you in the balls.
    They reached the park, and he was pleased to note that despite the fine spring weather, there were very few people about. After a quick glance at Miss Ross, he encouraged his horse into a trot and she followed suit leaving Mather behind. When Gabriel pulled up, they were in a much quieter area of the extensive grounds, shaded by massive oak trees and grassy slopes. Gabriel took a deep breath and turned to Miss Ross. It occurred to him that he’d rather face a firing squad than her righteous disgust and disdain.
    “Would you care to dismount and walk among the bluebells, Miss Ross?”
    “That would be delightful, sir.”
    With a quick prayer to a God he no longer quite believed in, Gabriel dismounted and tied Wellington’s reins to a tree, then turned to help Miss Ross down. She moved easily into his arms,and, as he inhaled the glorious scent of her skin, he barely resisted the temptation to pull her close. He set her back on her feet as quickly as he could and moved away from her.
    As she started to walk, her skirts stirred up the sharp, peppery scent of the bluebells. It reminded him of his home up north and his mother’s smiling face as she gathered armfuls of the flowers to sell at the market.
    “I owe you an apology, my lord.”
    Gabriel’s head snapped up and he found himself staring into Miss Ross’s hazel eyes. “I beg your pardon?”
    She half grimaced. “No, sir, I am begging yours.”
    It took him a moment to find his voice. “Why?”
    “Because what I did to you the other night was childish and unforgivable.”
    “Hardly childish, Miss Ross.”
    “I
reacted
like a child. I should have stopped and thought about my actions before I put you in that position.”
    He looked away from her, focused on one of the flower stems, and counted each individual bluebell trumpet. “I’m sure you noticed that I enjoyed being in that position. I came more than once.”
    “And I enjoyed watching you come.”
    He had to face her now, had to see if she was mocking him. “Then why are you apologizing? You achieved your aim: you made a fool of me and showed me up for the hypocrite I am.”
    She licked her lips, her eyes still fixed on his. “But you aren’t a hypocrite, are you? You only allow the other guests the same pleasures you offered me.”
    He stared at her, almost unable to form a coherent sentence, shocked by her all-too-accurate assessment of what she had seen.