Large, brown eyes bored into hers, burnt into her with their emotion. Damn Joshua. He still stood there, stiff shouldered, with his arms crossed over his chest.
She narrowed her eyes, attempting to fire daggers into him. He had ruined everything tonight. Damn Joshua and his spying. Barging in like that. Oh, but Grey had been close to giving in. He’d been close to coming. She could still feel the velvet-over-steel smoothness of his cock on her tongue. Could still taste his salty fluids. And she’d wanted more. She’d wanted complete power over him. She’d wanted to swallow him whole.
If not for Joshua, that whole terrible scene afterwards would never have happened.
She hugged her arms. She needed a drink. Badly. But if she got foxed—here, tonight—then she’d really be in for it with Grey. She stole a glance at the stairway, then gritted her teeth at her behaviour. She was acting like a cowed schoolroom miss. Damn it, she’d have a drink if she wanted. She went to the sideboard where the refreshments were laid out for a cup of punch. She tossed it back. Damn Grey.
Damn Joshua.
Damn all men.
Double damn all gentlemen.
From the corner of her eye, she looked across the ballroom. Joshua glared back accusingly. How dare he act as if he had a right to be hurt?
She was sick unto death of men—of their selfish intolerance, their feeling of entitlement to dictate her behaviour. A flash of sparking anger shot through her. Devil take him! She’d show him he meant nothing to her. Nothing.
She set her cup down, took a deep breath and breezed past Joshua without a glance. She went to the garden doors and slipped out into the night. Warm, humid air surrounded her, carrying the scent of roses and jasmine. She stalked to the stone bench where she had once brought her dolls and later her books.
She leant back. Fresh evening air rushed over her face and exposed neck. Moments passed and her heated blood cooled. Clarity returned and her punch-filled stomach gave a sickening lurch. Oh God. What was she doing here in the gardens? Alone. Luring her former lover here just for the gratification of flinging her engagement in his face.
Not wise, Beth, not very wise at all.
To risk her engagement with Grey, especially after her foolishly flung words… All the passionate love she held for him rushed over her with painful intensity. She curled her hands around the edge of the bench. She needed to go to him and find a way to patch things. Yes—now, before they became irreparably torn.
The sound of boots crunched on the gravel path.
Like lightning, an urge to jolt to her feet and run shot through her legs. To run just like the silly girl Grey had accused her of being. And she’d proved herself nothing but a girl by coming here. But now that he was here, she must face Joshua. If only to prove to him—and herself—that he no longer mattered. Would never matter again.
With each footfall, her shoulders wrenched higher, tensing with each upward jerk.
A man’s black top hat came sailing down to land next to her. “Good evening, my Beth.”
She looked up. The elegant features wore that all-too-familiar mask of gentility. It wasn’t fair how he hid his true nature so easily. He was the youngest and most pampered son of Mrs Hazelwood’s eldest sister. He’d been sent to England to attain the best medical education possible and a great deal of polish. Handsome, exceptionally intelligent and far too charming, he was the darling of Philadelphia society and he knew it. He couldn’t put a foot wrong and it just wasn’t fair.
But she knew him for what he was.
He brushed an imaginary speck off his immaculate, dark blue physician’s coat and a lock of curling hair fell over his brow. The torchlight burnished it to ruby red. Soulful, coffee-brown eyes and a tall, slender build gave him a romantic appearance that had once set her heart afire. But surely his mouth had not always looked so soft, his chin so…so weak?
“Think of the
She narrowed her eyes, attempting to fire daggers into him. He had ruined everything tonight. Damn Joshua and his spying. Barging in like that. Oh, but Grey had been close to giving in. He’d been close to coming. She could still feel the velvet-over-steel smoothness of his cock on her tongue. Could still taste his salty fluids. And she’d wanted more. She’d wanted complete power over him. She’d wanted to swallow him whole.
If not for Joshua, that whole terrible scene afterwards would never have happened.
She hugged her arms. She needed a drink. Badly. But if she got foxed—here, tonight—then she’d really be in for it with Grey. She stole a glance at the stairway, then gritted her teeth at her behaviour. She was acting like a cowed schoolroom miss. Damn it, she’d have a drink if she wanted. She went to the sideboard where the refreshments were laid out for a cup of punch. She tossed it back. Damn Grey.
Damn Joshua.
Damn all men.
Double damn all gentlemen.
From the corner of her eye, she looked across the ballroom. Joshua glared back accusingly. How dare he act as if he had a right to be hurt?
She was sick unto death of men—of their selfish intolerance, their feeling of entitlement to dictate her behaviour. A flash of sparking anger shot through her. Devil take him! She’d show him he meant nothing to her. Nothing.
She set her cup down, took a deep breath and breezed past Joshua without a glance. She went to the garden doors and slipped out into the night. Warm, humid air surrounded her, carrying the scent of roses and jasmine. She stalked to the stone bench where she had once brought her dolls and later her books.
She leant back. Fresh evening air rushed over her face and exposed neck. Moments passed and her heated blood cooled. Clarity returned and her punch-filled stomach gave a sickening lurch. Oh God. What was she doing here in the gardens? Alone. Luring her former lover here just for the gratification of flinging her engagement in his face.
Not wise, Beth, not very wise at all.
To risk her engagement with Grey, especially after her foolishly flung words… All the passionate love she held for him rushed over her with painful intensity. She curled her hands around the edge of the bench. She needed to go to him and find a way to patch things. Yes—now, before they became irreparably torn.
The sound of boots crunched on the gravel path.
Like lightning, an urge to jolt to her feet and run shot through her legs. To run just like the silly girl Grey had accused her of being. And she’d proved herself nothing but a girl by coming here. But now that he was here, she must face Joshua. If only to prove to him—and herself—that he no longer mattered. Would never matter again.
With each footfall, her shoulders wrenched higher, tensing with each upward jerk.
A man’s black top hat came sailing down to land next to her. “Good evening, my Beth.”
She looked up. The elegant features wore that all-too-familiar mask of gentility. It wasn’t fair how he hid his true nature so easily. He was the youngest and most pampered son of Mrs Hazelwood’s eldest sister. He’d been sent to England to attain the best medical education possible and a great deal of polish. Handsome, exceptionally intelligent and far too charming, he was the darling of Philadelphia society and he knew it. He couldn’t put a foot wrong and it just wasn’t fair.
But she knew him for what he was.
He brushed an imaginary speck off his immaculate, dark blue physician’s coat and a lock of curling hair fell over his brow. The torchlight burnished it to ruby red. Soulful, coffee-brown eyes and a tall, slender build gave him a romantic appearance that had once set her heart afire. But surely his mouth had not always looked so soft, his chin so…so weak?
“Think of the
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