Her smile widened as her eyes narrowed and held a hint of desire. “Yes, tonight. I cannot wait any longer.”
Warmth spread through him the longer he thought about what they could accomplish—alone in some place very private. Now he prayed that time passed quickly, because the wait would surely kill him.
The dance ended, and she was swept away by another man. The promise in her eyes gave him hope, making him anxious. Would it be immediately after the ball? Of course. During the ball would be scandalous. He wanted details, but he couldn’t interrupt her just to talk more about their tryst. Not yet, anyway. He would dance with her again soon, so he must be patient.
Inwardly, he chuckled. Patient? How could he be that when excitement was rushing through him as he stood against the wall, imagining how their evening would turn out?
An hour later, he watched as she danced with yet another man. This time, Vincent wasn’t worried about others trying to charm her. There was no need to find fault with the gentlemen, which, thankfully, made Vincent’s job easier.
Sighing, he forced himself to scope out the other guests at the ball. He knew Lady Livingston wasn’t attending this function, mainly because she hadn’t accosted him yet. Knowing that she wasn’t there made him more relaxed. Although he loved to see Ellie’s jealousy flare up, he didn’t want to exhaust himself trying to keep away from his former mistress.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar man watching Ellie with a wary eye, and Vincent’s guard lifted a notch. Lord Calvin Drake appeared quite dapper this evening in his gray suit jacket and trousers with black waistcoat. Several women standing nearby made dove eyes at him, which seemed to go unnoticed by the lord. Vincent didn’t approve of the way Drake watched Ellie with a forlorn expression.
He scratched his neck. Hadn’t Drake just been introduced to Ellie? If so, why did the man have a yearning sense about him as he studied the duke’s daughter? His goatee still bothered Vincent, but that was neither here nor there. Something about the man troubled him. Drake was Adam’s cousin, so then why was he suddenly showing interest in Ellie? Of course, she would want to get to know Drake, mainly because of Adam’s connection. Would Drake use that as an opportunity to turn on his charm? Vincent couldn’t allow that to happen.
Once the dance was over, Lord Calvin moved toward Ellie. Vincent’s chest tightened. He couldn’t have that man dancing with her. But stopping Lord Calvin would only make a scene. He couldn’t do that to her or her family.
When Drake reached Ellie and she looked up at his face, Vincent held his breath.Turn him down!But the sparkle in her eyes and her widening smile let Vincent know she would be dancing with Drake tonight.
When the couple walked out on the floor, Vincent fisted his hands by his sides. Why jealousy had crept inside of him, he didn’t know.Hewas the one she was going to marry. Andhewas the one she would meet tonight in private. So why should he worry about Lord Calvin?
His heart squeezed. Naturally, she’d think of Adam while chatting with Lord Calvin. And why wouldn’t she? The two men were cousins. But Vincent wanted Adam out of Ellie’s heart.Hewanted to be the one to remove his former friend from her mind so that her thoughts would turn to him.
Ellie laughed at something Drake said, and it felt as though someone had jabbed a knife into Vincent’s heart. He hated this emotion, and he wished it to disappear. His mind tried to re-create images of Ellie in his arms, kissing him as though there was no tomorrow. But he couldn’t close his eyes long enough to conjure up the memory.
At long last, the dance ended. Vincent pulled himself away from the wall and hurried toward Ellie. He would claim the next dance, even if he had to start rumors just to do it. He wanted her to gaze at him with stars in her eyes, and laugh at something he said with her deep, sultry voice.
Just as he arrived by her side, Lord Drake turned to leave. Vincent made eye contact with the other man. Drake gave him a small bow and walked away. Annoyance ran through Vincent. The man could have at least greeted him in some way besides the nod.
Vincent looked into Ellie’s eyes, and the tightness in his chest relaxed. He sighed, allowing the worry over the other man to leave him. He took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers gently. “Dance with me.”
Her expression seemed to soften. Smiling, she nodded.
Thankfully, this was a much slower song, which didn’t require changing partners. “Are you enjoying yourself, my precious?”
She nodded. “I am. How about you? I’ve only seen you dance with one other person tonight, and she was as old as my father.”
He chuckled as his heart flipped in his chest. It appeared that she had been keeping an eye on him, as well. “Truth be told, I wish the hours would pass quickly. I’m very eager to take you someplace private.”
Her eyelids lowered. “As am I.”
If he could only take her right now. “Do you think people would question it if we leave now?”
Laughing, she nodded. “I’m quite certain of it, my lord.”
He scowled playfully. “I suppose convincing your father that you suddenly have a stomach ailment is out of the question.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Actually, that suggestion does have merit.”
Her response took him by surprise, and he shook his head. He couldn’t possibly have heard correctly. “Are you serious?”
“Areyou?”
All humor left him as desire took over, growing quickly inside him. He pulled her closer and gazed deep into her amazing brown eyes, which turned darker by the second. “Let us leave, and I’ll show you how serious I am.”
She licked her lips and nodded. “After the dance, I’ll talk to my father.”
“Good.” He smiled mischievously.
