“You’re my ... friend, Graham,” she said again, like pieces in a puzzle were falling into place. “You know everything about me.”
“Well, not ...ev-everything,” I stammered out. There were decidedly a few things at present I would like to knowthat required more action than words, but perhaps not in the middle of a ballroom.
“I cannot recall the face of the person I last danced the waltz with,” she said, “but I can easily remember how you used to fluff your hair before you knocked on our door.”
I sobered instantly. Drew back. “You watched me?”
She squinted her eyes. “I may not have appreciated your many untimely visits to my home, Graham, but there are certainly aspects about you I do appreciate.”
Oh? Her lips twitched, and so did mine, and we laughed so loudly, couples around us turned their heads. My pulse seemed to find a new beat, a waltz of its own, and I did not want this night to end.
“Perhaps I should step on your foot to make our waltz more memorable than your last,” I teased.
She covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. “Don’t you dare.”
A violin played a few notes to signal the dance, but I was frozen. Captivated. Enraptured to have Anna Lane’s full attention when every other man in the room would die for it.
Anna smiled softly as she guided my hand to her side, her eyes never leaving mine.
I felt the curve of her waist, letting my thumb drag against the silk pleats of her dress as she clasped my other hand and raised the pairing above our heads.
She smiled up at me. “You look terrified, Graham.”
I swallowed hard. Nothing but bare truth on my lips. “You look beautiful, Anna.”
Her brows raised in surprise.Happysurprise, that made me feel like I was suddenly ten feet tall.
Soft notes filled the air as the violinist drew his bow alongthe strings. I knew this music; I’d danced it several times before, practicing it with my mother and Ginny in the drawing room. But with Anna, each step we took seemed effortless, like we were floating in air. Her hand pressed gently on my back, and I felt the heat of it keenly like fire traveling up and down my spine. Our linked hands brought us close, so close I understood why many debated the morality of this dance. I could feel her breath, taste it in the air between us.
We watched each other for longer than either of us had allowed before. Then the music quickened, and our steps moved faster. My hands dropped to her sides, and Anna held my shoulders as we spun, faster and faster, focused only on each other. So fast, I feared I’d drop her or she’d slip out of my arms, so I tightened my hold on her waist just as Anna’s foot knocked into mine, and she tripped.
She fell into my chest. I pulled her upright. “Dash it all. Forgive me, Anna, for my misstep.”
Another couple had also failed to keep the pace and were moving away from the dancers.
But Anna only swayed as she laughed breathlessly. “Good heavens. I think he’s playing too fast,” she said, completely unconcerned that anyone had seen her falter. “Shall we finish?”
“Are you certain? I could get you a glass of lemonade ...”
Her gaze trailed over my face. “I’d rather dance with you, actually. If you don’t mind.”
My heart fluttered against my chest like a caged bird, and I did not hesitate. I took her hands in mine, and she grinned.
The dancers were back in their original positions, the music slowing, and I raised our hands above our heads, one hand at her waist, her hand on my shoulder. We started slow.Her skirts brushed against my knees as we spun, entrancing my every thought. I would never forget this waltz or how it felt to move in tandem with her. To gaze, uninhibited, into her honey-brown eyes, so clear and beautiful I could fall right into them.
We spun round, and I couldn’t think of anything worth saying that would elevate this moment in my memory. I could not take my eyes off her as our feet slowed with the music. Her chest rose and fell with breaths that equaled mine in measure, and as the last notes of the waltz echoed in the hall, she watched me like I was the only other person in the room.
“Thank you,” she said on a breath. Her grip loosened on my shoulder, but she did not quite let go of me.
“The pleasure is entirely mine, I assure you.” I released her waist, then turned her hand in mine, mindlessly thumbing her palm.
Anna’s lips parted, and then—
A cough. And a man waiting nearby.
A gent Anna recognized from London asked her for the next set, and after ensuring she was comfortable, I trailed off, not quite walking a straight line.
Lud, she was unlike any other woman. A category all her own.
