Probably a game—they were rare in this part of the galaxy, but not unheard of. “Did you forget our dance?”
Aiden jumped, clutching the screen to his chest. “Lord Deverell.”
Pulling the computer away from his torso a tiny bit, he peeked down at it, then darted a glance back at Nate while hiding the device against himself again. He blanched and pushed a button on the top, turning the thing off, before hastily tucking away the stylus and depositing it in his inside coat pocket. “It slipped my mind.”
Nate raised a brow. Had it? Aiden seemed earnest, but given the circumstances of their promised dance… What was he hiding? He hadn’t wanted Nate to see what he’d been doing on the computer. Nate held out his hand. “Would you like to go dance? We haven’t missed it.”
-77-
J.L. Langley
“Listen, Lord Deverell, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“Yes?” Nate took a seat next to him. This should be interesting.
“About the tree incident.” He stared right into Nate’s eyes, meeting his gaze.
Ahh… “ Yes?”
“I was wondering if we could keep that between the two of us?” Aiden fixed him with a pointed glare, almost daring Nate to refuse him.
Nate suppressed a grin. The man had grit, he’d give him that. There was a lot of substance behind the handsome face. “Why?”
“Why?” Aiden parroted.
No way was Nate going to make this easy. “Yes. Why?” He took hold of Aiden’s chin, forcing him to keep his gaze. It was rather forward, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He longed to touch the man, even if only through gloves. His errant cock seemed to like the idea of touching Aiden too. It began to fill with blood, hardening, just as it did every time he thought of the prince since laying eyes on him that afternoon. Not for the first time he cursed this society, his own honor and especially Aiden’s innocence.
Aiden’s gaze drifted down to Nate’s lips for several seconds before meeting his eyes once more. Blinking, he pulled back. “Well…because it’s not at all proper for me to be in a tree.”
Now he thought of that? How convenient. What was he thinking before? Nate already figured out that Aiden had little care for what society thought. If he did he wouldn’t have tossed the dance card, nor would he be out here on his computer in the middle of a ball. The corner of Nate’s mouth twitched. “Then why were you?”
Aiden bit his bottom lip and wrung his hands together in his lap, making his shoulders flex.
Damn , the man was something else.
“Because I was dra—because I needed some fresh air.” Aiden frowned and dipped his head once.
-78-
My Fair Captain
He was lying, that much was obvious, but why? Whatever the reason, Nate had the absurd urge to pull the man forward and try to kiss the truth out of him. The sooner he got the prince back inside with a roomful of people, the better. “Aiden?”
“Yes?”
“Come on. You promised me a dance.” Nate grabbed hold of one firm arm and tugged Aiden off the bench and toward the ballroom. Holding him close was going to do nothing for his peace of mind—but at least being in front of a crowd should abolish his erection and the yearning to kiss the man.
They entered the ballroom as the orchestra started the waltz. He turned Aiden to face him and swept the prince into the dance.
Aiden felt good—right—in his arms. Aiden had to look up a little to meet Nate’s gaze. He was stiff at first, but it soon became apparent he was a very graceful dancer. It surprised Nate. As adverse as the prince seemed to be to dancing, Nate half expected him to be a bit awkward and on the clumsy side, but he wasn’t.
The man was an enigma. He didn’t like to dance, yet he did it beautifully. He was attracted to Nate, although he obviously didn’t want to be. Then there was the computer.
Aiden was distracted at first, his gaze raking over Nate’s face, like he was cataloguing features.
What was he looking at? Nate
Aiden jumped, clutching the screen to his chest. “Lord Deverell.”
Pulling the computer away from his torso a tiny bit, he peeked down at it, then darted a glance back at Nate while hiding the device against himself again. He blanched and pushed a button on the top, turning the thing off, before hastily tucking away the stylus and depositing it in his inside coat pocket. “It slipped my mind.”
Nate raised a brow. Had it? Aiden seemed earnest, but given the circumstances of their promised dance… What was he hiding? He hadn’t wanted Nate to see what he’d been doing on the computer. Nate held out his hand. “Would you like to go dance? We haven’t missed it.”
-77-
J.L. Langley
“Listen, Lord Deverell, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“Yes?” Nate took a seat next to him. This should be interesting.
“About the tree incident.” He stared right into Nate’s eyes, meeting his gaze.
Ahh… “ Yes?”
“I was wondering if we could keep that between the two of us?” Aiden fixed him with a pointed glare, almost daring Nate to refuse him.
Nate suppressed a grin. The man had grit, he’d give him that. There was a lot of substance behind the handsome face. “Why?”
“Why?” Aiden parroted.
No way was Nate going to make this easy. “Yes. Why?” He took hold of Aiden’s chin, forcing him to keep his gaze. It was rather forward, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He longed to touch the man, even if only through gloves. His errant cock seemed to like the idea of touching Aiden too. It began to fill with blood, hardening, just as it did every time he thought of the prince since laying eyes on him that afternoon. Not for the first time he cursed this society, his own honor and especially Aiden’s innocence.
Aiden’s gaze drifted down to Nate’s lips for several seconds before meeting his eyes once more. Blinking, he pulled back. “Well…because it’s not at all proper for me to be in a tree.”
Now he thought of that? How convenient. What was he thinking before? Nate already figured out that Aiden had little care for what society thought. If he did he wouldn’t have tossed the dance card, nor would he be out here on his computer in the middle of a ball. The corner of Nate’s mouth twitched. “Then why were you?”
Aiden bit his bottom lip and wrung his hands together in his lap, making his shoulders flex.
Damn , the man was something else.
“Because I was dra—because I needed some fresh air.” Aiden frowned and dipped his head once.
-78-
My Fair Captain
He was lying, that much was obvious, but why? Whatever the reason, Nate had the absurd urge to pull the man forward and try to kiss the truth out of him. The sooner he got the prince back inside with a roomful of people, the better. “Aiden?”
“Yes?”
“Come on. You promised me a dance.” Nate grabbed hold of one firm arm and tugged Aiden off the bench and toward the ballroom. Holding him close was going to do nothing for his peace of mind—but at least being in front of a crowd should abolish his erection and the yearning to kiss the man.
They entered the ballroom as the orchestra started the waltz. He turned Aiden to face him and swept the prince into the dance.
Aiden felt good—right—in his arms. Aiden had to look up a little to meet Nate’s gaze. He was stiff at first, but it soon became apparent he was a very graceful dancer. It surprised Nate. As adverse as the prince seemed to be to dancing, Nate half expected him to be a bit awkward and on the clumsy side, but he wasn’t.
The man was an enigma. He didn’t like to dance, yet he did it beautifully. He was attracted to Nate, although he obviously didn’t want to be. Then there was the computer.
Aiden was distracted at first, his gaze raking over Nate’s face, like he was cataloguing features.
What was he looking at? Nate
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