Standing in a corner of the ballroom, I soaked everything in. Running my hands down my light blue gown that flowed freely and casually around my body, I felt the air brush lightly off my plunging backline. Men’s eyes looked curiously at me as they passed by, studying the lines of pearls draped over my shoulders that held up my gown. Clenching the fabric, I kept my chin up, a little uncomfortable at all my exposed skin.
Eve hadn’t stopped asking questions since Isabella had asked us to join. She patiently answered all of them, from how women were courted to the kinds of foods and entertainment that were popular there. The courting of ladies was interesting, as a man would fight to keep his interests known to other men. It sounded barbaric, but I hadn’t been fought over before. It could be romantic.
“This is beyond words,” Eve murmured. “I never dreamed of something like this, have you, A?”
I never knew that anything like this even existed, which made my craving for traveling the world that much more enticing.
“No, I haven’t,” I replied, peering over at her. She was dressed in a strapless ruby gown, a sheer piece of fabric covering her bosom. “The people are so lighthearted and cheerful. Look at how much fun they are having just dancing. No steps, just moving to the rhythm.”
Couples moved effortlessly around the floor. Some held hands while others swayed casually in front of each other. The steps were uncalculated, graceful, and fascinating.
“Makes me wonder how different the men are.” She tugged at my arm. “Come, let us discover everything what Aruna has to offer. Deal?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. “Deal.”
∞∞∞
“You dance divinely, my Lady,” His Eminence, Kai Faure, said, as he twirled me around the dance floor.
“It is easy to be a good dancer when there aren’t any steps to follow.”
“Regardless,” he countered, “let me compliment my dancing partner. It’s rare for a woman to not know who I am. You took a shot to my pride.”
“I’ve lived a sheltered life,” I deadpan. Kai was the fourth son of the Emperor of Aruna and made sure I was aware of it within seconds of our meeting. He was pleasant to look at, with sandy brown hair and eyes, and olive skin that matched many of the guests here. My only issue was that he talked too much and was killing my fuzzy feeling from my intake of multiple drinks.
“So I’ve been told,” he replied in a low, husky voice. “You were stored away like an expensive jewel. Nothing so beautiful and extraordinary should be kept away. It should be shown off like a magnificent piece of art. You were born in the wrong country. We would have treated you like the goddess you are.”
“If I had a shilling for every time someone said that to me, Your Eminence, I would be richer than you,” I teased with a grin. That earned me a large smile.
His eyes glimmered. “Duly noted. It shall never be spoken about again.”
“Again?” I widened my eyes. “You mean I have to suffer through another conversation with you, Your Eminence?”
He chuckled. “Only if you want to, my darling.” He leaned in. “I don’t chase women, they chase me.”
The closeness didn’t affect me, for some reason. Maybe it was the liquor, or the fact that he didn’t intimidate me with his status, but he intrigued me.
I slanted my body closer to his. “And here I thought you were using your position for the good of the people.”
Kai smiled. “A certain sex of people, yes.”
Normally, I would have blushed with the innuendo; instead, I laughed. He was a swindler of women, but I couldn’t judge him. I envied his ability to move on so quickly. He wasn’t afraid to be with someone; even though he was probably only with them for a night.
“Are you sure you haven’t been to my country? You are a lovely dancer, my Lady.” Kai beamed.
“You said that already,” I pointed out, which made him throw back his head and laugh.
“I need to brush up on my compliments.”
I shrugged. “I’ve only heard one come out of your mouth. Do you have more?”
Goodness, these spirits made me just blurt out whatever I was thinking.
“I have more to show you, yes,” he rasped. “I would be more than honored to show you more.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that, Your—”
“Your Grace, may I cut in?” The voice made me cringe. Following the direction of it, I was greeted by Garrett standing near us, his cold eyes locked on me. Kai released my hand but kept his other around my waist.
“Cranfield, how are you?” Kai asked in a friendly tone.
Garrett’s gaze studied Kai’s hand still wrapped around my body. “Well,” he replied. “Traveling around again?”
“Always,” Kai replied. “Too much to see.”
“Indeed.”
Kai leaned close to me and whispered, “I’ll come for another dance later, and we’ll talk.”
He released me then, and bid Garrett goodbye.
We stood, looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity. My hands clenched together at my sides, his narrowed focus on me, as if he was debating whether or not to chastise me in the middle of the dance floor. Instead, he held out a hand to me, and I looked around, trying to think of a way to escape this dance but coming up empty. The heat of his hand engulfed mine as he pulled me toward him. My body brushed up against his perfect chest while his other hand wrapped around my waist possessively; his grip confirmed he was displeased.
“So, you’ve met the notorious rake, I see,” Garrett noted as he started to move. The music had begun to slow, and couples around us cuddled closer together. A shockwave darted through me as he laced his fingers with mine.
“I have. He is very nice.” I forced myself to keep talking; anything to not focus on the surrounding tension. The air between us was charged, powering up from the last moment we had together that was so abruptly interrupted. Every nerve ending in my body was alert and craving his touch.
Traitor.
“To a beautiful woman, I wouldn’t expect anything else.” He raised a brow. “He is trying to get you to be one of his many mistresses.”
“Does it come with freedom?”
Garrett stared down at me. “What?”
“Because I’ll take it if it does.”
He glared at me, spinning my body around once and pulling me back hard against his chest. His fingers pressed firmly into my side. It didn’t hurt, but he was most certainly irritated.
“And how many drinks have you had tonight? My man lost count,” he rumbled.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Spying again?”
He leaned down and whispered, “Always.”
I pulled my head away from his invasion of my space and looked to my right, but Garrett quickly stole my attention again. He touched the strings of pearls decorating my back, his fingers sweeping carelessly across my skin as if he owned it.
“Did my mother dress you in this?” His voice was gravelly and barely a whisper, his gaze sliding over my exposed shoulders.
I nodded.
“You’ve turned my own mother against me. And the more I think about it, the more I’m starting to realize you may be the enemy I’ve been searching for.”
That got my attention.
“I’m sorry?”
“First, your sweet demeanor when we first met. You were kind and gentle, letting me win a few of our card games to keep some of my pride intact.”
I raised a brow. “Unfortunately, no. You won those fairly.”
“So you say,” he continued. “Then I meet you again. More beautiful than I remembered, like you were designed specifically for a man to eat out of the palm of your hand…like a goddess. Someone to be worshiped.”
“What in the world are you talking about, Garr?”
He spread his fingers across the bare skin of my back and pulled me closer.
“You’ve spun a web and got me tangled into it. Now I’m acting like a fucking fool, chasing a woman around, demanding she speak to me, and defending myself over shit that has nothing to do with her. Does that make sense to you?”
I furrowed my brows. “Are you drunk?”
He looked over my shoulder. “I wish I were.”
Pulling from him, I said, “I’ll go find you som—”
He jerked me back to him, his eyes hooded. “You aren’t going anywhere.” He cleared his throat. “Are you enjoying the new experience?”
Which one? The one where I want to be ravished fully by you, or the party?
“Uhh...I— Yes. It’s…” I looked up at him, his blues piercing through my green eyes. “Fucking beautiful.”