Gideon kissed her throat and then her breasts. Harriet clung to him, trying to bring him closer. She did not understand when he trailed a string of hot kisses over her stomach. She twisted her fingers in his hair and tried to pull him up along the length of her.
But Gideon was intent on his goal. He resisted the sweet temptation to plunge himself into her then and there. Instead he pushed her legs more widely apart and replaced his wet finger with his mouth.
Harriet screamed softly. Her whole body tightened and arched violently.
"Gideon. What have you done to me?" she wailed.
And then she started to shiver. Gideon knew her climax was upon her. He waited no longer. He thrust slowly and deeply into her just as the tiny convulsions shook her. Her soft, damp sheath resisted the invasion of his body for an instant and then closed tightly around him, enveloping him.
Entering her at that moment was one of the most glorious things Gideon had ever experienced. She was just as tight, just as hot, just as soft tonight as she had been that first time in the cavern, but he had the satisfaction of knowing she had already been swept up into her own release. If he was causing her any discomfort this time, she did not appear to be aware of it.
"Harriet. Oh, God, Harriet. Yes." He barely managed to swallow a muffled shout of triumph. Her fingers clenched fiercely in his hair and her knees lifted so that she could open herself even farther for him.
Gideon was lost in her fire once more and the feeling was beyond anything he could have described. She was his. He was a part of her. Nothing else on earth mattered. Not even his lost honor.
The fire on the hearth had burned down to orange embers when Gideon finally roused himself from a light, drifting sleep. He felt Harriet's foot slide down along his leg and he realized what had awakened him.
"I thought you would be asleep by now," he grumbled, gathering her close against him.
"I have been thinking about what happened this evening," Harriet murmured.
He grinned, feeling lighthearted for the first time in years. "Ah, Miss Pomeroy. Who would have guessed you have such a lascivious mind? What wicked thoughts were you having? Describe them to me in detail."
She poked him in the ribs. "I am talking about what happened when you stopped Lady Youngstreet's coach."
Gideon's smile faded. "What about it?"
"Gideon, I want you to promise me that you will not challenge Applegate to a duel."
"Do not concern yourself with the matter, Harriet." He kissed a warm, soft breast.
She pushed herself up on her elbow and leaned over him. Her expression was very intent. "I am very serious about this, my lord. I will have your word on it."
"It is none of your affair." He smiled as he put his hand on her sweetly curved belly. He imagined his seed planted in her, growing even now, perhaps. The image was making him hard again.
"It is my affair," Harriet insisted. "I will not allow you to challenge poor Applegate simply because he and the others made off with me today."
"For God's sake, Harriet. They kidnapped you."
"Rubbish. There was no ransom demand."
Gideon scowled. "That is beside the point. Applegate tried to carry you off and I will deal with him. That is all there is to it."
"No. That is not all there is to it. You are not to shoot him, Gideon, do you hear me?"
Gideon was getting impatient. His shaft was already taut with renewed desire. "I will not kill him, if that is what you are worrying about I have no wish to be obliged to leave the country."
"Leave the country," she echoed, looking horrified. "Is that what will happen if you kill someone in a duel?"
"Unfortunately the authorities, while prepared to turn a blind eye to some aspects of dueling, will not overlook a little matter of killing one's opponent." Gideon grimaced. "No matter how much he deserves it."
Harriet sat straight up in bed. "That is the outside of enough. I will not tolerate you taking any such risks."
He put his hand on her leg. "You do not want me to be obliged to leave the country?"
"Of course not," she muttered.
"Harriet, you are overreacting to this. I have given you my word that I will not kill Applegate. But you must understand that I cannot allow his actions today to stand unchallenged. If gossip gets around that I let one man get away with such damnable games, it is highly probable that someone else may try something similar. Or worse."
"Nonsense. I am hardly likely to get into another coach with some strange man." Harriet slid out of bed and reached for her chemise.
"It may not be a strange man who encourages you into the next waiting coach," Gideon said quietly. He watched her. "It may be someone you know. Someone you trust."
"Impossible. I shall be on my guard." Harriet started to pace up and down in front of the dying fire. The glow from the embers shone through the thin fabric of the chemise, revealing the curves of her breasts and thighs. "Gideon, please promise me you will not fight Applegate."
"You go too far when you ask me to refrain. Say no more about the matter."
She glowered at him, still pacing furiously. "You cannot expect me to simply stop talking about it."
"Why not?" he asked mildly, his gaze on the enticing curve of her buttocks. He did not think he would ever get his fill of this woman.
"I am very serious about this, my lord," she declared. "I will not tolerate any dueling on my account. I mean every word In any event, it is totally unnecessary. Nothing happened and Lord Applegate meant no real harm. In his own way he and the others were trying to protect me."
"Damn it, Harriet—"
"Furthermore, he has devoted himself to the study of geology and fossils. I will wager he knows absolutely nothing about dueling."
"That is not my problem," Gideon said.
"It will serve no purpose to shoot him."
"I have already explained that it will serve a purpose."
She rounded on him like a small tigress. "Gideon, you must promise me now, tonight, that you will not go through with this challenge."
"I will give you no such promise, my sweet. Now come back to bed and stop fretting over something that does not concern you."
She went to the foot of the bed and folded her arms beneath her breasts. She stood there, very straight and very determined.
"If you do not give me your word of honor on the matter, sir," Harriet said, "I will not consent to marry you on the morrow."
Gideon responded almost as if he had been thrown from a horse or kicked in the stomach. He could not breathe for an instant. "Applegate means that much to you, then?" he demanded harshly.
"Applegate means nothing to me," she raged "It is you who are important to me. Do you not understand, you stubborn, obstinate, arrogant man? I will not have you risking more gossip and possibly even your life because of an incident which amounted to little more than a jaunt into the country."
Gideon tossed aside the quilt and surged up out of bed. Hands planted on his hips, he stalked toward her. Harriet did not back up a single inch. She was quite probably the only woman on earth who was not afraid of him.
"You dare threaten me?" Gideon asked very quietly.
"Yes, I do, sir. If you are going to be so ridiculously stubborn about this, then I must resort to threats." Her expression softened. "Gideon, do stop carrying on so and be sensible."
"I am being sensible," he roared. "Eminently sensible. I am attempting to prevent further incidents such as the one that occurred today."
"There is no need to challenge Applegate. He is but a young man trying to play the gallant knight. Is that so very hard to understand and forgive?"
"Damnation, Harriet." Gideon raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated by her logic. Of course he understood that young Applegate was no great threat. It was the principle of the thing.