man in the room. Lexie wasn’t oblivious to the jealous looks the other women gave her as she twirled around the room in James’s arms. But he didn’t stir her blood like Nicholas did. She enjoyed talking to James, but she wondered if she would enjoy not talking to James as much as she enjoyed not talking to Nicholas, wondered if any other man would still be trying talk to her after weeks of silence. Wondered if he would play the game as Nicholas had.
And suspected not, because no one would play the game as Nicholas had.
That was, unfortunately, what made Nicholas so perfect.
And so dangerous.
A short time later, James excused himself to get refreshments. Lexie located Nicholas with her eyes, found him dancing with a pretty blonde who smiled up at him coquettishly, and Nicholas smiled in response. She felt a stab of jealousy she tried to suppress. She had no right to be jealous. He wasn’t hers, nor would he ever be. If she needed to flirt, she should flirt with James. It irritated Nicholas, and James wasn’t the danger to her heart Nicholas was.
No one was.
Nicholas caught her eye and winked at her, then caught his tongue between his teeth and smiled wickedly, tempting her to say something. His was an expression so blatantly seductive it set her skin on fire, and she had to turn her gaze away. When her eyes found him again, he had cast a similar look on his blond companion, and Lexie’s temper flared.
“Having fun, dear?” said a voice dark with anger.
Lexie whirled. And discovered the last person she wanted to see.
Her fiancé.
Chapter 7
“Mr. Buchanan!” Lexie exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Buchanan glared at her, his dark eyes glittering with anger. Just as she recalled, he was not an unattractive man, though he was substantially older than she: early fifties, with a shock of salt and pepper hair, bushy black brows, and strong features. His hand snaked out and took possession of her arm, pulling her onto the balcony off the ballroom and into the shadows. “I’m an invited guest, and a major contributor to the governor’s campaign. Perhaps a better question would be what are you doing here?”
“Mr. Wetherby brought me.”
Buchanan snarled, and for the first time since she’d agreed to marry him, Lexie was afraid. Every other time they’d met, he’d been cordial enough, though she knew him to be possessive. Maybe she had never given him a reason to be jealous. She never went out where she would meet eligible bachelors, and he had never seen her in the company of other men. “So I’ve heard. But why? If you’re serving in his house, why did he bring you? Where did you get those clothes? You’re dressed like a prostitute.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “This was the dress I had.”
“And the jewels?” he demanded angrily. “Did you just have those lying around, too? Because if you did, I suspect your father would have gambled them away by now. You wouldn’t have come begging to me.”
“Mr. Wetherby loaned these items to me. There’s nothing between us, I swear.”
But judging from the expression on Buchanan’s face, he believed it to be a lie, and no matter what Lexie told herself, it was one. She couldn’t escape the fact that whatever was brewing between her and Nicholas was fierce and powerful. At least it was on her part.
He grabbed her by the upper arms and forced her against the wall. Snarling, he said, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you let me pay your debt?”
She fought to catch her breath. He’d asked a fair question. Why hadn’t she let him pay her debt when he’d offered? Was it really all about her pride, or was it something more? Taking a few steps backward, she said, “Because you’d done so much for us already. Because Mr. Wetherby won me, not a sum of money, and it was me he wanted.” A dark look crossed Buchanan’s face. Scared, she hastily added, “He hates my father. I guess taking me seemed to be the best way to punish
And suspected not, because no one would play the game as Nicholas had.
That was, unfortunately, what made Nicholas so perfect.
And so dangerous.
A short time later, James excused himself to get refreshments. Lexie located Nicholas with her eyes, found him dancing with a pretty blonde who smiled up at him coquettishly, and Nicholas smiled in response. She felt a stab of jealousy she tried to suppress. She had no right to be jealous. He wasn’t hers, nor would he ever be. If she needed to flirt, she should flirt with James. It irritated Nicholas, and James wasn’t the danger to her heart Nicholas was.
No one was.
Nicholas caught her eye and winked at her, then caught his tongue between his teeth and smiled wickedly, tempting her to say something. His was an expression so blatantly seductive it set her skin on fire, and she had to turn her gaze away. When her eyes found him again, he had cast a similar look on his blond companion, and Lexie’s temper flared.
“Having fun, dear?” said a voice dark with anger.
Lexie whirled. And discovered the last person she wanted to see.
Her fiancé.
Chapter 7
“Mr. Buchanan!” Lexie exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Buchanan glared at her, his dark eyes glittering with anger. Just as she recalled, he was not an unattractive man, though he was substantially older than she: early fifties, with a shock of salt and pepper hair, bushy black brows, and strong features. His hand snaked out and took possession of her arm, pulling her onto the balcony off the ballroom and into the shadows. “I’m an invited guest, and a major contributor to the governor’s campaign. Perhaps a better question would be what are you doing here?”
“Mr. Wetherby brought me.”
Buchanan snarled, and for the first time since she’d agreed to marry him, Lexie was afraid. Every other time they’d met, he’d been cordial enough, though she knew him to be possessive. Maybe she had never given him a reason to be jealous. She never went out where she would meet eligible bachelors, and he had never seen her in the company of other men. “So I’ve heard. But why? If you’re serving in his house, why did he bring you? Where did you get those clothes? You’re dressed like a prostitute.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “This was the dress I had.”
“And the jewels?” he demanded angrily. “Did you just have those lying around, too? Because if you did, I suspect your father would have gambled them away by now. You wouldn’t have come begging to me.”
“Mr. Wetherby loaned these items to me. There’s nothing between us, I swear.”
But judging from the expression on Buchanan’s face, he believed it to be a lie, and no matter what Lexie told herself, it was one. She couldn’t escape the fact that whatever was brewing between her and Nicholas was fierce and powerful. At least it was on her part.
He grabbed her by the upper arms and forced her against the wall. Snarling, he said, “If that’s the case, why didn’t you let me pay your debt?”
She fought to catch her breath. He’d asked a fair question. Why hadn’t she let him pay her debt when he’d offered? Was it really all about her pride, or was it something more? Taking a few steps backward, she said, “Because you’d done so much for us already. Because Mr. Wetherby won me, not a sum of money, and it was me he wanted.” A dark look crossed Buchanan’s face. Scared, she hastily added, “He hates my father. I guess taking me seemed to be the best way to punish
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