He smiled.“Are you ready to do this?”
“Again, I was about to say the same thing.”
He held out his elbow.“Then, m’lady, shall we?”
She slid her hand around to rest on his forearm.“We shall.”
He led her down the hallway, where they joined with other couples all walking to the ballroom.Adalyn hoped they were heading in the right direction.She’d already lost her sense of direction in Obsidian North.
A sea of gold interwove with the black tuxedos.The dim lighting in the ballroom gave the air a romantic feel, and when Gareth kissed the back of her hand, she felt it all the way down to her toes.
They spent the next hour or so walking the perimeter of the dance floor while Gareth greeted and talked shop with his peers.He introduced her everywhere, drawing her close to his side so he could curl his arm around her waist.
“Would you like to dance?”he murmured.
“I’d like that, but I must warn you, Marm Scarlet only had a few days to teach me, so I hope I don’t step on your toes.Or embarrass you.”
“Hush,” he said.“Even if you fall down and pull me with you, I won’t care at all.Shit happens.”
She giggled.“Okay.”
They joined the next waltz and Adalyn couldn’t take her gaze off him, and it looked like he couldn’t as well.It was magical.The world she lived in now was vastly different from her past.When the dance ended, he cupped her face and kissed her.Right there in front of everyone.Her heart melted right there, and she happily stepped into the love that had been growing daily.
As soon as they exited the dance floor, an older vampire stepped toward them.He had a real-life monocular on one eye, wore a tweed vest, and sported a bowtie.Truly a vampire from a different age.
“Lord Huntley,” he greeted.
Gareth stiffened.She glanced up at him and saw his jaw tighten.“Lord Latterly.”
“Could I pick your brain about the Zatterman acquisition?”
“This is the Gathering Ball,” Gareth said cooly.“Business should be conducted tomorrow.”
“Oh, come now, I just wanted to know your thoughts on the matter.”
At that moment, a woman moseyed up to the group and slid her hand over Latterly’s shoulder.Elgene.Now Gareth’s unwelcoming posture made sense.
“Gareth,” she all but purred his name.Long black hair gleamed under the lights, her blue eyes sharp chips of ice that perfectly matched the over-the-top necklace of diamonds that graced her throat.The stones also wrapped around her wrists and dangled from her earlobes.On top of her head sat a garish tiara.
Adalyn hated the possessive tone in her voice, and apparently so did Latterly.He yanked her hand away and glared at her, but Elgene only had eyes for her ex.
“Like I said, we’ll talk business tomorrow,” Gareth said.“Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
He placed a hand on Adalyn’s lower back, guiding her away from the two.When they reached the bar on the opposite end of the room, Adalyn turned toward him and placed her hands on his chest.
“Are you all right?”she asked.
“I don’t particularly like Latterly.”
“Nor Elgene, I suspect.”
“Ah,” he said, frowning.“I guess you learned who she was.”
“I did.”She tilted her head.Although she didn’t want to ask, she couldn’t help herself.“Do you still have feelings for her?”
“No,” he answered firmly.“If I’d ever had feelings for her, they died completely.She was beautiful, but it didn’t take long for me to find out her true nature.A bitch rarely changes their personality.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.“It’s horrible when people you thought were your family betray you.”
