Page 34 of Plucked By the Orc

“A countess only so honors a gentleman if she is available for a dance. That is when you check your card.”

Must London Society make everything so complicated? But now that Duncan mentioned it, she did remember that at public assemblies, some birds liked to carry their little cards around, usually attached to a wristlet with a small pencil dangling from a ribbon. And what a fuss they made, checking their promised dances. Even if the card was empty, they put on that show.

She pantomimed adding a dance to the card and then writing his name.

“You must see which are available,” Duncan prodded.

“Fine. What about the waltz then, Dunc? Will that do?”

Iris knew Duncan detested the shortened version of his name, but she couldn’t resist needling him a bit when he got so stuffy.

“Remember that you will likely have been introduced to any gentleman who asks the favor. But it won’t do for you to say their name so glibly. Say the name in full and record it in the same manner on your card.”

“What if I forget? I’ll have so many to recall!”

“Ask them to spell it out for you. Simple enough.”

“Spell it out then, kitten.”

“Come now, Miss Gabbert. Don’t have fun at my expense.”

For a moment, she thought her flippancy may have injured his feelings. Which had not been her intention in the slightest. So she switched to the voice he had taught her to use. “I would be delighted. Might I.” She paused for a breath. “Inquire as to. The spelling of your name, sir.”

“Much better.” Duncan beamed.

“And then what happens?” Iris asked.

“We must start by facing one another and bow.”

They did so, Iris’s hands trembling slightly. She had been near to him before, but this was different. She inhaled theintoxicating scent of his cologne and skin and felt suddenly giddy.

“You should place your hand on my shoulder.” Iris wondered if she was too short to manage it. She settled for placing her palm on his chest, and he nodded approvingly, understanding she couldn’t reach high enough to rest it lightly on his shoulder as was proper. “And I put my hand on your waist.”

That delicate touch, at odds with his colossal form, ignited another delicious shiver, this one coursing through her entire body. It had been a long time since a bloke had touched her, and naught but curiosity led her to allow such a liberty, followed by a brief bout of kissing. Her fancy for that boy had been fleeting.

This was a different sensation altogether, and it could easily overpower her.

“We clasp our free hands,” he said, gently maneuvering her hand into his, taking care that she felt no more than the sides of his claws rather than the sharp tips. “And wait for the music to begin.”

“There is no music.” Her voice barely rose to a whisper.

“This is easily remedied. The waltz is always danced to a three-fourths time tune.”

In his deep and melodious voice, he counted the numbers off and slowly led her through the intimate dance moves. At first, Iris looked at her feet, fearing she might misstep and fall on him. But his maneuvers were so graceful, his long strides calibrated to her shorter ones, that she soon relieved herself of that fear. And yet, she still could not bring herself to look up at him. That would betray her lascivious thoughts.

“It is right that you look at your partner,” Duncan said. “And make charming conversation as you dance.”

Iris didn’t think she could manage a word, let alone charming conversation. But she managed to look at Duncan. His claws withdrew back into his skin. She felt only his firm fingers.

He was as aroused as she was.

His thumb grazed her palm with a gentle whisper of a caress. It was at once no more real than something she might conjure in a dream and yet, at the same time, stunningly real. When their eyes met, the understanding between them was immediate and powerful, sparking an insatiable need deep within her.

Duncan bent down, and they were so close that Iris thought she could not stand even a moment more of separation.

When their lips finally met, he was tentative at first, but she licked his lower lip until he groaned. And then their mouths opened to one another.

The sensation made her feel like she had left her body for a dazzling new dimension. He moved her to the wall, pressing her against the paneling so that he could dive deeper into her mouth. The hand that had been resting lightly on her waist now clasped her firmly and glided slowly toward her bosom, caressing the curves underneath her gown and shift and then gently passing over her nipples until she moaned.

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