'I'm completely infatuated with this man...' Gabrielle thought to herself. She wouldn't have been waiting there, like that, for him if she weren't. Her eyelids shut over her blue eyes, and she lay back on the sheepskin rug, feeling the soft plush of the rug crush into her skin, imagining the warmth from the fireplace was his body warming hers. She raked her fingers through her long, dark curls to sweep them out of her face as she opened her eyes to check the clock on the wall above the mantle; still another hour and a half before he was expected to arrive. She reached to lift the wineglass off of the hearth and brought it to her rouged lips. She took a few sips, leaving a shadow of the full shape of her lips on the rim of the glass. Breathing deeply, she smelled the candles she had recently lit in the room, and closed her eyes again as her thoughts turned to him. Her body shivered as her hands slid over the thin fabric of her gown, across her stomach and over the curve of her hip, imagining it was his hands touching her.
She was accustomed to being treated with respect by men; the early 1900s were not a primitive time, but not many 23-year-old females managed a plantation, and she did so marvelously. Most men, however, made her feel awkward, as though she made them uncomfortable. This man, though... Robert made her feel like an equal; he seemed perfectly comfortable discussing any business matter with her. Yet he always went out of his way to treat her like a lady; opening doors, pulling out her chair, standing when she walked into a room. And, God, his smile...
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The first time she met Robert, she had traveled to England to discuss an export/import agreement with his father, Mr. Hudson, who was interested in the profit her cotton was promising. Upon her arrival, she was met not by Mr. Hudson, but by a younger man, though still around 10 years her senior. He introduced himself as Robert Hudson, Mr. Hudson's son, and expressed his apologies for his father's inability to meet her; he had been called away by a family emergency, but such was his interest in Gabrielle's proposal that he asked Robert to stay behind to discuss the details.
"Hello, Mr. Hudson. I'm Gabrielle Lee. Pleased to meet you." Gabrielle said, confused by the amused expression that began snaking across Robert's face.
"Mr. Hudson is my father, Mrs. Lee. Please call me Robert." he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
"It's Miss Lee. Or Gabrielle. I'm sorry, sir, have I said something funny?" she asked, slightly irritated.
"No, Miss Lee, I'm sorry. It's just... your accent..." he began.
"My accent?" she cried, bursting into laughter. "I've barely understood two out of three words since I've been here!"
And so began the easy rapport they developed. Robert insisted they have their meetings over dinner, and they always stayed for hours talking every night, with barely half being spent discussing business matters. She knew the gossips of this small English town were likely talking about her every morning; it was scandalous, a young unmarried American woman staying all hours of the night at the home of this respectable gentleman, and then boldly leaving every night in the small hours before dawn, as though nothing was amiss. She didn't care; they stayed up all night and talked to each other, relating to things that were so similar on both sides of the ocean, and laughing about the small differences. He made her laugh and made her comfortable. She relished the feeling.
Late one night in the Hudson home's library, they were sitting together on a sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace, discussing the last details of the agreement. She was actually trying to draw it out, dreading a return to her dull life back at home. When they had finally reached a conclusion that was profitable enough for both involved parties, Robert mentioned that his father would like him to travel to Georgia to see Gabrielle's plantation first-hand and deliver the final papers to be signed. Her heart leapt, and it was then she realized she was falling for this man. Gazing into his eyes, she saw that he recognized the emotion within her, and her heart felt like it would explode as he leaned toward her.
She felt his hands on both sides of her face a moment before his lips found hers. The passion coursed through his body, and she parted her lips to kiss him back. She surrendered to the moment, raising her arms to wrap around him. He slipped his hands from her face, down her neck and over her shoulders. His hands lingered for a moment on the front of her dress, resting on her heaving breasts, then slid to her hips, pulling her close to him. Her body melted into his. This was everything she'd ever hoped for. After the long, unexpected kiss, they drew apart, both breathing rapidly.
"I, um, I'll look forward to seeing you in Georgia in a few weeks, then," she stammered, straightening her hair and her dress as she stood, unable to keep the smile from playing across her lips.
