Beast and Beatrice

Chapter twenty-one- Beatrice

  Once again, Beatrice found herself lost in Gilbert's kisses. She forgot all the aches and pains from yesterdays efforts. She forgot about her nieces and nephew and how they were depending on her to support them all. She even forgot her own name. He whole being was focused on the passion raging between them. Mr. Narwhal and his persistent attempts to compromise her were shallow and clumsy compared to Gilbert's expert kisses. Beatrice sighed in pure pleasure and settled in for the duration. She really could kiss him forever.

  She drew in a breath and caught the unmistakable acrid scent of soot and ash. The brilliance of the sky overhead, the warmth of the day, the soft murmurs of the crowd attempted to intrude on her conscience. She was reminded of yesterday. Rescuing the children, finding Sissy dead, escaping the inferno only to return with a group of villagers to fight the blaze.

  When she first awoke to find Gilbert laying by her side, she almost thought they were back at his castle again. She had wanted nothing more than to cuddle up close to him and breathe in his unique male scent. But of course, her bladder had put an abrupt halt to those thoughts. Then, after taking care of that little problem, she'd returned to find him surrounded by a crowd of giggling children. She could not blame them for their fascination. He had been snoring rather loudly, and even she was amazed at the volume he could achieve.

  But all she'd wanted to do was to shoo them all away so that she could have Gilbert all to herself. What she hadn't considered was Gilbert's impish sense of humor and how he would react when she scolded him for encouraging the children. He had taken her by surprise when he tugged her into his arms, but she found she didn't mind. Now, she was exactly where she had truly wanted to be. Right where she belonged. Lost in the passionate wonder of Gilbert's warm embrace.

  It was the sound of childish giggles and whispering that finally yanked her back to reality. She pulled away from those pleasurable lips and blinked owlishly at her nieces, her nephew, and several of their new little friends.

"Now they will simply have to get married." Martine asserted confidently.

  Beatrice jolted with surprise. Marriage? She immediately whipped back around to find Gilbert still grinning at her, unfazed by their little audience and Martine's bold pronouncement.

  How could he just sit there, looking for all the world as if he was enjoying the moment? Why wasn't he as upset by this mistaken assumption as she was? Didn't he realize the dilemma this placed them in?

  The man couldn't have heard that comment about marriage. He continued to sit there, smiling up at her, deviltry dancing in his eyes. He certainly was pleased with himself. Then he raised his eyebrows at her, as if asking her something. Beatrice's eyes widened further in shocked realization.

"You can't be serious." She told him, denying the sudden excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. It couldn't be. He couldn't want to marry her. "We barely know each other."

  Gilbert nodded in agreement and then raised his hands, palms up, and shrugged his massive shoulders.

"But we can not possibly get married." She insisted.

"But he kissed you, Aunt Bea." Felicia pointed out with irrefutable logic.

"And you slept together. He has to marry you." Teddy insisted.

"That's right. He has to marry you." Martine chimed in, not to be outdone by her siblings.

  Beatrice turned to shush the children and scold them for their interference, but Gilbert grasped her chin and pulled her attention back to him. He softly caressed the stray curls off her face, and she realized that somewhere along the way, she had lost her bonnet. Her hair must be a mess. She hadn't done anything more than slide her fingers through it and plait the length of it into a casual braid before they left the castle last evening. Automatically, her hands went to check the condition of her curls. But the movement halted almost before it began.