interested in most of the men here.”
His hand slid to the small of her back, pressing her closer as his blood surged. “Why not? There are plenty of rich men here who I’m sure would buy you whatever you wanted if you’d only dance with them like this.” Was she one of the numerous trophy wives and girlfriends the older men paraded around like acquisitions? Sheila McNamara had thought so. Josh wanted to know. He found he didn’t like the idea of sharing this woman with someone else.
He reached up and touched her hair, running his fingers over a silky curl. He traced her hairline with a finger, wondering who this strange, compelling woman was. She gazed up into his eyes, lashes lowing slowly over her lambent irises. But when his fingertip touched the edge of her mask, she turned her head away.
“Ah-ah-ah,” she chastised, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, nails digging into the back of his neck again. “No fair peeking, Joshua.”
He slid his hand back around her, stroking his thumb over her back, pressing into the slight dip at the base of her spine. She shivered. Josh smiled. “You didn’t answer my question.”
She threw back her head and laughed, loud and long. Other dancers turned to look. Josh wasn’t surprised. The sound was rich and carnal and joyous. His body tightened in response to it. She pressed against him, lips curling up in a sinful smile. “Don’t be coy, Joshua. No matter how much money the other men here have, they can’t buy what you’ve gotten for free.” She lifted her hand to trace the edge of his jaw with one finger.
He cocked a brow. “So you want me for my body?” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun flirting with a woman. Madame Butterfly gave as good as she got, bantering confidently. She was verbally jousting with him, playful and sexy at once. It was so tempting.
She arched a dark brow at him. “Well, I can hardly lick champagne off your dazzling personality, now can I?”
It was Josh’s turn to laugh, though the sound came out low and husky. He twirled her into a turn, flaring the dramatic skirt of her dress. “Is that a proposition, Madame Butterfly?” He’d been enjoying his ball well enough before he’d seen her. The games were a hit. He’d played a round of Hide-and-Seek himself, and jacks, as well. But neither was half as fun as dancing and sparring with this mystery woman. There was something to be said for adult entertainments, too, after all.
“What would you say if it was?” she asked, her fingers twining in his hair. He inclined his head just a little, bringing his mouth closer to hers.
“I’d say the other men here were out of luck. Because no matter what they might offer to steal you away, I’d top it.”
The music faded to a close, and she stepped suddenly out of his arms. The sensual smile had faded from her full lips and her eyes snapped with fire. “Now you’re just being insulting, Joshua. For one thing, I can’t be bought. And for another, I wouldn’t want you or these other cretins to waste your money on me. Though lord knows you’ll all find a way to squander it on something as equally pointless as trying to buy a woman’s affections, regardless.”
For a moment she pressed her mouth together in a disapproving moue. Josh felt a small niggle of familiarity at the expression. He watched her smooth her expression to careful haughtiness and lost the thought almost as soon as he’d found it.
He held up his hands as the first faint strains of another waltz began. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to insinuate you were for sale, only that you were worth a wealth of riches.”
She started pushing through the crowd away from him, but he caught her elbow. “Please, believe me. It was a poorly worded joke, that’s all.”
Her bare shoulders were still tense, but she allowed him to draw her back into his arms. Her mouth softened from its firm
His hand slid to the small of her back, pressing her closer as his blood surged. “Why not? There are plenty of rich men here who I’m sure would buy you whatever you wanted if you’d only dance with them like this.” Was she one of the numerous trophy wives and girlfriends the older men paraded around like acquisitions? Sheila McNamara had thought so. Josh wanted to know. He found he didn’t like the idea of sharing this woman with someone else.
He reached up and touched her hair, running his fingers over a silky curl. He traced her hairline with a finger, wondering who this strange, compelling woman was. She gazed up into his eyes, lashes lowing slowly over her lambent irises. But when his fingertip touched the edge of her mask, she turned her head away.
“Ah-ah-ah,” she chastised, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, nails digging into the back of his neck again. “No fair peeking, Joshua.”
He slid his hand back around her, stroking his thumb over her back, pressing into the slight dip at the base of her spine. She shivered. Josh smiled. “You didn’t answer my question.”
She threw back her head and laughed, loud and long. Other dancers turned to look. Josh wasn’t surprised. The sound was rich and carnal and joyous. His body tightened in response to it. She pressed against him, lips curling up in a sinful smile. “Don’t be coy, Joshua. No matter how much money the other men here have, they can’t buy what you’ve gotten for free.” She lifted her hand to trace the edge of his jaw with one finger.
He cocked a brow. “So you want me for my body?” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun flirting with a woman. Madame Butterfly gave as good as she got, bantering confidently. She was verbally jousting with him, playful and sexy at once. It was so tempting.
She arched a dark brow at him. “Well, I can hardly lick champagne off your dazzling personality, now can I?”
It was Josh’s turn to laugh, though the sound came out low and husky. He twirled her into a turn, flaring the dramatic skirt of her dress. “Is that a proposition, Madame Butterfly?” He’d been enjoying his ball well enough before he’d seen her. The games were a hit. He’d played a round of Hide-and-Seek himself, and jacks, as well. But neither was half as fun as dancing and sparring with this mystery woman. There was something to be said for adult entertainments, too, after all.
“What would you say if it was?” she asked, her fingers twining in his hair. He inclined his head just a little, bringing his mouth closer to hers.
“I’d say the other men here were out of luck. Because no matter what they might offer to steal you away, I’d top it.”
The music faded to a close, and she stepped suddenly out of his arms. The sensual smile had faded from her full lips and her eyes snapped with fire. “Now you’re just being insulting, Joshua. For one thing, I can’t be bought. And for another, I wouldn’t want you or these other cretins to waste your money on me. Though lord knows you’ll all find a way to squander it on something as equally pointless as trying to buy a woman’s affections, regardless.”
For a moment she pressed her mouth together in a disapproving moue. Josh felt a small niggle of familiarity at the expression. He watched her smooth her expression to careful haughtiness and lost the thought almost as soon as he’d found it.
He held up his hands as the first faint strains of another waltz began. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to insinuate you were for sale, only that you were worth a wealth of riches.”
She started pushing through the crowd away from him, but he caught her elbow. “Please, believe me. It was a poorly worded joke, that’s all.”
Her bare shoulders were still tense, but she allowed him to draw her back into his arms. Her mouth softened from its firm
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