“Your Grace, may I just say you are truly breathtaking this evening?” A man’s voice pulled Alaric’s attention away from the conversation he was having.
A handsome man with a cherubic face and curly blond hair was standing beside Catherine. She was smiling at the man, andit stirred something in Alaric. Then he saw the hunger in the stranger’s eyes, and a green monster roared to life inside of him.
Catherine’s voice drifted toward him as he moved to close the distance between her and this stranger. “How kind, Lord Greyson. Thank you.”
“A pleasure, Your Grace.” Lord Greyson was reaching toward Catherine, fingers outstretched. “I do not suppose you would?—”
“May I have the honor of this dance, my dear wife?” Alaric took Catherine’s fingers in his own, brushing aside Lord Greyson’s hand.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man bristle, but he did not care. His heart pounded as he looked at Catherine. Her eyes wavered for a moment, but she recovered quickly.
She smiled at him and nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”
Alaric felt a surge of triumph as he shot a daggered smile at Lord Greyson. “If you will excuse us.”
He pulled Catherine toward the dancefloor, but could sense Lord Greyson’s furious glare as they moved away. As he took his place for the waltz, he felt a moment of panic.
Do I remember how to do this?
Catherine’s expression was unreadable. He tried not to think about the heat of her back against his palm, fighting the urge to pull her closer.Propriety. The music began, and they started to dance.
The relief he felt as the steps fell into place was quickly replaced by the pure jubilation that surged through him. The gazes of the crowd melted away as he and Catherine moved across the floor.
“I did not think you would be quite so light on your feet,” Catherine murmured, her blue eyes meeting his.
“I take it from your tone that we have never shared a dance before.” Alaric spun them across the floor.
What kind of man was I?How could I have never asked her to dance?I had wanted a separate life, to push her away, to push everyone away, and yet I cannot understand why.
Every movement he made, she matched perfectly. She was an extension of his body, and he was an extension of hers. His heartbeat kept time with the music, or perhaps it was hers. He did not know, and he did not care.
“No. In truth, the thought of dancing with you never occurred to me.” Catherine’s smile had an edge that Alaric could not quite place. “Though I enjoy dancing, I did not do much of it before.”
“Why did you tonight?” Alaric asked.
Catherine swallowed, and Alaric followed the movement of her throat with his eyes. “Because you asked.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he nearly missed a step. The burr in the dance faded as he let himself be drawn into Catherine’s eyes. “I am glad you did.”
“You did not wish to dance with Lord Greystable?” he asked.
“Greyson, you mean?” Catherine arched an eyebrow at him. “He did not even get a chance to ask me.”
“Do you wish he had?” Alaric’s heart was in his throat.
Catherine’s blue eyes danced. “No. Though I am curious, do you plan on intercepting every man who tries to dance with me?”
Yes.“That depends.” Alaric tried to sound nonchalant.
“On what?” she asked.
“You.” He shrugged. “I will not force you to do anything you do not want.”
Even if I want to rip the legs off any man who so much as thinks of dancing with you.
“And if I said I wanted to stop dancing?” Her eyes flashed.
“Do you?” He spun them round, pulling her into him as they turned a corner.
