“You’re still thinking, Nanny Sumner,” I whisper. “Let go.”
She lets out a big breath, and I feel her relax in my arms, the low neckline of her gown making her neck appear so long and graceful as her shoulders drop and her chin lifts. I lead her through a few rotations, and when she at last settles into the dance, it’s pure magic. The whole room falls away, and the music weaves its spell around us as our bodies become an extension of one another, moving in perfect synchronicity like we are in each other’s minds and hearts. Her body is mine, and mine is hers.
All too soon, the music ends, and we bow to each other. I can’t keep my eyes from lingering on her a bit longer. Christ, she’s beautiful. Stunning. Radiant. All those prosy adjectives the romance novelists love to employ. My entire being cries out as I place a kiss on her gloved hand and turn away to find another partner.Fuck duty.I’d dance with her all goddamn night if I could.
I catch sight of Lady Margaret LaFleur carefully cutting through the crowd and make a mental note to catch her at some point tonight. A dance with her is basically meaningless since we both know she wouldnever be my choice for a bride—Bro Code and all that—but at least I know she’s a good dancer. As much as I’d rather mingle and talk without worrying about footing and hand placement, I get roped into several more dances with noble ladies from around the world before I can peel myself away to grab a drink that isn’t wine from Miles.
“So,” he drags the word out as he watches me from the corner of his eye. “Juliette seems rather pleased tonight.”
I sigh, rubbing a hand in my beard. Mother had implored me to trim it up a bit before the ball, but Aurelia begged me not to, and the choice between pleasing my mother and having Aurelia dig her fingers into it as I worship her delectable pussy was a no-brainer.
I catch sight of my little nanny next to Trixie and a few other women, the aforementioned granddaughter of a duke included. Aurelia nods along with the conversation, sipping occasionally at the champagne in her hand. Juliette has a particularly smug expression plastered on her face, and when she spots me watching, she gives me a little finger wave.
Aurelia sees me at the same time, too. I can feel the electricity between us all the way across the room, and it goes straight to my dick. Her eyes are on me as she laughs at whatever story is being told, and fuck if she’s not the most gorgeous thing in the world. I can’t hear her from over here, but the sound of her laughter is ingrained in my brain.
My pulse thrums in my chest as her sinfully crimson lips rest on her flute again. She watches me watching her as she slowly tilts the glass to her barely parted lips. Her mouth is the most beautiful pucker as she lowers her glass, and the bob of her throat as she swallows has all my blood rushing away from my brain.Christ. Does she even know what she’s doing to me? She has to know.
“Fritz, knock it off.” Miles claps me on the shoulder. “You’ve already drawn enough attention to her tonight.”
A young viscount approaches Aurelia as the current dance ends, arm outstretched, his intentions clear. My world turns red, and every muscle tightens into a ball of rage as she takes the offer for a dance. His hand is resting far too low on her back, and all I can hear is my heart pounding in my ears. He whispers something to her, leaning in far too close, making her giggle, and I feel like Mount Vesuvius on the verge of exploding. I want to look away, to pretend like Lord Teague is not currently charming the pants off my woman, but I can’t stop, and I can’t breathe. Calling up all my willpower is the only thing keeping me from marching across the dancefloor right now and ripping her from his arms. But I’d be in so much shit if I threw her over my shoulder and carried her out of this ballroom like a caveman, like I really want to right now.
I make a line for my cousin instead, who is now making a solo lap around the room. My grasp on her arm is perhaps a bit too strong as Trixie hisses.
“What the fuck, Fritz?”
“Don’t make a scene about it, but get Aurelia to the Hildegard parlor in thirty minutes.”
Trixie raises an eyebrow at me. “Really, Fritz? At your own ball when you’re supposed to be picking women to date.”
“Just fucking do it, Beatrix,” I growl. My cousin scowls and jerks her arm away. I hold my hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, Trix. Just…” I run a hand down my face, gritting my teeth so hard I think they might crack. “Will you please help me?”
She huffs. “Ugh. You know I can’t resist when my little cousin needs me. But you should make an effort through the next few songs. This whole shindig is about you, you know.”
“Don’t remind me.”
The song is over, and right when I think I can breathe again, someone else has asked Aurelia to dance, and I’m losing my shit all over again.Mine. Mine. Fucking mine.I never learned to share well; my siblings are all many years younger than me, and seeing other people play with the woman I’ve clearly claimed asmineis making me insane.And it’s not fair for me to feel that way. Because Aurelia’s not mine, not really, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep that just-friends-who-mess-around distance in my heart and in my head.
I take my cousin’s advice and dance the next three songs with different women, making sure to take them on sweeping turns about the room so no one can missus, all while trying to keep an eye on whoever dares to place a hand on my woman.
As the ensemble strikes up another waltz, I slip into the crowd around the dance floor, excusing myself around nobles and ladies until I reach a small door at the side of the ballroom. A new member of the guard, whose name I keep forgetting, is standing watch, but he inclines his head and pushes the door open for me.
“Thank you,” I say with a nod, exhaling a deep breath as I walk through, and the music and chatter are shut out when the door closes behind me.
Justin! That’s it.
