Page 65 of A Winter Scandal

“What? Oh.” Her eyes widened a little, but she moved quickly to do as he said, straddling him and lowering her body over him until she felt the springing thrust of his maleness against her. Reaching down, she took him in her hand once again, guiding him into her. The sensitive flesh throbbed at the touch of his hardness, and she moved the tip of his manhood against her, tormenting them both in the most delightful way. She eased down slowly, then pulled back up, exploring each new sensation she created. The exquisite friction tantalized, delighted, beckoned, and promised.

He moved beneath her, pushed almost to the breaking point, and then his hands clamped on her hips, and he lifted up, slamming into her with hard, fierce thrusts. Thea matched his rhythm, the dark, tumultuous pleasure driving her ever closer. At last it exploded, sweeping them both over the edge and into the dark chasm of pleasure.

Thea was not sure how long she lay there, her head pillowed on Gabriel’s broad chest, half-asleep and utterly at peace, before a wail sounded from the bedroom, breaking the peace. She felt the rumble of Gabriel’s laughter beneath her ear.

“At least we can rest assured that the cold did not harm his lungs.” Gabriel eased out from beneath her and stood up, grabbing his breeches and pulling them on. “I’ll get him.”

Thea rose, too, wrapping the cover around her once more, and followed him into the bedroom. Gabriel picked Matthew up, and his crying stopped immediately, the tears turning to a smile. Thea had long since given up being astonished by Gabriel’s seemingly magical effect on the baby. After all, she had experienced Gabriel’s charm, as well. While Gabriel whisked the baby out into the main room of the cottage, Thea dressed.

She ran her hands through her hair, wishing she had a brush or comb. She started to braid it, but stopped, Gabriel’s words going through her head, and she let her hair fall back down. She leaned in close to the mirror to look at herself. Could Gabriel really find her beautiful? Was that tumble of reddish-brown curls really appealing? Did he see something in her level gray gaze that other men did not?

Thea tilted her head to one side and then the other. She could not help but think that she did look different today—her skin had a glow, her features a softness, that she was not sure had ever before been there. Could happiness make one prettier? If so, she should be stunning, for she was certain that she had never before felt the singing joy that filled her now.

She supposed that she should feel guilty and sinful, but Thea could not. She had experienced something she had never thought she would, and it had been far more wonderful than she could ever have imagined. The joy might be brief; Thea was far too realistic not to admit that within a few weeks or even days, Gabriel would likely be gone from here—perhaps taking Matthew with him. But however short this happy moment was, Thea intended to enjoy it. And if sorrow followed, so be it. Good things rarely came for free, in her experience.

Gabriel was feeding the baby at the table when Thea joined them. She picked up the spectacles that she had left on the table the night before and settled them on her nose. Gabriel looked up at her and smiled, and Matthew followed suit. Despite the difference in their coloring, Thea could see the resemblance between them, and she could not help but think that the child must be his sister’s. But she could not understand why his sister would have abandoned the baby. Knowing Gabriel as she did now, she could not think that Jocelyn would have thought Gabriel would be angry or punitive.

“Why did that man steal Matthew?” Thea asked, following the train of her thoughts. “Who was he?”

“I have no idea.” Gabriel tore another piece of bread from the piece before him and dipped it in milk, then offered it to the baby. Matthew grabbed it and shoved it in his mouth, bouncing as if to some inner tune. “I did not get a very good look at him as we fought, but he certainly didn’t look familiar. Why would anyone steal an abandoned baby?”

“It makes no sense,” Thea agreed, reaching out and tearing off a little chunk of bread to pop in her own mouth. “Perhaps someone stole the baby from him and he was taking it back.”

“But if he had a legitimate claim to the child, he wouldn’t have crept in and grabbed it from your house in the middle of the night. Rawdon was right in saying that the child’s father could take the baby legally. The argument makes even more sense given that Matthew was abandoned. Most people would happily turn a foundling over to anyone who appeared to claim him.”

“True. So I would not think he is Matthew’s father.”

“No.”

Thea looked at Gabriel. “Do you still think that Lord Rawdon is his father?”

Gabriel sighed. “I don’t know what to think. I don’t even know if my sister is his mother.”

“I was just thinking that he looked a bit like you.”

“Does he now?” Gabriel gazed down at the child, tilting his head consideringly. Matthew chose that moment to purse his lips and blow out milky air bubbles, making Gabriel and Thea laugh. “Obviously he has my sophisticated charm.”

“Indeed.”

More seriously, Gabriel said, “I feel as if … as if he is connected to me. But perhaps I am merely being foolish. If he is Jocelyn’s, ’tis hard for me to believe the father was someone other than her fiancé. Obviously Rawdon was not the man who stole Matthew—still, I suppose he could have hired the fellow to do so.”

“But you just said that he would not need to. He could take him from you in court.”

“True.” Gabriel sighed, obviously reluctant to give up the idea. “No, I think Rawdon must not have had a hand in taking Matthew. But that does not mean he is not the father. A large number of men have no interest in claiming their by-blows. Still, given the enmity between us, I would think he would take his child simply because I do not want him to.”

“Perhaps the kidnapper took the baby from your sister—or whoever his mother is—and was asking for a ransom for him. But then somehow the baby wound up at St. Margaret’s, and he was trying to steal him back.”

“So he stole the baby from his mother, then someone stole it from him, and then that someone abandoned the child in the manger of an empty church?”

Thea made a face. “Well, if you put it that way …” She shrugged. “I am not sure we are ever going to understand what happened with Matthew.”

“You may be right.” Gabriel wiped the baby’s mouth and stood up, putting him to his shoulder and patting his back. He strolled over to the window as he talked. “But I intend to make certain that no one has a chance to steal him again.”

“I will keep him with me in my room every night from now on. And I will make sure that not only is the door to our house locked, but also the door to my bedchamber.”

“I shall have one of my men standing watch at night, as well. Not that one you bullied so easily. Peter, I think; he seems made of sterner stuff.”

“A guard? Really, Gabriel, that won’t be necessary, surely.”