detail, the grand ballroom and its colorful occupants.
A gentleman taking snuff stopped with his fingers halfway to his nostrils to ogle her chest. Olivia glanced down, realizing her décolletage was slipping. It was already so low that it barely clung to the upper swell of her breasts and was dangerously close to exposing the pink circles of her areolas. Olivia gave the neckline a surreptitious tug. It was all very well to play at being a demimondaine, but she had no intention of showing her naked body to anyone but Wicked Nic Lacey.
The snuff-taking gentleman was trying to catch her eye, but she ignored him, setting out to circlethe room again. If she didn’t find Nic soon she’d have to rethink her plans. Perhaps he’d changed his mind, perhaps he wasn’t here after all and this had all been for nothing…
And then she saw him.
His long body was folded against the wall, and he looked devastatingly handsome in his evening wear. A swath of dark hair had fallen over his brow, giving him an even more rakish appearance than usual. How could any woman not give him a second, or even a third, glance? As she watched, he sipped from his glass, his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the passing parade of women, coolly assessing them. He was like a groom at a horse fair on the lookout for a new mare.
The metaphor made her flush. Such thoughts were not for respectable young ladies. But Olivia had discovered she was different from the others of her class and position, and if Nic didn’t know it by now, then he soon would.
He sipped his champagne again. She was directly in his line of sight now, but he seemed to be concentrating on the redhead next to her, the one with the appallingly horsy laugh. Just as she thought he’d never see her, and she’d have to go around again, his gaze shifted and he looked straight at her.
Nic’s expression went blank with shocked surprise. He straightened up, and she saw anger flash into his dark eyes, as they slid over her black dress and lingered on all that bare, exposed flesh. Anger turned to outrage as his gaze returned tohers, holding her frozen for a brief moment that seemed an eternity, before her steps took her past him.
She realized she was trembling.
Olivia knew she was a little afraid of his anger, but at the same time, the memory of his eyes scalding her bare skin was exciting and shocking, almost as if he had physically touched her. She knew it was up to her now. To soothe Nic’s temper and show him that she was not the untouchable young lady he believed her to be, and that there was absolutely no need for him to be noble.
“What in Hades are you doing here, Olivia?”
She jumped before she could stop herself as his angry voice rasped in her ear. He slipped his arm through hers and pulled her against his side, holding her there. She stumbled a little, steadied herself, before turning her head to look up into his face. She could see the emotion boiling in his dark eyes, turning his smile into a sneer. He was spoiling for a fight, but she wasn’t about to give him one.
“I don’t think my presence here is any of your business, Lord—”
“Nic or Lacey.” His voice was a furious hiss. “Tonight we are men and women first, lords and ladies second.”
“I wouldn’t have thought there were any ladies here.”
“You’d be surprised who’s here, Olivia.” His breath felt warm and intimate against her cheek.“And you haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”
“I did answer your question. It’s none of your business.”
“You knew I’d be here, didn’t you? Answer me.”
His fury was making him incautious, and others had noticed. They were openly watching and enjoying the scene, as if they were spectators at a cockfight. Olivia pulled away from him, forcing herself to smile gaily, as if he wasn’t glowering at her as if he’d like to throttle her.
“No, I won’t answer you. I’m here for my own personal and private reasons.” She widened
A gentleman taking snuff stopped with his fingers halfway to his nostrils to ogle her chest. Olivia glanced down, realizing her décolletage was slipping. It was already so low that it barely clung to the upper swell of her breasts and was dangerously close to exposing the pink circles of her areolas. Olivia gave the neckline a surreptitious tug. It was all very well to play at being a demimondaine, but she had no intention of showing her naked body to anyone but Wicked Nic Lacey.
The snuff-taking gentleman was trying to catch her eye, but she ignored him, setting out to circlethe room again. If she didn’t find Nic soon she’d have to rethink her plans. Perhaps he’d changed his mind, perhaps he wasn’t here after all and this had all been for nothing…
And then she saw him.
His long body was folded against the wall, and he looked devastatingly handsome in his evening wear. A swath of dark hair had fallen over his brow, giving him an even more rakish appearance than usual. How could any woman not give him a second, or even a third, glance? As she watched, he sipped from his glass, his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the passing parade of women, coolly assessing them. He was like a groom at a horse fair on the lookout for a new mare.
The metaphor made her flush. Such thoughts were not for respectable young ladies. But Olivia had discovered she was different from the others of her class and position, and if Nic didn’t know it by now, then he soon would.
He sipped his champagne again. She was directly in his line of sight now, but he seemed to be concentrating on the redhead next to her, the one with the appallingly horsy laugh. Just as she thought he’d never see her, and she’d have to go around again, his gaze shifted and he looked straight at her.
Nic’s expression went blank with shocked surprise. He straightened up, and she saw anger flash into his dark eyes, as they slid over her black dress and lingered on all that bare, exposed flesh. Anger turned to outrage as his gaze returned tohers, holding her frozen for a brief moment that seemed an eternity, before her steps took her past him.
She realized she was trembling.
Olivia knew she was a little afraid of his anger, but at the same time, the memory of his eyes scalding her bare skin was exciting and shocking, almost as if he had physically touched her. She knew it was up to her now. To soothe Nic’s temper and show him that she was not the untouchable young lady he believed her to be, and that there was absolutely no need for him to be noble.
“What in Hades are you doing here, Olivia?”
She jumped before she could stop herself as his angry voice rasped in her ear. He slipped his arm through hers and pulled her against his side, holding her there. She stumbled a little, steadied herself, before turning her head to look up into his face. She could see the emotion boiling in his dark eyes, turning his smile into a sneer. He was spoiling for a fight, but she wasn’t about to give him one.
“I don’t think my presence here is any of your business, Lord—”
“Nic or Lacey.” His voice was a furious hiss. “Tonight we are men and women first, lords and ladies second.”
“I wouldn’t have thought there were any ladies here.”
“You’d be surprised who’s here, Olivia.” His breath felt warm and intimate against her cheek.“And you haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”
“I did answer your question. It’s none of your business.”
“You knew I’d be here, didn’t you? Answer me.”
His fury was making him incautious, and others had noticed. They were openly watching and enjoying the scene, as if they were spectators at a cockfight. Olivia pulled away from him, forcing herself to smile gaily, as if he wasn’t glowering at her as if he’d like to throttle her.
“No, I won’t answer you. I’m here for my own personal and private reasons.” She widened
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