Page 14 of The Viscount's Daring Cinderella
“Well, in that case, I am Owl, and you are Wizard,” Beryl replied, wondering why Flora had not reappeared after the last set. She placed her hand in his own.
As he led her to the dance floor, Beryl wondered if they had ever met. She was trying quite hard to remember, which was rather annoying because she could not place him. Surely, that was the point of the mask. His gaze was mesmerizing as the wizard held her in position for the dance. Beryl wondered if he would wield his magic and cast a spell on her tonight.
CHAPTER 6
Theodore recognized her voice instantly. It is not every day that one comes across a lady swimming in a lake, much less one that could deliver such a slap.
When he walked by, he heard her speak to her companion, the pirate. He had excused himself from the mundane conversation he was having to go in search of her, only to see her disappear down the hall. He followed her but hung back when she suddenly stopped in the cloakroom. He approached the cloakroom door cautiously and peered inside. He quietly smiled when she tiptoed toward another door and peered through the crack; so much for accusing him of spying. He quickly turned away and returned to the ballroom, chuckling under his breath. Theodore had patiently waited for her to resurface.
Theodore enjoyed dancing. He placed an arm at the small of her back, and she placed an arm on his shoulder. He liked the feel of her hands on him. His eyes dropped to her lips. How could he forget moving his mouth over hers with carnal persuasion and her soft whimper. What he would do to have his tongue intertwined with hers again.
“Your mask serves you well, Owl; you cannot be easily recognized,” he said as the symphony started up.
He could imagine gently removing her mask and ravishing her with sensuous kisses. He was grateful for the opportunity to hold her, and even the light feel of her hand aroused him.
“I believe that is the point, Wizard,” she said.
The mask did not hide her beauty entirely. As they swept across the floor, he said, “The style and quality of your mask says something about the lady wearing it. You have only revealed enough to tantalize.”
“A wizard who pays compliments. Thank you. Why did you choose to adopt the wizard as your persona?” Her eyes were searching and piercing.
“I wanted to be magical, or should I say mythical? A wizard is knowledgeable and has explored frontiers others do not know exist.” He wanted to explore her mouth even more thoroughly than he did the first time. Would she give in to her sensual desire and let him taste her?
Her lips curved in a smile. “I have often thought of a wizard as one who could make the storms gather and strange sights appear. So, there is an element of magic which makes the wizard more powerful.”
“Indeed,” he murmured.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and then she released them. “Tell me, are you a good or a naughty wizard?”
His cock jumped at the word naughty.If only she knew. Theodore chuckled and raised a brow. He was surprised by the question. “I am neither malevolent, dangerous, nor evil. You are safe with me.”
Her eyes lit up and he yearned to know the secrets inside. “Ahh, I suppose that means you are good then.”
There was a certain warmth about her that made him think of the warm glow of the sun heating one’s skin on a cool day. Asmall warning sounded in his head.Bloody hell! He wondered if he had taken leave of his senses. He was not the poetic sort.
Theodore pondered her comment for a moment. “I would venture to say that not being bad does not mean one is good.”
She arched her brow and gave him a quizzical look. “Oh?”
Theodore gazed into her eyes before he quickly looked away. “Although it implies that may be the case, it is not always easy to distinguish someone as simply good or bad.”
She wrinkled her perfectly pert nose. “Whatever do you mean? Ambiguity? I find the distinction easy enough to make.”
This time, when her eyebrows shot up, their gazes locked. His breath hitched, and his heart beat faster in his chest. Momentarily, he forgot what he was about to say. They glided across the floor, and he was oblivious to everyone around them. She felt so right in his arms, and he enjoyed the set and her company. He wondered how it could be. How could he have had so few encounters with her, yet she dominated his thoughts?
Theodore quickly recovered. “Do you not believe that good people sometimes do bad things? Or even more than one bad thing, for that matter.”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth in concentration, and he almost missed what she was saying. “I can appreciate that someone may do something completely out of character. I suppose that is understandable, yet I would have serious reservations about anyone who repeats such actions?” Her eyes studied him before moving to a faraway look.
He wondered if she was thinking of the man she met at the lake. Was she wondering if there was more good than bad in him? He was being ridiculous. Surely, this could not be. Yet, he wondered if when she lay in bed at night she thought about his kiss.
Theodore would admit he was a bit of a rogue, but he would hardly describe himself asbad. To his reasoning, it was just thathe was not entirely good. Is anyone? He wanted to enjoy his life, for you only live once. He was unapologetic. He did not agree with his uncle, who thought he needed to be reformed. He was perfectly fine the way he was.
“The way I see it, someone bad does something with the intent to cause harm to another person. Whereas a good person may do something bad accidentally, or at the very least does not pride themselves on doing bad things and certainly would not make a habit of it,” Theodore said. He was always open and direct in his conversation. He said whatever he wanted without anxiety or concern.
She appeared interested in his commentary.
She raised a brow. “So, you are saying it is a person’s intent rather than their actions that makes them bad?”
