by Meghan Sloan
“I hope you have this much passion when you’re with my brother.” He leaned his cane against the wall, never taking his eyes off her, and traced his finger down her cheek. God, her skin was so soft. “Percy would enjoy it.”
Cassandra didn’t immediately respond, although desire flared in her eyes when she touched him. She shivered, and her hand against his chest clenched in his shirt. Her cheeks were becoming bright pink.
“You’re impossible,” she breathed.
“Am I?”
“Yes.” Cassandra swallowed. “I don’t understand how any woman finds you attractive.”
“Maybe they have good taste.”
“I disagree.”
She was still arguing with him, clearly wanting to stand her ground. But she didn’t back away. Gabriel practically had her in his arms, and she wasn’t getting out of reach. Cassandra just stared at him, her words becoming hollower as she talked. It was like she was beginning to realise she had lost this fight.
She was meant to be Percy’s woman. He had picked her out for that reason, albeit for his own ulterior motives. But that was getting thrown out the window now. Gabriel knew he should take a step back, and remember his brother. Percy would be heartbroken if he knew what his older brother was thinking about right now.
But Gabriel was past caring. Especially when Cassandra wasn’t pushing him away.
“Are you always this combative?” He brushed his fingers down Cassandra’s cheek, the pad of his thumb going over her lips. “Or are you fighting yourself with something?”
“I…” Cassandra’s lips trembled, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Are you fighting temptation?”
“Temptation? With you?” Cassandra managed a sound that could only be described as a very weak snort. “Don’t make me laugh.”
“If that’s not the case, why haven’t you moved away?”
Cassandra was now breathing more heavily. Gabriel could see that the flush had drifted down her neck, across her chest. God, he so wanted to follow that flush, explore everywhere it touched.
She’s courting your brother, remember? Let her go and step back right now.
Gabriel would have done that, but then Cassandra licked her lips. Which meant she licked his thumb, which was still resting against her mouth. He was wearing his gloves, but Gabriel felt the soft stroke of her tongue against the tip of his thumb.
And he lost it.
Slipping his hand into her hair, brushing through her curls, Gabriel pulled Cassandra close. He started the kiss with a gentle brush of lips; tentative, careful. Cassandra gasped and stiffened in his arms, but then almost immediately she relaxed, her hands clutching onto his coat as she started to kiss him back.
Gabriel growled and tugged her tighter against him, wrapping his arm around her waist as he cradled her head. The kiss went from sweet and gentle to fierce and passionate within moments, with Cassandra giving back as good as Gabriel gave. She made a sound of approval, pressing herself against his chest. She felt every bit as eager as Gabriel did for this.
If she had been anyone else, Gabriel might have been tempted to take her right then. The thought of being caught had always been a bit of a thrill, but this was Cassandra. She was different. He wanted to treat her differently; treat her like a princess. She deserved better.
She doesn’t deserve you.
That threw cold water over Gabriel. He broke the kiss abruptly, stepping back until he bumped into the wall, knocking his cane over. It clattered on the ground. Cassandra swayed, looking dazed. Her mouth looked swollen from his kisses, and standing there with her eyes at half-mast, cheeks flushed and breathing fast, it was all Gabriel could do not to pull her back into his arms.
He had to stop. Now. This was wrong.
“I...I have to go.” Gabriel picked up his cane, trying to look anywhere but in Cassandra’s direction. Somehow, his hat stayed on his head. “I’ll...good day, Miss Seton. I...well…”
And with that, he stumbled back into Montgomery’s. He didn’t look around to see if Cassandra was watching him, or wait to hear her voice. Gabriel knew he just had to get away, or he was going to do something he regretted.
Like make love to his brother’s woman.
Chapter 15
Gabriel ordered for the tenth drink to be brought to him and growled at the steward when he tried to say he didn’t need to have anymore. Yet again. Gabriel didn’t care. He was going to get himself drunk and try to make himself feel less like a coward.
At least the dealer didn’t seem to have been too put off by his brusque attitude, simply dealing Gabriel in when Gabriel sat at his table saying he was on credit. Nobody checked when he said Norman had signed off on it. They simply nodded and gave him what Gabriel asked for.
He was a patron, and they seemed to have forgotten that he had no money. Gabriel was glad about that. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of that. He just wanted to gamble and forget what had just happened.
What was he thinking, kissing Cassandra like that? She should have pushed him away. Gabriel was surprised that she hadn’t. If anything, she seemed to have wanted the kiss as much as he did.
She wanted him. He wanted her. And he couldn’t have her.
If it got back to Percy that Gabriel had kissed Cassandra, Percy was going to be furious. His little brother had forgiven him on a lot of things, but kissing the woman Gabriel had picked out himself for Percy would be over the line. Gabriel didn’t think he would be able to confess his sins without doing irreparable damage to his relationship with his brother.
If only Cassandra had pushed him away. Slapped him, anything, then Gabriel might have been able to walk away. Instead, she had returned the kiss, and now Gabriel was lost. All he wanted now was her. Everything else could go to hell. Even Montgomery’s.
So much for getting Cassandra distracted. She was making him distracted.
Gabriel’s drink finally arrived with a concerned steward, who hurried away when Gabriel glared at him. He picked up the glass and took a swig. It didn’t taste as strong as the last one. They had more than likely watered it down. Gabriel was too low to care right now, as long as he had something to drink.
He was about to start the next game when the dealer looked up, over Gabriel’s shoulder, and straightened up. The other players around the table turned to whoever it was standing behind Gabriel’s chair. Gabriel didn’t need to look to know who it was.
“Afternoon, Norman. I didn’t think you were still here.”
“Of course I am.” Norman moved into sight, his expression a look of thunder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Gabriel?”
Gabriel had never seen Norman look so angry. He raised his glass.
“What does it look like? I’m trying to have a good time.”
“With what? You haven’t got the money, and you certainly shouldn’t be drinking.”
“I got credit. I said you signed off on it.” Gabriel took a swig and shrugged, “I didn’t think you would mind.”
“You were wrong,” Norman growled.
The room had become very silent. Gabriel knew that Norman wasn’t a regular visitor into the main hall, but when he was, he was mild-mannered and interacted when he needed to. Keeping things going until he passed ownership to someone else. Nobody would have seen him this furious. Norman growled at the dealer, who openly flinched.
“Deal him out of this. He’s not to be dealt anything from now until the day he dies. If you do, I’ll make sure you can’t get another job.”
The dealer blanched, and he nodded. Gabriel frowned.
“It wasn’t his fault.”
“He knows you’re not supposed to be playing here. Father made it clear when you got disowned. Everyone was made aware.” Norman swung around to the steward who had been serving the drinks. “Why didn’t anyone tell me he was down here before? Why do I have to find out two hours after he was supposed to have left?”
“We didn’t know, Mr. Montgomery.” The man was p
ractically shaking, “When he said you had given him credit, we thought you had allowed him to start again.”
Norman growled.
“When this man says something like that, you need to come to me and let me know. I’m the one who decides who plays here and who doesn’t, not you.” Then he grabbed Gabriel’s arm and hauled him to his feet. “Get me some coffee, and a lot of it, and then bring it to my office. Now!”
The steward scurried away. The other patrons were still watching in silence, the employees clearly nervous. Gabriel was getting a little nervous himself. Even drunk as he was, he was beginning to realise that maybe he had messed up his chances to become the new owner. Norman could easily go back on what they had agreed; nothing was signed, so he had the ability to turn Gabriel down.
He had really screwed things up.
With the help of another steward, Norman got Gabriel up the stairs and into the study Gabriel had vacated only a few short hours ago. Gabriel was practically thrown into one of the chairs by the fire, almost falling out and onto the floor. The steward left and Norman stood over Gabriel with his arms folded and a dark scowl. He was practically shaking.
“What the hell did you think you were doing, Gabriel? Did you want to jeopardise everything?”
“Give over.” Gabriel waved a hand, “I can handle it.”
“I don’t think you can. You know you’ll be in deeper trouble if this gets back to your father, and I certainly know it will, seeing as a lot of people in that room are friends of his.”
Gabriel hadn’t thought of that. He had been visiting Montgomery’s for so long and focusing on himself that he had forgotten that there would be people there who would know the family. It was them who had notified Derek Tattershall that his son was racking up more debts than he could afford. Gabriel had no one to blame but himself on that.
The coffee arrived pretty rapidly, and Norman sent the steward away with a sharp word. He poured out a cup and carried it over to Gabriel, crouching beside the chair as he held the cup out.
“Drink. It’ll help with the alcohol.”
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly aware of things.”
Norman snorted.
“No, you’re not. You’ve had at least a dozen drinks, from looking at your tab. If you want to buy this place from me, you do as you’re told. Now drink!”
Gabriel glared at him, but his friend wasn’t budging. Grumbling, Gabriel snatched the cup and almost spilled it, taking a sip. It burned his mouth, but it made him sit up. He adjusted his hold on the cup to prevent himself from spilling it.
“I wish everyone would stop treating me like a child,” he grumbled.
“If you didn’t want to be treated like a child, you shouldn’t have behaved like one.” Norman rose to his feet and came around to stand before him with his arms folded. “Are you insane? I know I want to sell this place, but I’m not going to give Montgomery’s to a drunk.”
“I’m not a drunk!”
“You’re close enough if you’re not.” Norman shook his head. “Do you want me to let your father know about this? If my patrons don’t, I certainly will. And I guarantee he’s not going to be happy.”
Gabriel knew that. Derek had threatened to send him abroad to America or Australia if he carried on his ways, cut off completely. He would have to work for his money, and as he had never worked before, Gabriel would be stuck. He wouldn’t be able to cope.
He stared at the cup in his hand as realisation dawned. Everyone had told him that this would ruin him, and that Gabriel needed to step up and take responsibility. Gabriel had scoffed, saying he would be able to cope, and he had. For the most part. Now he had slipped back into his old ways and Gabriel now knew the gravity of his situation. He was teetering on the edge of being sent away completely.
Away from Cassandra Seton.
All of this because of a kiss. Gabriel had never become unglued like this before, and never expected it to be because of a woman. Certainly not a woman he couldn’t have.
Gabriel concentrated on drinking the coffee. Black wasn’t how he would take it, but it seemed to be working. He was feeling less lightheaded and sluggish and more alert. Norman made him drink the lot, which had Gabriel’s stomach tightening as it filled with coffee. But it was making him feel less drunk.
“I think that’s enough.” He held out the now empty cup. “No more.”
“You think you’re able to think coherently now?”
“I’ve been thinking coherently since the first sip. My stomach won’t appreciate it anymore.”
Norman grunted. He took the cup and put it on the tray on his desk. Then he settled into the chair across from Gabriel, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees. He didn’t look angry anymore. He looked worried.
“What’s the matter with you? I thought you were going home.”
“I decided to stay. Far more interesting than going home and doing things at the cottage.”
“That’s not it. Not when you were so determined to leave a short while ago.” Norman frowned, “What happened to make you change your mind?”
Gabriel thought about lying. But he found he couldn’t with Norman. He needed someone to talk to about this. Allen wasn’t here, and if he knew about the gambling and the drinking, his valet would immediately go and tell his father. And there was no chance of Gabriel confiding in Percy. Gabriel hung his head.
“Miss Seton was waiting outside when I left. She was waiting for me. We...we got into it. An argument of sorts, I mean.”
“An argument with a woman doesn’t normally leave a man wanting to gamble what he doesn’t have.” Norman raised his eyebrows. “What did she do that rattled you?”
Gabriel gritted his teeth. God, this was embarrassing. Never did he think he would find himself discussing a woman who had the ability to put him on the back foot and refused to let him do anything except topple.
“I kissed her. I know I shouldn’t have, but I did.” Gabriel didn’t look up. “And now...it was only a short while ago, but I can’t stop thinking about it. It...it would have followed me home and would have plagued me. I…” He swallowed, “I needed a distraction, and I guess I went the wrong way about it.”
“You certainly went the wrong way about it.” Norman’s voice was laced with sarcasm. “So, you kissed the woman you had been trying to give to your brother? You certainly know how to pick them, Gabriel.”
“This isn’t amusing, Norman.”
“I never said it was.” Norman sat back. “You’ve just made it all the more complicated for yourself. Just ridiculous.”
Gabriel knew that. He had been berating himself about it for hours now. Even now, he could remember the taste of Cassandra’s mouth, the feel of her supple body pressed up against his chest, how her breasts moulded against his body…
Stop! Now is not the time.
“I thought this would be easy, but now…” he slumped back, staring at the ceiling, “I’m not so sure.”
“You really do have it bad for her.”
Gabriel didn’t bother to deny it. Not even to himself. What he was feeling for Cassandra was more intense than he had ever experienced. It shouldn’t even be possible. They had only had a handful of interactions, and yet that was enough to emit a spark between the two of them. Cassandra felt it, too, if that kiss was anything to go by. And it had turned Gabriel upside-down.