I busted out laughing when he slapped his hand over his mouth and then covered his growing erection with the other.
“For feck’s sake. Are you mad?”
“You always did have a sweet tooth.”
“Aye, but giving me a Sensor-spiked lolly in a crowded room is asking for trouble.” He grabbed someone’s cider from the table and swished his mouth with it before spitting it back in the glass.
I squeezed his thigh. “You look good in that suit, Mr. Poe. Good enough to lick.”
“That’ll be enough of that.” He swiped the wrapper off the table. “I need to find a bin and then a cold shower.”
I snorted as Christian hurried off with the candy in his hand and his other concealing his hard-on. Pranks were a pastime for the Keystone team. Christian recently got me after he somehow managed to put my entire bed on the roof. And despite his attempt to rile me up, I slept out there. All night. Since I easily got bored at these shindigs, I had Shepherd help me with getting a Sensor pop spiked with sexual energy. Not enough to cause uncontrolled behavior that would humiliate either Christian or Viktor, but just enough to elicit a laugh when the others found out.
Gem jauntily skipped over and sat in Christian’s chair. “Isn’t the cider divine? This place is so enchanting. I’m having such a marvelous time already.” The glitter around her eyes shimmered, and her violet eyes were luminous against her smoky eyeliner. Gem always managed to look like a fairy caught in the real world.
“Where are your heels?” I asked, noticing her sparkly flats.
“I didn’t have any that went with this dress. And heels with this length of dress just make my legs look strange. I hate that everyone is so much taller, but at least if someone asks me to dance, I won’t have to worry about my feet getting sore. Where’s Christian?”
“Rubbing something out, I think.”
“Oh no! I hope he didn’t spill wine on his beautiful suit.”
I stifled a laugh. “Have you seen Wyatt?”
Mesmerized by the lavish décor and winter costumes, Gem twisted around and gripped the back of her chair. “Oh, I’m certain he’s around—sullying our good name in Wyatt fashion.”
Blue lifted a chair and sat between us so we were in a tight huddle. “The next man who asks me to dance is getting a knife in the belly.”
“What’s wrong with dancing?” Gem asked. “No one’s asked me yet, but I hope that they do. This dress wasn’t made for sitting.”
Blue grabbed an appetizer from a tray and shoved it into her mouth. “I don’t dance unless it’s on someone’s grave.”
I chuckled softly. “People might frown upon bloodshed at a winter ball.”
“File a complaint.”
“It’s your hair,” Gem said decidedly. “Claude did a fantastic job. I wishI’dasked for an updo. And your hair comb is divine!”
Blue pursed her lips. “I’m the only woman here who rented her diamonds.”
I looked around to make sure Lenore was nowhere in sight. “Did you notice a certain someone’s dress matched Viktor’s outfit?”
Gem lowered her voice. “Did you see the brooch he gave her? I think it’s sentimental, because it looks antique.”
I thought back to Lenore’s outfit. “I didn’t see her wearing a brooch.”
Gem shook her head. “He gave it to her tonight. She didn’t put it on because it was heavy and would ruin the fabric on her dress. She carried it around and was showing it off. It was really beautiful—gold with rubies.”
After finishing her appetizer, Blue almost wiped her fingers on her cape before grabbing the tablecloth instead. She was obviously getting enough attention and wasn’t comfortable showing off her formfitting dress. “What do you think Viktor sees in her?”
Gem’s doe eyes darted around before she leaned in. “Besides the fact she’s beautiful, classy, and filthy rich? She makes him feel good. Can’t you see it in his eyes? That’s how Hooper made me feel before… well, you know.”
I gripped the back of my chair and lazily twisted toward her. “I always pictured Viktor with a more outgoing woman. Not a socialite who throws fancy parties but a woman with a belly laugh who loves to talk.”
Blue quirked a grin. “So basically the female equivalent of your father?”
Gem laughed brightly. “I’ve never met anyone quite like Crush. He’ssoadorable.”
