Wonderland By Night (Heroic Rogues Series) Read online

He growled, his brown eyes boring into hers. Fear grasped her as her blood turned cold. Upsetting him was the last thing she wanted to do, especially now that they were becoming friends. She needed to think of something to change his attitude quickly—or at least make him smile.

  * * * *

  Unrest roiled in Gabe’s stomach. He hated to be bested. He especially hated to be bested by this slip of a woman. Determination settled in his bones. There was no way he was going to lose a horse race to a woman. Even in her outdated riding habit—that actually fit her better than the other dresses had—she was all woman, soft and desirable. Excitement flushed her face, causing her eyes to twinkle like stars. Lips soft and red, turned up in a smile.

  When she laughed, her whole face lit up with enthusiasm. Of course now she wore a panicked expression. Probably because she sensed his irritation. Sighing deeply, he smiled, which made the smile return to her pretty face.

  “Emmie? Would you please not call me Mr. Lawrence? I would prefer you use my given name. Gabe.”

  The laughter disappeared quickly from her face as she lost her smile. Her forehead creased. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “Because all of my friends call me Gabe.”

  “And you consider me amongst your friends?”

  His grin widened. “Yes. Don’t you?”

  The corners of her mouth lifted as if she fought back a full smile. “Well, I...um, all right, Gabe,” she ended, giving him her full smile once more.

  “Much better, thank you. And now since we are friends, it is only decent of you to let me have another chance at winning. So if you will play honestly during our next race, I would like to prove to you that I’m as admirable as you are.”

  She laughed lightly. “Play honestly? When was I not playing honestly? I will have you know I am quite ethical when sporting.”

  “But you got a head start.”

  When she laughed, her eyes danced with merriment. “No. I think you held yourself back because I’m a woman.”

  “And what if I did?”

  “I don’t want you to hold back this time. I want you to push yourself to the limit.”

  Suddenly, an idea took root, and he held back the mischievous spark of energy within. “Would you care to make a wager on our little race, then?”

  One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in question. “What did you have in mind, kind Sir?”

  He couldn’t believe what he had in mind, but he would definitely not tell her about his improper thoughts. She’d certainly not conform to something so personal, so what wager could he make? “All right, I have it. If I win, I will require you to dress like a woman for an entire week.”

  She gasped. “Are you jesting?”

  “No. I’m quite earnest.”

  “You don’t think I dress like a woman now?”

  “Well, let me rephrase that. I want you to dress a little more…what’s the word… appealing.”

  She released an unlady-like snort. “Appealing? My gowns aren’t appealing?”

  “Let me clarify a little better. I want you to wear gowns that fit you and I want to see your hair styled like a young woman your age would fix her hair. You dress as if you are an old woman.”

  “All right, I understand now. So what if I win? Are you going to wear a bath towel all week for me?”

  He howled with laughter. This tiny woman certainly knew how to keep him on his toes. She had a quick wit, and he adored it. “Is that what you want to see me in?”

  “No. I was just making a comparison.”

  “All right, I will do anything but wear a bath towel.”

  Leaning forward on her horse, she studied him in quiet deliberation. What wild wager would she require? Would he play along? He was sure he would, especially if he won. Seeing her wearing lovely dresses would give her more of a mature look...more alluring. Most of the time she looked out of place anyway.

  Finally, she smiled wide. “If I win, for an entire week you have to treat me as if I’m a princess.”

  He chuckled. “How can I treat any woman like a princess if she’s wearing baggy and plain dresses with her hair wound so tight?”

  “I suppose you will just have to try.”

  He remained silent for a second, staring at her stubborn, yet pretty face. He didn’t plan on losing, so he would agree. “I will take your challenge. If you win, I will treat you like a princess, but if I win, you will have to wear enticing women’s dresses for an entire week.” He reached out his hand to seal the bargain. “Shall we close the arrangement with a handshake?”

  She smiled, slipping her small hand into his and giving it one good squeeze. “Yes, we have an accord.”

  Lining their horses up, they prepared for the race.

  “On your mark...get set...” He started the countdown.

  “Go,” she yelled and took off. Gabe was prepared for her trickery and wasn’t far behind. He laughed. She really wasn’t being dishonest, just sneaky.

  The thoroughbreds ran neck to neck along the countryside. At times, Gabe was ahead, but then discouragingly, Emiline always seemed to catch up. Then, at a point, she broke ahead of him, but soon enough he caught up. Obviously, she was determined to win, but so was he. And he’d never lost a horse race to a woman. Then again, he couldn’t recall if he’d ever been in a horse race with a woman since he didn’t know many women who didn’t ride sidesaddle.

  But Emmie was definitely not like most women.

  One mile away at the stream was their ending point, and both of them reached the bank at the same time. By the time he pulled his horse to a stop, he laughed merrily, and she joined in.

  Gabe dismounted first and moved to help her down. “You surprise me, Emmie. I have never known a woman who could maneuver a horse as well as you.” He took her small waist and lifted her down from the horse slowly.

  “Thank you, Sir. That’s quite a compliment coming from you.”

  Still holding her waist, he stared down into her huge eyes. Excitement shot through him. He became breathless standing so close. The yearning to kiss her again spread through him like wildfire. The sudden spark of heat confused him, so he released her and stepped back.

  Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself from the brief contact. “So, now what do we do in this situation?”

  Her eyes widened. “What situation?”

  “The race. We tied, you know.”

  She blew out a gush of air and smiled. “Yes, the tie. I don’t know. I have never tied before. I’m usually the person who wins.”

  He chuckled. “You are very good—for being a woman.” Amazed, he shook his head. “But what I think is done in situations like this is that we both have to pay the consequences.”

  “What? You still expect me to adorn myself as an enticing woman?”

  He nodded. “Yes, just as I will treat you like a princess for a whole week.”

  Emiline bit her bottom lip as silence stretched between them for a few seconds. “I think you are getting the better end of our wager.”

  He chuckled. “No. I think you are. Can you imagine what my uncle, aunt, and cousin will think when they see me treating you as if you are royalty?” He laughed harder. “Just think about what Lady Sarah will do.”

  A frown quickly touched her mouth. “I will explain things to her so she understands.”

  He turned away and walked to the water. “Is it really difficult for you to dress that way?” He bent and plucked a long weed from out of the grass.

  “Hard for me?” Her laugh sounded forced. “I will have you know—” She stopped suddenly, biting her lower lip.

  He received the impression she was about to divulge a secret. Now he wanted her to continue. “Go on,” he encouraged.

  “Um, I will have you know that...well, that I do know how to dress that way.” She walked to him. “I have been Lady Sarah’s companion for a couple of years and I have watched her closely. I know I could dress as she does, but I have chosen not to. My father was not very strict with me as a c
hild, and he let me traipse around the estate doing things only a boy would do.”

  Chuckling softly, he shook his head. “And Lady Sarah still wanted you for her lady’s companion?”

  A flicker of hurt flashed through her eyes and her expression sobered. She lifted her chin stubbornly. “As I told you before, we were friends and she wanted to help me out by giving me the position as her companion.”

  He didn’t mean to hurt her, just thought he was stating the obvious. He touched the long weed to the end of her cute little nose. “You must have done fabulously because look at Lady Sarah now.”

  Pushing the weed away from her face, she walked passed him toward the stream. “I thank you, I think.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, that was a compliment.”

  She knelt by the stream and ran her fingers through the water. Leaning against the tree near her, Gabe studied her, wondering why she’d suddenly become quiet. The gentle breeze lifted the wavy strands of her hair that had miraculously escaped her tight bun. He traveled his gaze further to her ears and neck, which was actually beginning to tempt him to lean down and kiss her skin. Strange how hard it was to hold back from doing so.

  As he studied her, he realized she would have been the hit of London if she were a real lady. If she arranged her hair the right way and wore elegant dresses that fit, she would indeed make one very beautiful woman. She carried herself as a lady and talked as one, too, which was quite surprising, but then he suspected it was because she had been around the duke’s daughter for a few years. Strange, but Lady Sarah didn’t speak as eloquently as her companion, nor did she carry herself as well. Yet Emmie was the one who was poor relation. Very confusing.

  Emiline’s pretty eyes were surrounded by dark thick lashes, almost making them resemble butterfly wings. Soft skin and high cheekbones made her face appear more delicate. Indeed, she was one very handsome woman. Then again, so was Lady Sarah, yet… There was something not quite right, and he couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

  “Emmie?”

  She didn’t take her eyes off the water. “Yes?”

  “I was just wondering about something.”

  “What is that?”

  Curiosity got the better of him and he just had to ask. “Why do you know more and seem more educated than Lady Sarah? You mentioned earlier you rode a stallion, yet once when I was with Lady Sarah, she said she had never been on one before. Can you tell me why this is?”

  Her hand froze in the water, and her body stiffened. Now he knew she had a secret.

  Chapter Seven

  Emiline cursed under her breath. Dare she weave more into her web of lies? Or could she trust him with the truth? As much as she wanted to trust him, the simple fact was that she didn’t know Gabe very well at all. She didn’t know the Hampton’s, either. Would they frown upon her father’s decision of wanting to keep his daughter’s identity hidden? She doubted they would understand.

  Steadying her heartbeat, she turned and looked up at him. She thought back to the story Anna had told him about Lady Sarah, and Emmie knew she couldn’t give him that story. She presented Gabe with a sweet smile. “I was born here in the colonies to a struggling farmer and his sickly wife. My mother died when I was young, and my father raised me to help him around the farm. When he became ill and couldn’t make a living, that is when he sent a letter to his distant cousin—Lady Sarah’s father—to ask for help. The duke agreed to have me come to England to be his daughter’s companion until she married. So I suppose you can say I received the best of both worlds while growing up.”

  Gabe’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “That certainly explains why you can ride a horse so well astride.”

  She nodded. “Exactly.”

  He knelt beside her, touching the weed to the tip of her nose again. “I suppose that’s what makes you so special.”

  “Riding a horse astride makes me special?”

  “No, being raised the way you were.”

  She gazed back into his eyes, and for some reason, she couldn’t look away. A few minutes ago, his jabbing remarks about Lady Sarah’s feelings really irritated Emiline, and yes, jealousy crept into her mind. Now his kind words were like sweet honey, and suddenly, there was a magnetic pull to him.

  She didn’t reply to his comment. She couldn’t. Trapped in his mesmerizing gaze, her heart hammered faster, shooting vibrations through her insides until they threatened to melt. Something needed to stop or she’d soon find herself swooning into his arms.

  He slowly slid the tip of the weed down the bridge of her nose to drop on her lips, his eyes following the path. Automatically, she parted her lips and the tip of the weed rested on her lower lip. The urge to kiss him became strong and she wanted to bring back the heated excitement flowing through her when he had kissed her before.

  This wasn’t right, her mind argued. But the tingling in her body countered, reminding her how incredible his arms had felt around her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get involved with a man like him. Her father wouldn’t approve of an untitled man for her to marry.

  She forced herself to stand and move away from him, clearing her throat. “So, is this the only part of the countryside you are going to show me?”

  For a minute, she thought he looked disappointed, but instantly the expression was gone. Could he have wanted to kiss her, too? Probably not. Those fantasies were only in her mind.

  “You want to see more?”

  She nodded.

  “Come. I will show you more. I will show my Lady Princess anything her lovely heart desires.” He grinned and bowed slightly.

  She chuckled, as giddiness consumed her once again. “It would be unscrupulous to start our wager now since I am not adorned in a dress.”

  He scratched his head, his gaze roaming over her length. The familiar chills danced over her skin, bringing back her erratic heartbeat. She tried pushing the feelings aside, but the way his mouth lifted in a grin made her heart sing.

  “If you wish, we could always go back to the estate and let you change.”

  “No. Let us just continue on our way. We shall start the wager tomorrow.”

  “That’s a grand idea.” He nodded and held out his hand for her to take. “Then let us be on our way.”

  He helped her to her horse and set her atop of the mare, even though she repeatedly told him she didn’t need his help. She realized just how much she missed being treated like a lady. This time, she made certain she didn’t show him so much of her legs when she adjusted on the saddle.

  They rode everywhere, at least it seemed like everywhere for her. She had never seen so much land without farms or houses occupying the space. Everything was so green. Red, violet, yellow, and pink flowers sprinkled the fields like a rainbow. She adored every second she was out here with Gabe.

  Once in a while, he stopped and pointed to something and told her a little history behind the object. It amazed her how educated he was, and it pleased her more than it should.

  They came upon acres of wild flowers and stopped to eat a bite of what the cook had packed for him. She was grateful the cook prepared for a big appetite, because there was enough food for both of them. After eating, she walked around the field looking at the different types of flowers, some she had never seen before. She thought it rather funny that he knew the names of every flower. Were men in this country required to know such things or was Gabe just extraordinary?

  Soon, they rode away from the field and through a few villages. The people waved and greeted them, some even asked if she and Gabe would like to come into their homes for a cup of tea, but he refused for the both of them.

  She conversed easily with Gabe, and she liked how being in his presence comforted her. Not once did their topic turn intimate, and she was grateful that her body didn’t react with heated tingles anymore.

  It wasn’t until the sun began to disappear behind the horizon when she realized the lateness in the day. “Oh, heavens.” She pulled her horse to a stop. “Do you realize what time it i
s?”

  “Not until now,” he replied.

  “How far away are we from your uncle’s estate?”

  Gabe chuckled. “Far enough away for me to know we will not be able to get home before dark.”

  The mere idea of them alone together in the moonlight made her panic. After all, she was a lady and had been taught the importance of decorum. “Whatever shall we do?”

  He remained silent as she surveyed their surroundings. “If I’m not mistaken, I believe there’s another village just west of here that will have an inn for us to lodge.”

  “And what if you are mistaken?”