“Someone else?”
God, I wished I had a glass of champagne to hold. I lowered my eyes, uncomfortable. Why did I feel so weak right now, when I had managed alone on the streets for months?
“Maybe.”
“Who?” Henry demanded.
I couldn’t keep up the lie. “Two women. I don’t know who they were. I overheard them in the restroom. They had no idea I was there and could hear them.”
Henry’s jaw tensed. “What did they say?”
I really didn’t want to repeat it, knowing it would make him angry, but it was too late to backpedal. “They said my dress looked cheap and that—that I’m ugly,” I confessed hesitantly. “They think that you’re only here with me to divert attention from your dad. They think I’m beneath you. And that I’ve lowered the bar for whoever you’re with next.”
“That’s a load of bullshit.”
“It’s fine.” I didn’t want to ruin his evening.
“No, it’s not!” he hissed, and I saw his hands clench into fists on the balcony railing, the skin of his knuckles turning white. “You really don’t know who they were?”
I shook my head.
“That’s a shame. I’d have thrown them out if you did. They don’t know what they’re talking about. You’re not beneath me—they’re beneath you. And you’re not here as a distraction, but because there’s no one else I’d rather be with.”
I swallowed hard. “Really?”
“Really.” He turned to face me, standing so close that our bodies touched. He had unclenched his fists, and with a tenderness that had been unimaginable just moments ago, he stroked my cheek. A hot shiver ran up my spine as Henry gently reached for my angel mask and carefully pulled it off my face, leaving me with nothing to hide my feelings behind. “Promise me something.”
“Anything.”
He placed my mask on the balcony railing and then touched my face again, gently tracing its contours with his thumb until hereached my chin. He gripped it with a tender firmness that made it impossible for me to look away. “Promise me you won’t believe those women.”
I wanted to reply, but I couldn’t—Henry left me speechless. Maybe it was his words. Maybe it was the warmth of his fingers on my skin. Or maybe it was just the tenderness in his eyes, a look that was at odds with his devilish mask.
“Promise me,” Henry insisted, pressing his thumb against my lower lip as if he could coax the words from me. “You can’t believe it. They’re wrong. You’ve never looked more beautiful than you do tonight. You’re gorgeous. Your dress is stunning. And I have no idea how it’s possible, but my tailcoat looks a thousand times better on you than it does on me. You could wear a bin bag, and you’d still be beautiful. There’s nothing in this world that could ruin your beauty, my angel.”
My heart faltered at the nickname, and the butterflies in my stomach intensified when Henry cupped my face in his hands. Without taking his eyes off mine, he leaned towards me. I felt his warm breath on my lips. My eyelids fluttered in response, mirroring the pounding of my heart, and then his mouth touched mine. I let out a sigh of pleasure. The kiss was everything I’d dreamed it would be—and more. It was sweet yet insistent, tender yet firm. It was as though Henry was trying to tell me with his body as well as his words that the gossip meant nothing to him. It didn’t matter.
Only we mattered.
Henry and I.
AweI certainly hadn’t seen coming when I had stolen his phone from his coat—one of the best decisions of my life.
I stood on my tiptoes, pressing myself against him, letting him know that while I appreciated his tenderness, this wasn’tthe moment for it. I had been craving his kiss for much longer than I wanted to admit, and I had no patience for his restraint. Emboldened by his words, I parted my lips for him. He didn’t hold back, kissing me deeply, as if he had been just as impatient as I was. His tongue flicked between my lips, making me feel briefly but intoxicatingly dizzy, a sensation I felt all the way to my fingertips.
The taste of Henry was exhilarating: sparkling champagne and the thrill of something new. I wrapped an arm around his neck to press myself even closer, while his hands slipped beneath his tailcoat to touch my bare back, exposed by the deep cut of my dress. I cursed his gloves. I could almost feel his skin against mine, but it wasn’t enough—I wanted more. Just ten minutes ago, I had regretted coming to the ball, but in this moment, my only regret was that we hadn’t done this sooner. Kissing Henry felt overwhelming and was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I hadn’t known it was possible to be kissed so all-consumingly.
His hands trailed down my back until they reached my bum. The long tailcoat he’d draped over me hid what was happening beneath. He gripped me, pulling me against his hips. I gasped, and a low growl rumbled in Henry’s chest as my pelvis pushed against the unmistakable evidence of his arousal. He was hard. Rock-hard. And that was just from our kiss. Wow.
The molten heat spreading through me pooled between my thighs. I surrendered completely to Henry’s kiss, only dimly aware of the balcony door opening. The sounds of the ball grew louder—but I didn’t care. Nothing but the sensation of Henry’s lips on mine mattered.
At least, not until Mr. Darlington’s sharp voice sliced through the night. “Henry, get your arse back inside. You have guests!”
Henry muttered a quiet curse against my lips and kissed me again before pulling away. I loved that he didn’t jerk back like a teenager caught doing something forbidden by his parents. And why should he? He wasn’t a teenager, he was a man—the evidence of which I could still feel pressing against my hip. Henry met my eyes for a moment, assuring me silently that the kiss would be continued, before turning to face his dad. Richard stood impatiently in the doorway. I could only imagine how surly his expression was beneath his mask.
“I’m coming. Give me a minute.”
His dad hesitated, as if considering insisting that Henry come immediately, but then he gave a curt nod and stepped back inside, leaving the glass door open as a pointed reminder. The moment when it had been just Henry, me, and the fire between us was over.
