Page 37 of Beyond Scandal and Desire
“You’re blushing right now, and I’ve never been so mesmerized.”
“Mr. Trewlove—”
“Mick.”
“Mick.”
“I like the way my name sounds on your lips.”
“Please don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what precisely, Lady Aslyn?”
Make me wish I wasn’t yet betrothed, make me question the passion I feel for Kip—or the lack of it.They were friends. They’d always been friends. How often had the duchess told her that a fortunate woman married her dearest friend? That a deep and binding love might not be there in the beginning but it would arrive with time. “We’re moving into inappropriate waters.”
“If you were offended, you’d move out of my arms.”
“I was taught not to bring embarrassment to my host.”
“Is that only reason?”
“No. I’m indebted to the widowed duchess. You are a marvelous partner. You make me feel as though I’m waltzing on clouds.”
His eyes darkened with his pleasure, even as their intensity increased. She had the fleeting thought that if the music never ceased its playing, she wouldn’t object. And yet it did end, the final strains of the melody drifting away.
Releasing his hand, stepping back, she fought not to have a sense of loss as the distance between them grew. “Thank you for the dance.” She said it as kindly, yet as dismissively as she could. For her own sake and as a reminder to herself regarding where her loyalties resided.
“It was my pleasure.”
“I daresay I really have kept you too long from your other guests. I’m certain there are numerous ladies who will seek you out for a dance now that they’ve witnessed the grace with which you command the dance floor.”
“Then they will face disappointment.”
She didn’t know how to respond. He said things she longed for Kip to utter. What a beastly fiancée she was, to compare her betrothed with a man she barely knew and certainly could never marry. After giving him a small smile, she made her way off the dance floor, grateful he didn’t attempt to accompany or follow her.
She needed to find Kip. Where the devil was he? He’d been gone far too long, and she suspected he’d gotten up to some mischief. She was grateful when she spied Fancy talking with a slender man who possessed the most vibrant red hair she’d ever seen.
The girl’s face brightened. “Lady Aslyn, allow me to introduce Mr. Tittlefitz.”
“It’s a pleasure,” she said.
His cheeks flushed so deep a red that his freckles nearly disappeared. “My lady.”
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Fancy asked.
“I am indeed, but I seem to have lost my escort. I wondered if you’d seen him about.”
“Not since he wandered off to the card room with my brothers. Although I have seen them here and there, as cards never seem to hold their interest for very long. I suspect because they probably lose their hard-earned coins too rapidly. I daresay if Lord Kipwick is still playing, he must be frightfully skilled at winning.”
“Would you mind directing me to the card room, then?” If Kip was still there, perhaps she could convince him to set aside the cards in favor of a dance with her.
“I’ll escort you,” Mr. Tittlefitz said.
“Thank you.”
Unlike Mick, he didn’t offer his arm or stand so near to her that she could inhale his fragrance. “I’m to understand you’re Mr. Trewlove’s secretary.”
“Yes, m’lady.”
