He watched Celia’s reaction as he approached and knelt before her.

“Shall I?” he murmured, studying her through the sweep of his dark lashes. Celia bit her lip and gingerly placed her foot on his bended knee. Even through the fabric of his trousers and the silk of her stockings, she felt the muscles in his leg. They were hard beneath the arch of her foot, and Celia nearly curled her toes with pleasure when his hand encircled her ankle while sliding the shoe into place.

It was so erotic and yet so simple a thing. The way he silently slid the strap into place around her ankle and fastened the dainty buckle, his large, blunt fingers surprisingly dexterous when it came to the delicately wrought mechanism. The corners of his mouth lifted as he adjusted the bow, apparently amused by the whimsical detail, and then reached for her other foot to repeat the process.

“I hope to see these same shoes at some point in a far more intimate setting,” he said in a low voice, his hand lingering on the angular lines of her ankle. He caressed the fragile bones for a heartbeat of a moment. “In fact, I would like to see you wearing these and nothing else. Would you like that, too, sugarplum?”

Celia’s eyes fluttered shut at the scandalous image his words conjured in her mind. Yes. Yes, she would like that very much.

“All done, then. Thank you, Lord Rosenthorne.” Mrs. Frazer’s cheery voice interrupted the quiet, heated magic of the moment.

Celia blinked, realizing Gabriel had already risen to his feet and now waited for her to accept his hand. His smile was a crooked grin, his eyes raking her from head to toe as she stood and slipped her hand into his. The warmth of his grip soaked into her senses. She relaxed, the tension seeping away as he tugged her closer. The delicious scent of his cologne drifted over her in a subtle cloud of evergreen and spice.

“Come along, Lady Celia. It is our very first appearance as an officially engaged couple, and everyone is eager to see how we handle this new phase of our relationship.”

Word spread quickly of Celia and Gabriel’s hastily announced engagement and their impending marriage. And news of Gabriel’s inheritance traveled even faster. It was the main topic of conversation at supper. Ivy gleefully said the reveal of a secret romance was being swooned over, and many society hostesses were planning their guest lists to include the ton’s newest couple.

Celia suspected it was just a matter of time before the news reached her brother. Knowing Tristan, he would surely intercede on her behalf. And while she thought he had a healthy respect for Gabriel in the limited capacity of their acquaintance, it would hardly stop him from attempting a rescue of his dearest baby sister.

But was that truly what she wanted now? Rescue? Was that scenario even possible after she’d revealed her terrible secret to Gabriel? It wasn’t. And she knew for a certainty she would become Gabriel’s wife. Momentum had grown to the point where there was no backing out of it now.