that seemed familiar. Whether it was something about that serious expression or just the overly rich dinner, his stomach suddenly felt queasy. Thoughts of dancing with the redhead were still uppermost in his mind, however, so he had no intention of giving in to a little indigestion.
An idea popped into his head and Luke got up from his chair as well. “I heard you say you wanted to speak to the detective, Senator. I was just about to go in search of the men’s room. Perhaps I could escort Mrs. Jones back to her seat and you could have my chair for as long as you’d like.”
“How very thoughtful of you, Mr….”
“Madigan,” he supplied. “And it would be my pleasure.” He held out his arm to play the formal escort and she happily accepted his assistance.
“I am most appreciative, Mr. Madigan. These shoes may match my dress perfectly, but they were not made for marathon standing.” The smile she gave him was definitely flirtatious.
“Does that mean you’ll turn me down if I ask you to dance?” He held his hand over his heart as though it were breaking.
She giggled like a young girl. “That’s exactly what that means. However, since you’ve been such a gentleman, I’ll arrange it so that you can have the first dance with the lady you couldn’t keep your eyes off of earlier.”
Rather than try to deny that she’d seen right through his chivalrous intentions, he winked at her. “I don’t know about your husband, but you can count on my vote.”
The trek from one end of the ballroom to the other seemed to take forever, and several times Mrs. Jones seemed to stagger a bit. Luke wondered if her shoes were really causing her problems or if she was slightly inebriated. Before he could make a judgment, the orchestra played the first notes of its opening piece and he caught sight of his target. It looked like she and Brandon Ross were about to head for the dance floor when Mrs. Jones stepped in front of them.
“I need a favor, Miss Winters,” she said, sounding quite worn out. “I promised this charming gentleman that I’d dance the first dance with him but my feet are killing me.”
Ellery gave Luke an awkward smile, glanced at Brandon Ross then said, “Well, I already—”
“Brandon,” Mrs. Jones said, cutting her off. “I’d consider it an honor if you’d escort me back up to my table and chat with me for a while.”
He showed every one of his perfect, capped teeth and offered his arm.
“Shall we?” Luke asked the lady, who clearly was not accustomed to being manipulated by Mrs. Jones.
“Oh yes, of course.”
Luke waited until they had joined the other couples on the dance floor before introducing himself. Once again he tried to enchant her with the look and smile that had worked for him a hundred times before. “I’m Lucas Madigan. I teach English lit at UNC in Charlotte.”
“Do you enjoy that, Mr. Madigan?”
“Please, call me Luke. And I was hoping my telling you that bit of information would make you feel obliged to tell me something about yourself.” She almost smiled at that, but not quite.
“I’m sorry. I assumed Mrs. Jones had already filled you in on who I was. You didn’t look the least bit surprised about her handoff.”
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Luke had underestimated a woman he wanted to impress. Perhaps Terrell was right about Ellery Winters being out of his league.
Naw. He met her eyes directly. There were flecks within the hazel pupils almost the same shade of green as her dress. “Would I have been better off if I had told you that I begged her to set me up?” She came a little closer to a real smile this time.
“Better, but still not quite believable.”
He decided to try telling her the truth and see how that worked. By the time he told her how easily Mrs. Jones had figured him out, he received the smile he’d been going for.
“You definitely should get an A-plus for inventiveness, and if I hadn’t spent so many years in
An idea popped into his head and Luke got up from his chair as well. “I heard you say you wanted to speak to the detective, Senator. I was just about to go in search of the men’s room. Perhaps I could escort Mrs. Jones back to her seat and you could have my chair for as long as you’d like.”
“How very thoughtful of you, Mr….”
“Madigan,” he supplied. “And it would be my pleasure.” He held out his arm to play the formal escort and she happily accepted his assistance.
“I am most appreciative, Mr. Madigan. These shoes may match my dress perfectly, but they were not made for marathon standing.” The smile she gave him was definitely flirtatious.
“Does that mean you’ll turn me down if I ask you to dance?” He held his hand over his heart as though it were breaking.
She giggled like a young girl. “That’s exactly what that means. However, since you’ve been such a gentleman, I’ll arrange it so that you can have the first dance with the lady you couldn’t keep your eyes off of earlier.”
Rather than try to deny that she’d seen right through his chivalrous intentions, he winked at her. “I don’t know about your husband, but you can count on my vote.”
The trek from one end of the ballroom to the other seemed to take forever, and several times Mrs. Jones seemed to stagger a bit. Luke wondered if her shoes were really causing her problems or if she was slightly inebriated. Before he could make a judgment, the orchestra played the first notes of its opening piece and he caught sight of his target. It looked like she and Brandon Ross were about to head for the dance floor when Mrs. Jones stepped in front of them.
“I need a favor, Miss Winters,” she said, sounding quite worn out. “I promised this charming gentleman that I’d dance the first dance with him but my feet are killing me.”
Ellery gave Luke an awkward smile, glanced at Brandon Ross then said, “Well, I already—”
“Brandon,” Mrs. Jones said, cutting her off. “I’d consider it an honor if you’d escort me back up to my table and chat with me for a while.”
He showed every one of his perfect, capped teeth and offered his arm.
“Shall we?” Luke asked the lady, who clearly was not accustomed to being manipulated by Mrs. Jones.
“Oh yes, of course.”
Luke waited until they had joined the other couples on the dance floor before introducing himself. Once again he tried to enchant her with the look and smile that had worked for him a hundred times before. “I’m Lucas Madigan. I teach English lit at UNC in Charlotte.”
“Do you enjoy that, Mr. Madigan?”
“Please, call me Luke. And I was hoping my telling you that bit of information would make you feel obliged to tell me something about yourself.” She almost smiled at that, but not quite.
“I’m sorry. I assumed Mrs. Jones had already filled you in on who I was. You didn’t look the least bit surprised about her handoff.”
For the second time in a matter of minutes, Luke had underestimated a woman he wanted to impress. Perhaps Terrell was right about Ellery Winters being out of his league.
Naw. He met her eyes directly. There were flecks within the hazel pupils almost the same shade of green as her dress. “Would I have been better off if I had told you that I begged her to set me up?” She came a little closer to a real smile this time.
“Better, but still not quite believable.”
He decided to try telling her the truth and see how that worked. By the time he told her how easily Mrs. Jones had figured him out, he received the smile he’d been going for.
“You definitely should get an A-plus for inventiveness, and if I hadn’t spent so many years in
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