Page 12 of Celestes Forever Marquess
She was stunning, but not the woman Caleb was looking for. In another area of the room, a woman was waving around a rod that was lit on fire while she twirled and spun. Plenty of ladies were dressed as princesses or queens, and most of the men came as knights, including Cordell. Caleb had decided to come dressed as a frontier man, with a bandana tied around his face. It was a silly outfit, but in truth, they all were.
His eyes roamed the room, looking for Celeste. Devons said she would be here tonight. He’d only returned to London last night; the time at the Haven Estate had been a heavier experience than he or Cordell expected.
Seeing his father’s family property for the first time unleashed deep emotions in him, both good and bad; oddly, theplace felt like home. Most of the servants from when his father and mother resided there were gone, except for the butler and the main cook. They all remembered his mother fondly, pleasing both him and Cordell. He hoped her visit there would help put her at ease.
They moved into a smaller room where a beautiful woman played a romantic song on a piano in the center. Sofas circled her with couples in various states of passionate embraces. Cordell tugged on his collar, and Caleb almost chuckled. His brother didn’t fluster easily.
“The gardens are supposed to hold many spectacles as well. Shall we go see?”
Cordell seemed reluctant to leave the room but finally nodded. They strode into the club's vast gardens. More than one person had informed him that the Den’s grounds were littered with small cottages rented by lords and ladies of thetonfor liaisonsduring the season.
Each building was supposedly designed to have a whimsical feel. The rumors he and Cordell heard suggested one of the club owners had won the London property in a card game. The original owner had designed the gardens to house multiple mistresses. Caleb shook his head, imagining the drama that went with that scenario.
From where he stood, he could only see the roofs. A woman with bright red hair, dressed as a princess, stopped before them. A green mask concealed her face, but she beamed at Cordell. “Games are afoot, kind knight. Would you care to join me?”
She nodded to where a crowd was gathered. Couples were in the middle of being tied together. It appeared that it was for some type of foot race. His brother didn’t need to be asked again. He held his arm out to the pretty redhead. Cordell motioned forhim to join them, but he shook his head. He was looking for a blonde-headed temptress.
Caleb had to admit a scandalous ball was a splendid way to make money. He was curious to learn more details about how Celeste had gone from hostess to club owner. He suspected that she assumed he judged her for her occupation, but he didn’t. He simply wanted to know everything about her. To him, Celeste was like a multi-faceted crystal, every angle revealed something even more alluring.
A familiar laugh stopped him in his tracks. He turned towards the sound and halted when he found where the voice was coming from. His Celeste stood with a man dressed as a king. She grinned at the man, and an overwhelming desire to pummel him filled Caleb. It was a ridiculous response; he barely knew the beauty.
He stopped and studied her. She looked stunning, dressed in layers of purple lace that hinted at her enticing form beneath. On her back were sparkly wings, and she had a similar shimmer on her face, outlining her mask. Caleb swallowed because the shimmery powder also dipped down into the valley of her breast. His body hummed, wanting to know where it stopped.
Her blonde hair was twisted in braids with flowers. She looked like some type of fairy. Her mask of green leaves and purple lace hid the top half of her face, but he knew it was her. The king next to her peered down at her bosom. Caleb clenched his hands before making his way to them. He may not have any claim on her, but neither did the man leering at her, as far as he knew.
Celeste slapped the man on his arm jokingly just as Caleb arrived. Her eyes widened when she saw him. She knew who he was; he didn’t doubt that at all. The corners of her mouth tiltedupward in a smirk. “King Arthur, it seems we have a frontier man joining us.”
The man looked at Caleb, but there wasn’t any annoyance that he’d interrupted their conversation. He grinned and said, “We haven’t seen many of those.”
Celeste’s painted pink lips pursed as if she pondered his statement. Damn it, she was beautiful.
“It is good to see you, Celeste,” he said, partially because he wanted King Arthur to know he had a past with her. It was petty, but he didn’t care.
A bark of laughter escaped the man. “I will allow you to speak with your friend, fairy princess. As always, it is good to see you.”
She smiled. “You too.”
Was this man her lover? He didn’t care that she wasn’t some young, innocent miss, but a primal need to be the only man in her bed right now flared through him. She turned back to Caleb and sighed. “You do know, frontier man, that names are a secret at the Ball of Sin. You could be kicked out for sharing such details.”
“Is he your lover?”
Her eyes widened in shock, but then she frowned at him. “I don’t think that is any of your business.”
It wasn’t, but it didn’t prevent his stomach from revolting at the idea. He pushed away his possessiveness and asked, “Why did you run away from Derry Hall?”
Her eyes flared. “I do not run from anyone.”
He leaned in so close that his lips brushed her jaw before touching the part of the mask next to her ear. “Liar.”
***
Want flared within Celeste at Caleb’s closeness. It was such a shame that this man was a lord. Temptation swirled in her to forget her rule, at least for one night. She turned her head, and their lips were a breath apart. She placed her hand on his chest, and he gently brushed his mouth across hers.
She stumbled back, and he ran a hand through his hair; his eyes filled with unconcealed desire. Celeste looked around, hoping no one was watching them. Not that it mattered. Nothing that happened at the Ball of Sin was mentioned outside the event. Those who overshared were banned from future balls.
Celeste touched her mouth and glanced about again. Standing here as an attendee kissing a man felt odd, instead of hosting and managing the event. Still, she was glad she wasn’t in charge tonight. This night was hers to do with as she wished.
Her gaze roamed over Caleb, really taking in his costume for the first time. He wore no mask but a bandanna around his face. He truly embodied what she imagined a villain in a western tale would look like. She giggled. “You look so out of place.”
