Page 34 of Her Beastly Duke
She whirled one last time to the fading notes of the song, smiling at Julius. The dance came to an end, although Briar did not want it to, and the couples left the dance floor. Julius escorted her to her mother and just as quickly claimed the hand of Lady Fenton, who whisked him off into the crowd.
“Well, well. You were the first lady that the duke asked to dance, my dear.”
“I would not make too much of it, Mama. I am one of the few ladies the duke knows, and he did not need to fear that I would refuse to dance with him.”
“I suppose you are right, but you did not see the way that he was looking at you.”
“How was he looking?”
“Like he thoroughly enjoyed dancing with you and has taken a fancy.”
“I am sure you imagined it, Mama.”
If only that were true, but Briar knew that it wasn’t. He was attracted to her, but there did not seem to be anything more than physical attraction—lust. Julius did not travel all the way to London to show her attention. He had the opportunity to do that when she was at Berkley Estate and he did not seize it. The orchestra started up and signaled the next dance. Julius walked onto the floor with an attractive, curvy brunette, and they began to twirl and swirl.
“You see what I mean, Mama. The duke is not singling me out. He will surely dance with several ladies before the evening is out.”
As the evening wore on, Briar tried not to think about him. She was asked to dance a few times and it appeared that Julius was never without a partner. She wondered if these entitled ladies genuinely wanted to be with him or if his fortune and title swayed any. His return to the fold was a resounding success, judging by all the attention he received. She could not begrudge him the experience because she knew how much it meant to him. How unlucky that the man she found most appealing was the one who would not commit to her. None of the other gentlemen had managed to arouse her interest in the way Julius had.
Julius could not be morepleased with the turn of events. He stood in the shadow on the first-floor landing, observing the crowd below. It had all gone much better than expected. He heard the hushed tones but chose to ignore them; it did not stop the ladies from enjoying his company. As he peered at the laughing crowd, filled with excitement and merriment, he could not help but seek out the woman who made it possible. The pale blue gown clung to her delightful curves. When Julius first saw her this evening, he felt a sudden hot longing for her as awareness flooded his entire body. He wanted to strip her of the beautiful gown, run his hand over every inch of her and taste her all over. He imagined she would respond to his touch with the same heated passion that threatened to consume him. She would be hot and ready for him.
He noticed that several gentlemen had admired her throughout the course of the evening. Lord Carter was standing with Briar right now, stealing glances before they moved to twirl and swirl across the dance floor. Julius may not have been in London since the start of the season, but he knew what was going on. Emmeline let it slip that Lord Carter seemed smitten with Briar. Emmeline had given him a pointed look when she departed with this bit of information. A look that said he should do something about it.
Bloody hell!
The melody flowed, and it was a waltz, a truly romantic dance. He had to suffer Lord Carter’s arms on Briar’s back as they made the soft, round, flowing movements across the floor. He felt a stab of jealousy because they looked damned good together. The earl leaned close to Briar’s ear and whisperedsomething that made her laugh. The notes reached him even more than the orchestra, and at that moment, he knew he wanted her laughter for himself. The strong emotional reaction surprised him, and he clenched his fists at his side. He had had the privilege of spending quality time with her and he felt that he understood her and she, him. No matter how much he tried to stay away from her, he was invariably drawn to her. Her pull was powerful.
While he had danced with other beautiful ladies, they were nothing like her. The conversation and dance seemed perfunctory. He did not feel the same spark; he did not desire them, and he was not even tempted to see any of them again. A few of the ladies had given him warm smiles and batted their eyelids, and it reminded him of how unpretentious Briar was. She did not seek to beguile him nor, from what he could see, any of the other gentlemen. She was not afraid to say what she desired, so there was no need for her to be coquettish.
His gaze followed their every move. Briar smiled up at the earl, but the smile did not touch her eyes. Julius smirked in satisfaction. The earl would probably mistake Briar’s politeness for enthusiasm.
He must dance with her again—tonight. The buzz would be inevitable, but he wanted every man in this room to know that he fancied her. Her waltz with the earl would not be the only story to make the rounds tomorrow. It would be more significant if he danced with her twice, and it would be his way of telling her that there would be more to come. Briar and the earl danced for several minutes, and when it ended, the earl escorted her to her mother, who watched them with evident approval. An earl would be considered a good match.
Julius moved from the shadows and descended the stairs. A hush fell over the throng as he approached Briar. He stood in front of her; the air was heavy between them. Julius swallowed.
“Will you dance with me?”
She did not hesitate. “Yes.”
He held out his hand silently, and she placed hers in his, allowing him to escort her to the dance floor. The orchestra started another waltz, and other couples joined them on the floor. Julius could feel the gaze of thehaut tonboring into them, but he would forget about them. Briar lifted her chin and met his gaze; he did not care about anything else. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and heat traveled through him. They were inches apart, and he was holding her, gliding and twirling to the sensual notes of the music. It felt right. They swayed and swirled in unison with the tempo. Julius’s heart was pounding with passion.
Briar broke the spell. “You seem to be enjoying the ball, Julius.”
“A bit more than I expected, and it is thanks to you.” She deserved some credit, and he wanted her to know he appreciated her.
“I am happy you were pleased with my efforts.”
She licked her lips, and his gaze was fixed on their lush fullness. A blush crept up her cheeks. He wanted so badly to taste those lips. He lifted his gaze to hers, and recognition flashed in their depths. She knew that he desired her, and a stab of lust shot through him. He sensed a turmoil before the storm.
“I wish the sea of strangers did not surround us with their curious eyes.”Oh, how he wished they would all disappear.
“Why do you want to be alone with me?” She feigned innocence.
“So that I can be wicked.”
Julius heard the sharp intake of her breath, and her lips trembled.
“You are distracting me from the dance with wicked thoughts.”
