FRAN
***
Laura sat uncomfortably close to the door of the motor carriage, her body angled away from Gabriel, who occupied the opposite end of the backseat. The rain outside beat a steady rhythm against the carriage, the downpour adding to her tension. Gabriel’s sly glances did nothing to ease her discomfort. He seemed to take a perverse pleasure in her unease, his eyes lingering on her exposed knees with a predatory gleam—and those were just the knees!
“You don’t have to be so stiff with me,” Gabriel remarked, his voice smooth, playful and almost too casual. He reached out, his hand aiming for her lap.
Laura’s reaction was immediate. She spanked his arm away with a sharp slap, her eyes blazing with irritation. “Don’t touch me. I have lovers,” she blurted out, hoping he’d get the messag
