His thumb moved. It was a small circle on her waist which made her lost her train of thought entirely as the heat of the contact bloomed through her. “You refused me.” He said it quietly, his iron eyes burning into hers with an intensity that made her lightheaded. “You told me no. You said my feelings would fade.”
“They clearly have.” She shot the words back, her chin lifting in defiance. “Given how cozy you’ve been with Lady Catherine.”
“And yet here you are.” His hand shifted lower on her back, far too low for propriety, and pulled her closer until her body was pressed flush against his chest. “Seething with jealousy.”
“I am not seething.” She panted the words, her hands trembling where they rested on him.
“You are.” His lips curved just slightly. It was not quite a smile, but it was close enough to one to be dangerous. “Your eyes are practically shooting sparks. It’s magnificent.”
She tried to pull away, but his arm was like iron around her waist. “Let go of me.”
“Not until you admit it.” He held her firm, his steely eyes burning down into hers from his great height.
“Admit what?” She glared up at him, her jaw tight and her neck craning.
“That you are jealous.” He pulled her closer still, until she could feel the heat of him through every layer of silk and cotton. “That you hate seeing me with another woman. That you want me, even though you told yourself you didn’t.”
“People are watching.” She hissed the words, her cheeks flaming as her fingers curled into the fine wool of his shoulder.
“Let them.” His cold eyes never left hers. They were dark with a hunger that made her knees weak. “Let them all watch.”
“You have lost your mind.” She aimed for a dismissive scoff, but the words hitched in her throat, coming out thin and breathless. Her traitorous body leaned into his warmth of its own accord, seeking the very heat she claimed to reject.
“Oh, have I?” He bent low, his mouth hovering near her ear, his breath hot against her sensitive skin. “You showed up in that dress looking like every dream I have had for the past five days. And then you stood there glaring at me while I danced with Catherine, as if you wanted to murder us both.”
“I didn’t.” She started to protest, her face burning hotter than the ovens in her shop.
“You did.” His hand pulled her tighter still, flush against him in a way that was utterly scandalous. “And it’s taking every ounce of control I haven’t to drag you out of this ballroom and show you exactly how little I have moved on.”
Her breath caught. Her fingers dug into his shoulder hard enough to bruise the muscle beneath.
“Dominic.” His name escaped her like a prayer or a curse.
“Don’t.” He tensed, throat tight, bending until his breath warmed her forehead. His smoke eyes were bright with something that looked almost like pain. “Don’t say my name like that. Not here. Not when I cannot touch you the way I want to.”
The music ended.
They stood frozen in the sudden silence, their bodies still pressed together. The ballroom had gone quiet around them—far too quiet—and Nell became acutely aware of the stares and the fluttering fans of society matrons leaning toward each other with gleaming eyes.
Everyone was watching. Everyone had seen.
Dominic released her abruptly. He stepped back, his face shuttering as the mask slammed back into place, for the hunger in his eyes vanished so quickly she might have imagined it.
“Thank you for the dance, Mrs. Ashford.” He spoke with a cold formality. He clasped his hands behind his back, his spine rigid. He acted like nothing had happened.
He turned on his heel and walked away without waiting for a response. He disappeared into the crowd, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the dance floor with her heart slamming and the bitter, hot taste of jealousy still burning on her tongue.
Nineteen
Nell couldn’t breathe.
The room felt too hot, too crowded, and far too full of whispers. She needed air. She needed to get away from the music and the lights and the burning memory of his hand on the small of her back.
Edmund appeared at her elbow, his brown gaze tracing the lines of her face with deep concern. “Nell? Are you all right?”
“I need air.” She was already moving, pushing through the crowd with her skirts rustling, not waiting for his response. “Just a moment.”
She didn’t look back. She didn’t care if she was being rude. She pushed through the press of bodies and fled down a quiet hallway, away from the music and the light and the eyes that followed her everywhere. A door appeared on her left. She opened it and slipped inside, closing it firmly behind her and pressing her back against the wood.
