Two Months Later

Ernest Seton put the papers down and sat back in his chair.

“So, that’s all you’ve got laid out for Montgomery’s, is it?”

“It is.” Gabriel wished he didn’t feel like he needed to squirm in his chair. “What do you think, Mr Seton?”

Seton arched an eyebrow, a slight smile twitching at his mouth.

“For someone who hasn’t done anything in business before, you’ve certainly thought of everything. I have to admire your tenacity on this.”

Gabriel felt the weight lift off his shoulders. Cassandra had said he would be impressed, and she hadn’t been wrong. Gabriel was glad he had listened to her.

“Your daughter did help me on a lot of it, sir.”

“Oh?” Seton looked amused. “Did she now?”

“Cassie’s got a mind for business and I wasn’t about to ignore my wife.”

How could he ignore his wife? Cassandra was first and foremost in his mind no matter what he did. And just seeing her smile had Gabriel’s heart feeling lighter. The last two months had been the best he had experienced in a long time, especially after their wedding a month ago. Cassandra hadn’t wanted a big wedding, and Gabriel wasn’t interested on one either. He just wanted to have the woman he loved in his life, and that was it.

There had been no arguments with his parents about it, and even Percy was happy for him. Gabriel was still trying to patch things up with his brother, knowing that he would be on thin ice for a while. But Percy was coming around again, which was a relief. The only one out of their families that Gabriel had been truly worried about was Ernest Seton. His father-in-law was certainly a man to be reckoned with if you got on the wrong side of him, and Gabriel knew he wouldn’t approve.

Cassandra had made him promise to let her take care of it. It had taken a while – pretty much up until the morning of the wedding – before Seton gave in and agreed to give his blessing. He had come to realise that his daughter was getting married to someone who loved her and it would be happening whether or not he said so. Not exactly conventional, but Cassandra wasn’t conventional. Neither was Gabriel.

And he was determined to win his father-in-law over. Which was why he and Cassandra had come to her family home the day after they got back from their honeymoon with the business proposal they had spent a lot of their time drawing up. When they weren’t making love, that was.

Good going, Gabe. Getting an erection while talking about serious things with your father-in-law.

“I’ve never doubted Cassie’s ability to conduct things as she has,” Seton frowned. “Although I did question her sanity when she told me that she was getting married to you.”

“I think I questioned her sanity at times,” Gabriel admitted. “But your daughter is everything to me. She made me feel things I’ve never experienced before, turned me into a better person. I’m glad I decided to stop wallowing in self-pity and went after her.”

“From the way I saw my daughter all that week before you proposed, I think I’m relieved as well. I don’t want to see her as miserable as that again.”

That was a warning, and Gabriel knew he would be a fool to discard that. He nodded.

“Trust me, I know about that. I haven’t stopped grovelling even after that day she said yes.”

Seton chuckled.

“That’s Cassie. She will make you squirm at her own discretion. She’s made me do that many times, and I’m her father.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

Cassandra had told Seton everything. She had wanted to do it herself, telling Gabriel to keep away until Seton had stopped being angry. He hadn’t wanted to do that, but Cassandra asked her to trust him. So he did. Two months on, and a month after gaining a son-in-law, Seton seemed to be coming around to the idea. At least he knew that Cassandra would be well looked-after and that the man she had married loved her. That was all he had asked of her future husband.

Gabriel could give her everything, and more.

“She might forgive you eventually, Tattershall, but you’re going to have to grovel a lot longer for me to forgive you.”

Gabriel winced.

“I understand, Mr Seton.”

“Right.” Seton tapped the papers Gabriel had brought with him. “How’s the business going? I understand things are going well.”

“Really well, actually,” Gabriel smiled. “I found a few things a bit tough to handle in the beginning, but I’m into my stride now. It feels like I’ve really come home.”

“And now you’re back in your family fold, you’re not going to pass it on?”

“Not a chance, sir.”

That was when Seton smiled. And it reached his eyes. It was really good to see the softer side of the old man.

“Thomas Montgomery was exactly the same when he first started. He was like a child at Christmas. There were a lot of ups and downs, but he clearly loved his job. As do I.” His smile faded a little and Seton sighed. “When he died, it made me worry about my own mortality. Of what I had to leave behind. Not so much Seton’s, but my daughter as well. She’s everything to me. I didn’t want to see her alone.”

“I don’t think she would’ve been alone.”

“You haven’t met the rest of my family. No matter what I put in my will, they would have turned into leeches and made sure she was left with nothing. The world is cruel to women.”

Gabriel knew that much. Cassandra had spoken about that herself and how her family were awful outside of her father and aunt. Gabriel was certain that he didn’t want to meet any of them.

“Seton’s will be in good hands with Cassie in charge, Mr Seton, although I know it will be very unusual for a woman to be in charge of a gambling hall.”

“Which is why I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And I want to make you an offer.” Seton sat forward. “I’m going to Seton’s less and less recently. I’m beginning to realise that I need to take care of myself and not throw myself, and my health, into it all. I’m not retiring yet, just taking a step back. Just a few days every now and then instead of every single day.”

“Part-time, so to speak.”

“Precisely.” Seton glanced towards the door. “I’m going to let Cassie run things how she has before, but I want someone to be her champion. Someone to keep my relatives off her back and make sure she’s left alone to work her magic. Being married to her…well, that gives me one obvious choice.”

Gabriel blinked.

“You want me to be her champion?”

“Yes. Seton Hall is Cassie’s birthright, and as her husband, it’s now yours as well. Once I retire or, God forbid, I pass on, it will be yours entirely. Both of you and Cassie will own Seton’s.”

Gabriel stared. He knew how much being in charge of Seton Hall meant to Cassie. She was scared that once her father died, even if it had been left to her that it would be taken away by her greedy relatives. To have this sort of security would put her mind at rest. He swallowed, his mouth having gone dry.

“I…I don’t know what to say, Mr Seton.”

“Just treat my daughter like a princess and keep Seton’s afloat, that’s all I ask.”

“I promise you, I can do both of those things.”

Seton chuckled. Now his eyes were twinkling, the first time since Gabriel had been introduced to him as his son-in-law.

“Think you’ll be able to cope with my daughter being your business partner?”

Gabriel grinned.

“We can handle it. Not a problem.”

Five Months Later

Cassandra moaned as Gabriel thrust his erection into her. She didn’t care if anyone downstairs heard them. She wanted this. Needed this.

Gabriel groaned and rocked his hips, pressing himself even further into her. He lay on his side with Cassandra almost on her back, their legs tangled together with her leg over his hip. His thigh pressed against her swollen flesh, the friction sending shivers through her body. Everything just felt so more intense now.

Gabriel cupped her breast as his hips bucked and picked up the speed. Cassandra tightened her leg, digging her heel into his back as she urged him on. She could feel her pleasure rocketing up, and it was making her feel like her husband had set her on fire. She was grasping for it, but couldn’t quite find it.

Then Gabriel’s fingers pinched her nipple at the same time he gently bit her shoulder. And Cassandra felt everything explode. Lights flashed behind her eyes, and pleasure curled itself tightly low in her belly before it exploded. Waves just washed over her, and Cassandra could hardly keep up. She clutched onto Gabriel, his mouth swallowing her screams as he kissed her. His hips jerked a few times and then he growled his own climax, pressing in deep as he came.

It took a moment for Cassandra to come down from her high. She was really struggling to grasp onto anything; it was like she was floating. Gabriel wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder.

“Think you want to go back to work now?”

Cassandra giggled, closing her eyes as she soaked up the warmth in his embrace.

“Maybe later.”

When Gabriel had come in earlier, telling Cassandra that she needed to rest as she had been working almost all day, she had barely looked up as she scribbled in the accounts book. Things still needed to be done, and she was almost finished. Just a little more, and then she could go home. Why was Christmas always the busiest time of the year? Didn’t men believe in celebrating with their families?

She hadn’t even noticed what Gabriel was up to until Gabriel actively lifted her to her feet and away from the desk. He had laid out some fur rugs on the floor by the burning fire, along with a few pillows and a thick comforter. Cassandra had tried to protest that she needed to finish what she was doing, but Gabriel’s kisses had silenced her. Then when he started to undress her, all protests went out of her head.

Gabriel untangled himself from her legs and rolled Cassandra onto her back, looming over her as he kissed her.

“Much on your mind now?”

“A little bit. But nothing I can’t handle.”

“Care to share?” Gabriel waggled his eyebrows. “Seeing as I am here.”

Cassandra swatted his arm. Then she ran her hands over his shoulders. She would never get bored touching him.

“I saw Percy today. He said he would see you when he gets back from Dorset as he couldn’t catch you right then.”

“Dorset?” Gabriel blinked. “What’s he doing going down to Dorset?”

“I thought your grandparents lived down there.”

“They do, but we don’t see them often. They certainly don’t care for Percy.”

“Then why…?” Cassandra stared. “You think they’re planning something for him?”

“Sounds like it.” Gabriel frowned. “I wish he had found me. I might have been able to talk him out of it.”

“Well, Percy’s a grown man. He can look after himself. And I’m sure a few weeks away from Suffolk won’t go amiss.”

“I suppose.”

Cassandra smiled as her fingers danced over Gabriel’s collarbone. She could feel his body stirring again as she touched him.

“Emily’s certainly going to miss him.”

“Emily? Why her?”

“Come on, I know you’re not blind, Gabe. Emily’s in love with him. Was before you started trying to push me and your brother together.”

Gabriel stared.

“I never realised. That would explain why she’s been acting oddly lately whenever the two of them are in the same room.”

“You’ve not noticed that your brother is more than taken with her?”

“They’ve known each other for a long time, and you know what Percy’s like with women.”

That was the problem. Percy was still shy. He was the sweetest guy around, and yet he was still nervous about approaching any of them. Emily was equally nervous. She came off as a confident woman, but when it came to Percy Tattershall it was another matter. Cassandra knew her friend was scared of being rejected, thinking it would really hurt.

“You know,” She said as she rubbed her foot up Gabriel’s leg, “Maybe we should do something about that.”

“You what?” Gabriel’s eyes widened. “You’re not thinking about matching them, are you?”

“Well, you were determined to do it before, and that didn’t work out.” Cassandra brushed her hand down his back. “Maybe it’s time to brush up on your previous try.”

“Percy will kill me if I try to match him again.”

Even as he spoke, Gabriel was sliding down her body, kissing down her chest as he did. Cassandra gasped as he cupped her breasts and started lavishing his mouth over her sensitive skin.

“Don’t worry about that. He won’t even know that it’s happened.”

“He’d better not, or he really will kill me,” Gabriel gave her a sly grin as he slid further down her body. “Now, are you going to keep talking, or am I going to have to find a way to stop you talking?”

“I’m sure you…” Cassandra broke off with a gasp as his mouth pressed between her legs.

He had certainly found a way to stop her talking.

THE END

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