With a sharp intake of breath, she whirled around, her eyes widening in terror. She let out a scream as the lightning illuminated a tall, dark figure mere feet away.
The figure rushed through the downpour, eliciting more screams from her, swiftly closing the distance to where she stood, her voice lost in the wind.
“Stop yelling, it’s only me!” The man’s urgent words pierced the chaos, his hand reaching out to grasp both sides of her arms gently but firmly.
As a bolt of lightning split the sky, revealing his features, Evelina’s initial fear melted into recognition. It was Gabriel. His familiar voice was a balm to her frayed nerves, his face a welcome sight.
Still reeling from the shock of his sudden appearance, she managed to raise her voice above the howling wind. “What are you doing here?”
“What areyoudoing here?” he asked back incredulously.
Despite the rain pelting them, the intensity of the storm seemed to fade into the background, a familiar tension rising between them.
With Gabriel’s hands still firmly holding her arms, Evelina became acutely aware of the tingling sensation spreading through her body. Conflicting emotions swirled within her as she hesitated, torn between the instinct to pull away and the inexplicable desire to remain in his grasp.
Uncertain of what to say next, her gaze dropped to the rain-soaked ground, the silence between them heavy.
Gabriel seemed upset as he pulled on her arm gently. “Come with me, we must go back inside immediately,” his voice, filled with urgency , broke through the storm’s cacophony.
The rain continued to pour down relentlessly as Evelina met his gaze, her voice loud as she spoke, “I cannot go back inside yet, Your Grace.”
Her eyes flickered sheepishly towards Whiskers, who had been barking only a moment ago and had ceased only when she stopped screaming.
The presence of the animal, once hidden from the duke, was now exposed, and not only just by the glow of the lightning.
Gabriel followed her gaze, his expression unreadable as he said, “Leave the dog and come inside with me, now.”
His words held a sense of urgency, a desire to protect her that caused her heart to race.
However, Evelina response was unwavering as she shook her head gently. “I cannot. Eliza will be worried.”
“Eliza will understand. Come inside, Evelina,” Gabriel insisted, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.
Yet, Evelina stood her ground. “It’s the dog she found, and she wishes to keep it. She would fret if she woke up and found it harmed or gone. I also fear that she would come out to search for the animal.”
“So, what is it that you intend to do? Wait out here in case she steps out?” There was a heavy irritation as Gabriel scoffed. The rain continued to drench them both as his eyes bored into hers with disbelief, his voice edged with frustration. “Are you planning to stay here in the rain because of the animal?”
Evelina’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. as she admitted, “No, I was trying to think of a solution before you arrived, Your Gra?—”
“I do not care for excuses,” he growled, cutting her off abruptly. “We shall catch a cold out here. Come inside with me.”
“Stop treating me like a child!” Evelina snapped, wriggling out of his grasp. “What is your problem?”
“Me?!” Gabriel retorted sharply, his temper flaring, “What isyourproblem?! Why must you always argue? Can you not just listen for once? Why must you be soinfuriating?”
As thunder boomed overhead, Evelina’s frustration boiled over, her voice rising higher with heat. “Perhaps if you didn’t bark orders at me and disregard my opinions, we wouldn’t argue!”
A strained and angry cackle rang out from Gabriel’s lips amidst the pouring rain, “There you go again, talking back! Must you always defy my words?” His tone was laced with exasperation as he continued to yell, “I’m furious about many things at the moment, but what vexes me most is that you’re indanger of falling ill, and you’re still notlisteningto me!”
Evelina steadied herself, and her brows furrowed in a deep, angry frown as she yelled back again, her voice cutting through the sound of thunder and rain. “What you need to understand is that I do not have to listen to you! I’m under no obligation to obey your commands if they don’t pertain to Eliza’s studies! You mean nothing to me! And I am nothing to you, Your Grace! You cannot just talk?—”
Gabriel stepped forward, gently grabbing her arms gently once again and pulling her towards him. An electric current shot through her as she felt his lips on hers, and she gasped. She could practically taste his anger on his lips. But it wasn’t just that. She could feel his longing too.
As the kiss deepened, Evelina initially shocked, felt herself melting into his embrace, her arms instinctively finding their place around his neck.
Gabriel’s hands, gentle and firm, expertly slid down her arms to her waist, pulling her closer to him and fueling their desire.
The rain soaked into their clothes, yet Evelina felt everything but cold. The rain tasted sweeter on his lips, and she couldn’t get enough.
