He remained silent so long she believed he’d not answer. “Did you not?” he said between tight lips.
“Oh, Richard,” she layered her palms to his chest. His heartbeat pounded under the weight of her palms.
A sound of protest rumbled in his chest. “Gemma.” He pressed his eyes closed, his face contorting as though physically pained. “If we are discovered, you’ll be ruined. Forced to marry me.”
Gemma’s chest tightened as though a vise were being tightened about her. Did he even now see those titled lords as superior? “Would that be the very worst thing?” she put in tentatively.
He gave his head a hard shake and opened his eyes. The emotion from within their fathomless depths seared her. “I’d not have you this way. Not like this. Not trapped and caught when your heart belongs to another. A worthy gentleman I call friend.”
Oh, Richard. How could he still not see the weight of his worth was far greater than all the dukes, marquesses, and earls combined. “Look at me,” Gemma urged with a firm insistence and he looked down at her. She shifted and the water lapped noisily, dampening the hem of her skirt. “If you had met me last night, you would have known that Lord Westfield offered me marriage.” Pain glinted in his eyes, but he remained motionless. Silent. “You would also know that I declined his offer.”
She’d declined Westfield’s offer of marriage?
The tree branches rustled overhead and the leaves danced noisily. Through nature’s soft sounds, Richard tried to sort through her words. He gave his head a shake. “I don’t…”
“I said no,” she repeated softly and claimed his hands.
Richard looked down at their interlocked fingers. “You said no?” he rasped. Why, when she’d longed for Westfield for three years? Faint hope stirred within his chest. A memory trickled in, of his meeting with that other man last evening.
You always deserved a lady who wanted only you and I believe if you but look before you, you’ll find that woman…
The air left him on a hiss. He’d known. Westfield had known.
Gemma nodded. “I did.” Emotion shadowed her eyes. Unrepentant and honest, as she’d been since the day she’d crashed into the billiard’s room, stealing his quiet, his heart, and his every thought.
He struggled to formulate a coherent reply past his thickened throat. “Why?” Silently pleading for it to be him because where Gemma existed, he had no pride. Selfishly, he wanted her in every way at his side.
“You see, I could not accept his offer until I shared what was in my heart—with you.”
“Gemma?” he urged.
With a soft smile, she squeezed his hands. “I would have you know the words I carry in my heart.” Those words eerily similar to ones she’d uttered six days earlier, but yet entirely different for reasons that robbed him of thought, froze his movements and held him suspended. “Richard Jonas, I’ve loved you since you whispered in my ear about horse vomit.” His lips pulled. “I loved you even more when you encouraged me to be no one other than myself and spoke as though I was a woman different than all others—”
“There is no one else like you,” he said hoarsely. And there wasn’t. She possessed a spirit and wit that had beckoned since the first day she’d stepped into his riding path, chattering about fishing and light.
“And a man who looks at me as though I’m beautiful,” she continued.
“Because you are.” Her beauty shone from the inside out and set her aglow with a rich vibrancy that not even Athena herself could rival.
She pressed her fingertips to his lips, stopping his words. “And as I love you, I thought you should know the feelings in my heart, even as I know your heart belongs to your El—”
Richard took her mouth under his in a silencing, questioning kiss. No one else: not Westfield, not Eloise had a place in this moment that belonged entirely to them. A shuddery sigh escaped Gemma’s lips and as her body melted into his, he caught her against his chest to keep her from dissolving. He broke the kiss and touched his lips to her temple. “You forced me to see that what I felt for Eloise was not love.” He paused, thinking of the vicious envy that had nearly destroyed him whenever he imagined Gemma in Westfield’s arms.
Gemma ran a questioning gaze over his face. “It wasn’t?” she asked with a hesitancy that flew in the face of the manner of woman she was.
“I loved the familiarity of her,” he conceded. And he would be forever indebted to that woman for reuniting his once fractured family. But gratitude was not love. “I loved the comfortable presence of a person I’d known for the better part of my life, but I did not truly know her.” He knew that now. Richard palmed her cheek and lashes fluttering, she leaned into his caress. “Gemma Reed, I have loved you since you spoke about a horse’s teeth and gestational period,” he whispered. A watery smile turned her lips. “And I loved you even more when you challenged Society’s strictures and expectations for young ladies.” Richard dropped his brow to hers. “Gemma Reed, you are my heart’s greatest yearning and I would ask you to marry me.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Richard Jonas, you used my declaration.”
“That is hardly an answer, love.” His heart tripped an uneasy rhythm and he managed a lopsided grin. “Will you—?”
She leaned up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his. Honeysuckle wafted about his senses, more intoxicating than any spirit he’d consumed. Of their own volition, his hands settled at her waist and he dragged her into the vee between his legs. An agonized groan burst from his lips as she drew back.
“That is a yes, Richard Jonas. That is a yes.”
The End
Other Books by Christi Caldwell
“To Trust a Rogue”
Book 8 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
A rogue
Marcus, the Viscount Wessex has carefully crafted the image of rogue and charmer for polite Society. Under that façade, however, dwells a man whose dreams were shattered almost eight years earlier by a young lady who captured his heart, pledged her love, and then left him, with nothing more than a curt note.
A widow
Eight years earlier, faced with no other choice, Mrs. Eleanor Collins, fled London and the only man she ever loved, Marcus, Viscount Wessex. She has now returned to serve as a companion for her elderly aunt with a daughter in tow. Even though they’re next door neighbors, there is little reason for her to move in the same circles as Marcus, just in case, she vows to avoid him, for he reminds her of all she lost when she left.
Reunited
As their paths continue to cross, Marcus finds his desire for Eleanor just as strong, but he learned long ago she’s not to be trusted. He will offer her a place in his bed, but not anything more. Only, Eleanor has no interest in this new, roguish man. The more time they spend together, the protective wall they’ve constructed to keep the other out, begin to break. With all the betrayals and secrets between them, Marcus has to open his heart again. And Eleanor must decide if it’s ever safe to trust a rogue.
“To Wed His Christmas Lady”
Book 7 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
She’s longing to be loved:
Lady Cara Falcot has only served one purpose to her loathsome father—to increase his power through a marriage to the future Duke of Billingsley. As such, she’s built protective walls about her heart, and presents an icy facade to the world around her. Journeying home from her finishing school for the Christmas holidays, Cara’s carriage is stranded during a winter storm. She’s forced to tarry at a ramshackle inn, where she immediately antagonizes another patron—William.
He’s avoiding his duty in favor of one last adventure:
William Hargrove, the Marquess of Grafton has wanted only one thing in life—to avoid the future match his parents would have him make to a cold, duke’s daughter. He’s returning home from a blissful eight years of traveling the world to see to his responsibilities. But when a winter storm interrupts his trip and lands him at a
falling-down inn, he’s forced to share company with a commanding Lady Cara who initially reminds him exactly of the woman he so desperately wants to avoid.
A Christmas snowstorm ushers in the spirit of the season:
At the holiday time, these two people who despise each other due to first perceptions are offered renewed beginnings and fresh starts. As this gruff stranger breaks down the walls she’s built about herself, Cara has to determine whether she can truly open her heart to trusting that any man is capable of good and that she herself is capable of love. And William has to set aside all previous thoughts he’s carried of the polished ladies like Cara, to be the man to show her that love.
“The Heart of a Scoundrel”
Book 6 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
Ruthless, wicked, and dark, the Marquess of Rutland rouses terror in the breast of ladies and nobleman alike. All Edmund wants in life is power. After he was publically humiliated by his one love Lady Margaret, he vowed vengeance, using Margaret’s niece, as his pawn. Except, he’s thwarted by another, more enticing target—Miss Phoebe Barrett.
Miss Phoebe Barrett knows precisely the shame she’s been born to. Because her father is a shocking letch she’s learned to form her own opinions on a person’s worth. After a chance meeting with the Marquess of Rutland, she is captivated by the mysterious man. He, too, is a victim of society’s scorn, but the more encounters she has with Edmund, the more she knows there is powerful depth and emotion to the jaded marquess.
The lady wreaks havoc on Edmund’s plans for revenge and he finds he wants Phoebe, at all costs. As she’s drawn into the darkness of his world, Phoebe risks being destroyed by Edmund’s ruthlessness. And Phoebe who desires love at all costs, has to determine if she can ever truly trust the heart of a scoundrel.
“To Love a Lord”
Book 5 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
All she wants is security:
The last place finishing school instructor Mrs. Jane Munroe belongs, is in polite Society. Vowing to never wed, she’s been scuttled around from post to post. Now she finds herself in the Marquess of Waverly’s household. She’s never met a nobleman she liked, and when she meets the pompous, arrogant marquess, she remembers why. But soon, she discovers Gabriel is unlike any gentleman she’s ever known.
All he wants is a companion for his sister:
What Gabriel finds himself with instead, is a fiery spirited, bespectacled woman who entices him at every corner and challenges his age-old vow to never trust his heart to a woman. But…there is something suspicious about his sister’s companion. And he is determined to find out just what it is.
All they need is each other:
As Gabriel and Jane confront the truth of their feelings, the lies and secrets between them begin to unravel. And Jane is left to decide whether or not it is ever truly safe to love a lord.
“Loved By a Duke”
Book 4 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
For ten years, Lady Daisy Meadows has been in love with Auric, the Duke of Crawford. Ever since his gallant rescue years earlier, Daisy knew she was destined to be his Duchess. Unfortunately, Auric sees her as his best friend’s sister and nothing more. But perhaps, if she can manage to find the fabled heart of a duke pendant, she will win over the heart of her duke.
Auric, the Duke of Crawford enjoys Daisy’s company. The last thing he is interested in however, is pursuing a romance with a woman he’s known since she was in leading strings. This season, Daisy is turning up in the oddest places and he cannot help but notice that she is no longer a girl. But Auric wouldn’t do something as foolhardy as to fall in love with Daisy. He couldn’t. Not with the guilt he carries over his past sins… Not when he has no right to her heart…But perhaps, just perhaps, she can forgive the past and trust that he’d forever cherish her heart—but will she let him?
“The Love of a Rogue”
Book 3 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
Lady Imogen Moore hasn’t had an easy time of it since she made her Come Out. With her betrothed, a powerful duke breaking it off to wed her sister, she’s become the tons favorite piece of gossip. Never again wanting to experience the pain of a broken heart, she’s resolved to make a match with a polite, respectable gentleman. The last thing she wants is another reckless rogue.
Lord Alex Edgerton has a problem. His brother, tired of Alex’s carousing has charged him with chaperoning their remaining, unwed sister about ton events. Shopping? No, thank you. Attending the theatre? He’d rather be at Forbidden Pleasures with a scantily clad beauty upon his lap. The task of chaperone becomes even more of a bother when his sister drags along her dearest friend, Lady Imogen to social functions. The last thing he wants in his life is a young, innocent English miss.
Except, as Alex and Imogen are thrown together, passions flare and Alex comes to find he not only wants Imogen in his bed, but also in his heart. Yet now he must convince Imogen to risk all, on the heart of a rogue.
“More Than a Duke”
Book 2 in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
Polite Society doesn’t take Lady Anne Adamson seriously. However, Anne isn’t just another pretty young miss. When she discovers her father betrayed her mother’s love and her family descended into poverty, Anne comes up with a plan to marry a respectable, powerful, and honorable gentleman—a man nothing like her philandering father.
Armed with the heart of a duke pendant, fabled to land the wearer a duke’s heart, she decides to enlist the aid of the notorious Harry, 6th Earl of Stanhope. A scoundrel with a scandalous past, he is the last gentleman she’d ever wed…however, his reputation marks him the perfect man to school her in the art of seduction so she might ensnare the illustrious Duke of Crawford.
Harry, the Earl of Stanhope is a jaded, cynical rogue who lives for his own pleasures. Having been thrown over by the only woman he ever loved so she could wed a duke, he’s not at all surprised when Lady Anne approaches him with her scheme to capture another duke’s affection. He’s come to appreciate that all women are in fact greedy, title-grasping, self-indulgent creatures. And with Anne’s history of grating on his every last nerve, she is the last woman he’d ever agree to school in the art of seduction. Only his friendship with the lady’s sister compels him to help.
What begins as a pretend courtship, born of lessons on seduction, becomes something more leaving Anne to decide if she can give her heart to a reckless rogue, and Harry must decide if he’s willing to again trust in a lady’s love.
“For Love of the Duke”
First Full-Length Book in the “Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
After the tragic death of his wife, Jasper, the 8th Duke of Bainbridge buried himself away in the dark cold walls of his home, Castle Blackwood. When he’s coaxed out of his self-imposed exile to attend the amusements of the Frost Fair, his life is irrevocably changed by his fateful meeting with Lady Katherine Adamson.
With her tight brown ringlets and silly white-ruffled gowns, Lady Katherine Adamson has found her dance card empty for two Seasons. After her father’s passing, Katherine learned the unreliability of men, and is determined to depend on no one, except herself. Until she meets Jasper…
In a desperate bid to avoid a match arranged by her family, Katherine makes the Duke of Bainbridge a shocking proposition—one that he accepts.
Only, as Katherine begins to love Jasper, she finds the arrangement agreed upon is not enough. And Jasper is left to decide if protecting his heart is more important than fighting for Katherine’s love.
“In Need of a Duke”
A Prequel Novella to “The Heart of a Duke” Series by Christi Caldwell
In Need of a Duke: (Author’s Note: This is a prequel novella to “The Heart of a Duke” series by Christi Caldwell. It was originally available in “The Heart of a Duke” Collection and is now being published as an individual novella.
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It features a new prologue and epilogue.
Years earlier, a gypsy woman passed to Lady Aldora Adamson and her friends a heart pendant that promised them each the heart of a duke.
Now, a young lady, with her family facing ruin and scandal, Lady Aldora doesn’t have time for mythical stories about cheap baubles. She needs to save her sisters and brother by marrying a titled gentleman with wealth and power to his name. She sets her bespectacled sights upon the Marquess of St. James.
Turned out by his father after a tragic scandal, Lord Michael Knightly has grown into a powerful, but self-made man. With the whispers and stares that still follow him, he would rather be anywhere but London…
Until he meets Lady Aldora, a young woman who mistakes him for his brother, the Marquess of St. James. The connection between Aldora and Michael is immediate and as they come to know one another, Aldora’s feelings for Michael war with her sisterly responsibilities. With her family’s dire situation, a man of Michael’s scandalous past will never do.
Ultimately, Aldora must choose between her responsibilities as a sister and her love for Michael.
“Once a Wallflower, At Last His Love”
Book 6 in the Scandalous Seasons Series
Responsible, practical Miss Hermione Rogers, has been crafting stories as the notorious Mr. Michael Michaelmas and selling them for a meager wage to support her siblings. The only real way to ensure her family’s ruinous debts are paid, however, is to marry. Tall, thin, and plain, she has no expectation of success. In London for her first Season she seizes the chance to write the tale of a brooding duke. In her research, she finds Sebastian Fitzhugh, the 5th Duke of Mallen, who unfortunately is perfectly affable, charming, and so nicely… configured… he takes her breath away. He lacks all the character traits she needs for her story, but alas, any duke will have to do.
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