Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) (11 page)

The door flew open as Diana exited the house. “Sorry I am late.”

His head snapped up to see her wearing a frumpy old cap, her hair pinned haphazardly underneath the atrocious thing, and he struggled not to smile at the incongruent picture she presented. He could tell she’d donned the hat hoping to remain unnoticed, but her beauty shone through the flimsy disguise. “You’re just in time.”

He seated her inside and quickly followed, blocking the exit before she could change her mind. He motioned the carriage forward, satisfaction curling through him. A hint of lavender teased his senses, and, predictably, his cock hardened. While Diana looked out at London, he couldn’t keep himself from studying her, fascinated by her fleeting expressions of wonder and curiosity, with a touch of wistfulness he couldn’t place.

The ride ended much too soon.

“Here we are.” He descended first, then offered her his hand. Once he had possession of it, he refused to relinquish her hand, and tucked it in the crook of his arm.

Her fingers clamped down on him, the simple action revealing that she was more rattled than she wanted to let on. Her uncharacteristic hesitation triggered a wave of possessiveness, and he leaned down to ask quietly. “Nervous?”

“A little.”

They were just one store away from their appointment when Diana tugged on his arm, eagerly studying what was on display in the window. Curious to know what caught her attention, Gabriel dutifully slowed his pace. He expected to find jewelry or some other bauble, not rows of guns and blades.

She had such an expression of yearning, Gabriel almost stumbled, imagining what it would be like to have someone look at him that way. With a wistful sigh, Diana turned away and Gabriel vowed to come back later and choose something suitable for a lady.

“Lord Mendenhall, welcome.” The door chimed shut behind them. “Is this the…lady you would like me to dress?”

Gabriel’s lips tightened at the small slight. “Yes, my wife. That is, if she finds your creations acceptable.”

The matronly woman gave a start of surprise, and her expression warmed. “Yes, of course. It would be a pleasure. What would you like to see?”

Diana smiled and just waved her hand. “Just a dress or two should be fine. Nothing elaborate. No hoops. No bustles. Something understated but nothing too tight.”

Gabriel scowled, frustrated to have her refuse his generosity. How was he supposed to show his affections for her if she refused to be showered in gifts? He turned away and nodded toward the proprietress. “She’ll need a full wardrobe.”

“Don’t be silly. Two is enough.”

The proprietress backed away and vanished from the room to give them privacy.

“We’ll be going out in public, balls, teas and whatnot. You’ll need more than just two dresses.”

“But the expense—”

“I can well manage the cost,” Gabriel reassured her.

“My lord—”

“My name is Gabriel.” That was not what he meant to say. She looked more than a little confused, but he refused to let the matter rest. “We are husband and wife, and I would like you to call me by my name when we’re together.”

He didn’t like the distance she maintained between them, the tension escalating while he waited for her to answer. After a minute passed, when he feared she’d refuse, she finally gave a hesitant nod, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Pick out as many dresses as you want.”

Instead of being pleased, she looked more dejected than ever. “I wouldn’t know what to select. I have no idea what would be appropriate for people in your class.”

Gabriel hesitated. “Would it be easier if I choose for you?” Much to his surprise, the idea of picking out clothes and colors that suited her pleased him.

“I am not used to all the people and fuss. Can we not just buy some fabric? I could easily make—”

“You will not have the time.”

“My lord—”

“Gabriel.” He repeated his name, a scowl darkening his face, wishing to hear his name from her lips.

“Fine. Do whatever you want.” Diana sighed in exasperation, but stubbornly refused to speak his name. He decided the better part of valor would be to allow her to have her way…for now. As he nodded toward the proprietress and seated himself, he was surprised to realize that Diana really had no interest in clothes or his money. The only things that had caught her attention were the weapons next door.

The warmth that filled his chest as he watched her wander around the store troubled him deeply. He must not fall in love with her, not before he had time to convince her that she couldn’t live without him.

Gabriel devoted himself to studying the fashion plates, ignoring the disturbing direction of his thoughts. He’d deal with them later. He flipped through the designs, then shook his head. “These will not do. My wife needs simpler styles, more earth-tone, natural colors. These,” he waved at the designs, “are too fussy, too revealing.”

When Diana inched closer to see the designs, he reached out without looking up and snagged her hand, absently playing with her fingers.

The proprietress noticed the gesture, her eyes warming further. “I believe I have just the thing.”

She disappeared into the back, returning a moment later with a small folder.

Gabriel quickly glanced through them and nodded. The designs were sleek and modest, like nothing he’d ever seen. They suited Diana perfectly. “These will do nicely.”

“Wonderful! I’ll have my girls get started.” She turned to Diana. “If you’ll follow me?”

Diana shot a startled look toward Gabriel while she was led away.

Twenty minutes passed, then an hour. He shifted uncomfortably, imagining her standing naked just a few feet away. To rid himself of the distracting thought and the unwelcome erection, he studied the room. He almost had himself under control…until he noticed a full-length mirror partially hidden behind a gap in the curtain.

Or more precisely, the image in the mirror.

At first he only saw her hair, two of the servants blocked the rest of his view. He’d almost convinced himself to turn away when they moved, and then he was lost. The full image of Diana was on display in the mirror, dressed only in a shift. The fabric stopped just below her knees, revealing very shapely, lovely, long legs that were made to wrap around his waist.

He shifted uncomfortably, refusing to even blink. With so much light flooding the room, the material was practically opaque. The muscles of her arms and legs were smooth and sleek, and his fingers twitched, wanting to run his hands all over her. But what riveted his attention was her shape. Her small, pert breasts suited her, and coupled with her narrow waist and slim hips, they transformed her from gangly to exotic. Each part fit so seamlessly that Gabriel only now realized what her clothes truly hid.

Perfection.

And he found himself utterly seduced.

He remembered the feel of her when she pinned him to the floor on the train, her sleek, strong body assuring him he could touch her, love her, without fear of breaking her.

When the strap of her shift slipped, his attention was drawn to a flash of blue. Unaware that he stood, Gabriel walked quietly toward the curtain and peered closer at her back. He should be ashamed for spying on her, but he couldn’t resist studying the small clue into the mystery of her past.

Before he could understand what he had seen, the image vanished as she slipped the strap up over her shoulder. She turned suddenly, and their gazes clashed in the mirror. Her eyes widened in shock, but he couldn’t force himself to turn way. He swallowed hard when she returned his regard, watching him as blatantly as he watched her.

He spun away from temptation, clenching his fists so he wouldn’t rip down the thin cloth separating them. He remembered now that the mirrors were set up so a gentleman could view the proceedings, but he’d been away so long, he’d honestly forgotten until he saw her on display.

Lust blasted through him, nearly drowning out the promise he made to delay consummation of their marriage. He feared if they stared at each other even a moment longer, he would finish stripping her and take her then and there.

Her steady regard when she caught him staring was burned into his brain, but he was afraid his insatiable hunger for her would scare her away if he set it free. He dare not take the risk. He tapped his fingers together one at a time, using the rhythm to distract himself, trying to remember why he thought waiting to consummate their vows was such a good idea.

* * *

W
hile the gaggle
of women circled her and stripped her of clothing, Diana wished for her knives, hating to feel so vulnerable. Despite being practically naked, she missed Gabriel’s comforting presence.

The women took measurement after measurement, poking and prodding until she wanted to scream. When the proprietress presented her with hoops, Diana had enough. “No hoops. I won’t be trapped in such a ridiculous contraption if I need to defend myself.”

The proprietress looked completely baffled. “Nonsense. Without the hoops, the dress won’t fit correctly.”

Diana stubbornly crossed her arms. “You’re a dressmaker. The dress will fit according to your design. No hoops. No bustle.”

After an initial hesitation, the girls gathered the extra material of the dress and created a narrow, graceful fall of fabric in the back. The proprietress stood back, studying her with a critical eye, and nodded. “You were right. The style suits you far better. It gives you a sleek look that the others won’t be able to duplicate. We’ll just need to take in the slack a bit, and you’ll be free to go.”

But as she watched them tuck and tighten, Diana began shaking her head. “It’s much too tight. It will attract too much attention.”

“Oui.” The proprietress cocked her head in curiosity. “Correct. A dress is created to draw attention to the wearer.”

Which was the last thing she wanted. “I’m married. I have no need to draw more attention to myself.”

A small smile played about the dressmaker’s mouth, and she raised a brow. “Exactement! It is for your husband that you do this.”

Diana blushed and fell silent, surprised at how she longed to look nice for Gabriel.

The proprietress took her silence as acceptance and began humming as she went about pinning the other dresses. After another twenty minutes passed, Diana was ready to grab her clothes and walk out. She glanced at her image in the mirror…and froze when her gaze collided with Gabriel’s. Her breath stalled at the reverence in his expression. He stood with his legs splayed, his wavy hair in disarray, like a rogue ready for a night of debauchery. Pure hunger deepened his blue eyes to cobalt. Her stomach fluttered and every inch of her exposed skin felt scorched as he perused her from head to toe. She watched his fingers flex, and she could almost feel them skim along her body.

She took a step closer, drawn to the need shimmering in his expression, when the curtain between them closed abruptly.

“Miss?”

Diana blinked, then blushed at the grand spectacle she’d just made of herself, and obediently turned her body as they directed. Another hour of poking and prodding cooled the impulse to go to him. Anxiety skated down her spine as she redressed, and she took her time, painfully shy at the prospect of facing Gabriel again.

When she emerged from behind the curtain, she spied Gabriel standing near the window, staring out at the bustling street. His tense shoulders stretched the material of his tailored jacket to its limit, his legs spread wide, his presence filling the small space. He resembled a marauder of old, ready to stake claim on whatever he saw. The only thing missing was a cutlass strapped to his hip.

Her daft heart thumped against her ribs as she imagined that focus directed at her. She had to blink a few times to clear the image from her mind. “Gabriel?”

“Ready?” He didn’t turn at her approach, his tone brisk and stripped of all emotions…and any warmth she imagined between them turned to frost.

She immediately missed the other Gabriel, the one who looked at her with such emotion, and she wondered if any of it had been real. Diana glanced at the weapons as they passed, but didn’t ask him to stop, not in his current mood. She took note of the street, intending to visit the next time she came in this direction.

Gabriel kept his distance while they entered the carriage, his touch impersonal as he guided her into the carriage, pulling away the moment she was settled, as if he couldn’t bear to be near her.

Her heart wrenched in her chest, leaving a gaping hole behind. She missed the way he used to linger over her skin, the way he used to hover over her as if reluctant for even the smallest separation.

What had changed?

They were nearly home when she couldn’t hold her silence any longer. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What?” He asked distractedly, never once removing his gaze from the window, as if he couldn’t stand to stare at her. His dismissal wounded her.

“Look at me.” She did not think he would comply, and when he did, she wished he had not. Everything that made him the loving Gabriel had been stripped from his expression until a stranger sat in front of her. The small glow in her chest turned into a lump of coal, smothered under his cold stare. “You’re regretting your decision. I’ll collect my things and be gone by evening.”