“That is to be determined,” Gabriel replied, annoyance evident in his tone. “Fainting dead away in my arms is an alarming event.”

“I’m sure I’m not the first woman to do so, my lord.” Celia thought injecting a bit of humor into the situation would ease Gabriel’s worry. She was mistaken.

Brow furrowed, his expression turned dark as a thunderstorm. “I’ve never cared for another woman the way I care about you, Celia.” His hand cupped her chin. “You will allow the doctor to examine you. I must know that you are well. That the demands I’ve made upon you these past few weeks have not damaged you. If this is a result of something I’ve done…”

Something unknown glittered in the depths of his eyes with that abrupt confession. Possessiveness, yes, but it mingled with something undefinable. It was warm and beautifully entrancing and capable of melting Celia’s willpower to resist his commands.

She became lightheaded, exhilaration and amazement swooping about her stomach with the uplifting force of a thousand fluttery butterflies. Her heart tightened painfully but not from fear. This was much bigger. More encompassing and empowering. It both weakened her and made her invincible. A paradox of emotions. Two sides of the same coin. Soft and yet unyielding. Giving and taking. The conqueror and the sacrifice. Light and dark. She was all that at once. A perfect match for a man like Gabriel because he was all those things and more.

The realization that she loved him hit Celia with the sudden clarity of a lightning bolt. It was stunning how it rolled over her, leaving her a pile of mush in his hands. Easily bent to his will and desires. Eager to do whatever he asked of her, no matter how infuriating or silly she thought it might be.

“Please,” Gabriel added, and Celia melted even further, the terror over Bryan Flannigan’s sudden reappearance in her life easing when his thumb rubbed gently over her bottom lip. “Do this for me, sugarplum. Let me take care of you.”

“Most likely, it is simple exhaustion stemming from recent events in your life. I understand you only recently married, my lord?”

“Two weeks ago,” Gabriel replied.

The physician smiled knowingly. “Ah, then that explains it. I see this many times with newly married wives. I would not worry over much, Lord Rosenthorne. Your wife appears to be in perfect health.”

Gabriel eyed the doctor with a critical stare. “Are you positive? I’ll not have her fainting again only to have you diagnose some malady.”

“I’m quite sure,” the doctor said in a jovial manner. “Your concern is unfounded, my lord. I’ve found women faint on a regular basis. Perhaps it is on account of their fragile constitutions, but the condition always resolves itself rather quickly. Lady Rosenthorne is no different than my other patients with the same complaints.”

Celia refrained from a rather biting comment. She and her “fragile” constitution would like very much to kick the good doctor in the shin. The man was quite handsome and surprisingly young for his profession. No doubt, there were many women who “needed” his medical expertise. He was definitely a charmer, but for all his popularity in treating members of the ton, the man knew nothing about her, nor what she’d endured in the past. She was far from being a frail, brittle creature.