Page 18 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
Jack chuckled. “True.” His friend clapped him on the back. “So, stop looking so miserable. Your mother and I are the only ones here trying to get you out and into Society. Be grateful to us.”
Sometimes he wondered how they became friends in the first place. But that was one of the things he enjoyed about the man and why he didn’t mind his friendship. His mystery. That, and he never once judged Adam on any score. In fact, if you don’t want to talk about duty, and family, and David, Jack was your man. But Adam barely registered his friend’s words. His gaze had locked on a group of three women. One in particular.
Charlene Fielding.
He knew it as he knew the sky was blue.
Well, black in the darkness of night, but still… She’d illuminate the night as her sight made his pulse quicken.
Of course, it shouldn’t.
But it did. She did.
Every time.
The only woman capable of truly making him question everything.
Adam drew in the sight of her, his chest contracting. She wore a green dress with a sparkling green mask, and he just knew her eyes sparkled the same green. Still not able to catch his breath at the mere sight of her, even after one year.
For a moment, Adam stood there, torn between thought and action.
His mother’s words, his heart, and his head all collided at once.
Without thinking, and then, before reason could hold him back, Adam moved. It wasn’t a conscious decision—more like an instinct, a pull he couldn’t resist.
“Adam?” Jack called, but he ignored him.
He couldn’t think about why he was approaching her or what he would even say. It didn’t matter; his feet carried on, every nerve in his body on edge.
She turned slightly, her profile illuminated by the soft glow of the candles.
So beautiful.
Could he be so lucky and remain hidden or would she recognize him if he asked her to dance?
Chapter Five
“Charlene?”
Charlene blinked, glancing at Ashley, who gave her a probing look.
“Did you see something?” Ashley pressed.
“I don’t know,” she murmured offhandedly. She didn’t want to ruin her friend’s mood, but was David Cross truly here? She didn’t know why her thoughts went to him first. Perhaps it was just pure instinct. Yet, Charlene’s blood froze at the thought. She glanced at the spot where she had seen the men, but they had both disappeared. She didn’t even know why her thoughts went to him first. Perhaps it was just pure instinct.
Her gaze flicked over the crowd, searching.
No, hunting.
On the dance floor, masked figures twirled like brushstrokes on a canvas, each gown a splash of color set against the gleaming expanse of the ballroom. She tugged at the silk of her gloves, a small motion to steady the restless energy coursing through her, but in the end it did nothing but make her more anxious.
If he was here, she’d leave.
She wouldn’t be able to survive another encounter with David Cross.
But the embarrassment tasted bitter as if it had been only yesterday and not a year ago… Charlene wished she’d never laid eyes on the man.
She couldn’t stand being in the same room as that man. She just couldn’t. Of course, she wanted to find adventure and romance, but was this truly the place for her to find it? Her gaze drifted over the crowd, the sea of feathered masks and glittering jewelry. Everything appeared rehearsed, although she knew that wasn’t the case. But there was a pattern to it all, a choreography that felt as predictable as the steps of the quadrille the dancers were enjoying. And then her eyes stilled, once again fastening on a figure cutting through the smoky glow of the room as he danced.
