her voice husky.
Was she trying to convince herself of that, or him?
He didn’t respond, nor did he release her. The best thing for the both of them would be to resume mingling. But there was no denying that for an infinitesimal moment the most monumental, boldest move he could have ever made had changed everything between them.
And he’d be damned if she expected him to forget it.
“Is it really so bad?” he asked.
She nibbled on her bottom lip as she assessed him with renewed interest. “This can’t happen between us.”
“You felt it, Jess.” He released her suddenly, his arms braced on the wall behind her, framing her delicate figure, giving her a chance to take flight if that was what she so desperately wanted. “Don’t tell me you didn’t feel something more between us.”
She cupped the side of his face as she stared at him. “This can never be.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
She lowered her hand to press her palm against his chest. Could she feel his heart strumming crazily?
“Don’t ask this of me,” she whispered. “I need you to be my friend.”
Didn’t she know that there was no way they could go back from this? He’d always be her friend, but everything had changed the first moment his lips had brushed across hers.
Chapter 8
Lady A—— was seen on the arm of Mr. W—— at the annual M——s’ masked ball. Their association was so much more friendly than previously noted that this writer predicts Mr. W——’s townhouse for his mistresses shall be set up with a new resident before month’s end. Mayfair Chronicles , July 1846What in the world had just happened between her and Hayden?
Better yet, how had it happened at all?
Jessica stared up at Hayden, not sure what to do. Did she leave him here and wander around the masked ball to find another bag of trouble or did she stay right where she was in the arms of the man she trusted above all else?
If she stayed would he expect their kissing to resume? She pressed her fingers to her lips. She could still taste and feel him—and admittedly that wasn’t a bad thing.
Her thoughts were troubling. She wasn’t thinking rationally.
She would not chance ruining one of the most important things in her life. If she lost Hayden … there would be nothing left that mattered. When she met his serious gaze, she realized that nothing would be the same between them again.
As though he was reading her thoughts, he assured her, “You’ll always have my friendship, Jez.”
He squeezed her chin lightly between his forefinger and thumb. “For now, I’ll let this go, but we’ll discuss this in detail later.”
She pulled out of his hold and walked around him. She couldn’t be in this place anymore, with people she loathed all around her, with her husband’s inner circle of friends whom she despised. She needed to escape the insanity of what her life had become, and tonight’s distraction was no longer working. She’d hoped to find Warren in a disparaging position, one she could leverage to her own advantage in negotiating her stay at the Fallon house. Instead, she found him conversing with others, as though debauchery weren’t happening everywhere you turned in the room.
And now, with what Hayden was asking of her … it was too great a risk. She needed to think this through, weigh the consequences, before she dared to do anything that might ruin one of the most beautiful, reliable, and solid relationships in her life.
Hayden wasn’t far behind her and looped her arm through his as he walked beside her
“Are we done here?” he asked.
She felt an edge of anger in his tone. Was it directed at her? She couldn’t say, nor did she want to ask him.
“I think it wise we leave.” Her voice came off just as cold. None of the warmth was left from their private moment.
“Then we’ll call for our carriage.”
He led her through the ballroom and toward the foyer, his steps determined. Did he want to be away from
Was she trying to convince herself of that, or him?
He didn’t respond, nor did he release her. The best thing for the both of them would be to resume mingling. But there was no denying that for an infinitesimal moment the most monumental, boldest move he could have ever made had changed everything between them.
And he’d be damned if she expected him to forget it.
“Is it really so bad?” he asked.
She nibbled on her bottom lip as she assessed him with renewed interest. “This can’t happen between us.”
“You felt it, Jess.” He released her suddenly, his arms braced on the wall behind her, framing her delicate figure, giving her a chance to take flight if that was what she so desperately wanted. “Don’t tell me you didn’t feel something more between us.”
She cupped the side of his face as she stared at him. “This can never be.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
She lowered her hand to press her palm against his chest. Could she feel his heart strumming crazily?
“Don’t ask this of me,” she whispered. “I need you to be my friend.”
Didn’t she know that there was no way they could go back from this? He’d always be her friend, but everything had changed the first moment his lips had brushed across hers.
Chapter 8
Lady A—— was seen on the arm of Mr. W—— at the annual M——s’ masked ball. Their association was so much more friendly than previously noted that this writer predicts Mr. W——’s townhouse for his mistresses shall be set up with a new resident before month’s end. Mayfair Chronicles , July 1846What in the world had just happened between her and Hayden?
Better yet, how had it happened at all?
Jessica stared up at Hayden, not sure what to do. Did she leave him here and wander around the masked ball to find another bag of trouble or did she stay right where she was in the arms of the man she trusted above all else?
If she stayed would he expect their kissing to resume? She pressed her fingers to her lips. She could still taste and feel him—and admittedly that wasn’t a bad thing.
Her thoughts were troubling. She wasn’t thinking rationally.
She would not chance ruining one of the most important things in her life. If she lost Hayden … there would be nothing left that mattered. When she met his serious gaze, she realized that nothing would be the same between them again.
As though he was reading her thoughts, he assured her, “You’ll always have my friendship, Jez.”
He squeezed her chin lightly between his forefinger and thumb. “For now, I’ll let this go, but we’ll discuss this in detail later.”
She pulled out of his hold and walked around him. She couldn’t be in this place anymore, with people she loathed all around her, with her husband’s inner circle of friends whom she despised. She needed to escape the insanity of what her life had become, and tonight’s distraction was no longer working. She’d hoped to find Warren in a disparaging position, one she could leverage to her own advantage in negotiating her stay at the Fallon house. Instead, she found him conversing with others, as though debauchery weren’t happening everywhere you turned in the room.
And now, with what Hayden was asking of her … it was too great a risk. She needed to think this through, weigh the consequences, before she dared to do anything that might ruin one of the most beautiful, reliable, and solid relationships in her life.
Hayden wasn’t far behind her and looped her arm through his as he walked beside her
“Are we done here?” he asked.
She felt an edge of anger in his tone. Was it directed at her? She couldn’t say, nor did she want to ask him.
“I think it wise we leave.” Her voice came off just as cold. None of the warmth was left from their private moment.
“Then we’ll call for our carriage.”
He led her through the ballroom and toward the foyer, his steps determined. Did he want to be away from
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