Page 20 of The Duke's Virgin
“The palace is old. With this many people in here, it’s hard to keep the temperature moderated.”
“I’d imagine.” I wanted to kick myself. What a boring response. “Have you…ah…you work with Emmett. On the car, I mean. Have you done that long?”
We reached one of the servers holding a tray of drinks. There was a variety, from champagne to wine to tall pilsners of beer. I was tempted by the champagne but didn’t want to risk it and selected a bottle of sparkling water. Luka took one of the pilsners and gestured to the dance floor. “Shall we?”
“I should drink this first,” I said warily. “Otherwise, I’ll spill it.AndI’ll knock your beer all over you.”
He blinked, then laughed, a slow, low rumble that was entirely too appealing. “Well, we can’t have that.” He offered his arm again. “How about a wall along the balcony? It overlooks the prince’s gardens, and they’re lovely. Have you seen them?”
I used to play in them, but I didn’t want to tell him that. “Why don’t you show me?”
* * *
“The staff seems comfortable with you,”Luka noted.
I glanced at the bottle of wine that had just been left, along with a plate of fruit, cheese, and crackers. Blanche had strolled along the balcony earlier and given me a quizzical look, which I’d responded to with a smile. The arrival of the bottle of wine, glasses, and food twenty minutes later hadn’t surprised me at all.
Blanche really did enjoy taking care of people.
“I’ve spent time here before,” I said vaguely, shrugging as I selected a wedge of cheese. It was pale yellow, and I suspected gouda. The first bite confirmed my guess, and I sampled another before taking a sip of my wine.
“Friends with Aeric? Or with his sister?”
I heard the speculation in his eyes and kept my attention on the glass in my hand as I pondered my answer. We sat on a low stone wall down in the garden, a breeze that bordered on cool toying with my hair, but I was enjoying myself too much to go inside.
Luka sat close. Very close. So close I felt the heat of him on my skin. When he shifted, his knee brushed against mine, something that should have been innocent and simple, but it really, really wasn’t.
He moved again, and I sensed him leaning closer. With the movement, his knee wasn’t brushing mine but pressing into it. My heart bumped hard, and I lifted my eyes to his.
“Stacia?”
There seemed to be a world of unasked questions hidden inside the syllables of my name, made poetic by his enigmatic accent and unbelievably sexy voice.
“Friends with them both, I guess you could say. We’re cousins, so I come to visit from time to time.”
Luka’s brows arched slightly, then lowered. His lids drooped and his eyes fell, focusing on my mouth.
My breathing hitched, and I tore my gaze away, lifting my wine to my lips.
The moment shattered, and when I looked back, he had lifted a slice of apple to his lips.
Just ask him, that sly, annoying voice in my mind nudged again.
And this time, I didn’t try to silence it. I didn’t ask.
But I would.
Soon.
Maybe thirty minutes later, we started up the stairs leading away from the garden. Lights and music still pulsed from inside. Luka slid his gaze over to me, a faint smile on his lips.
“You still haven’t had your dance. Shall we?”
Heart hammering against my ribs, I looked through the windows to all the people inside. I thought of the noise in there, the chaos. Then I thought of going back home, dealing with my mother’s meddling, the match making, me wondering if I’d ever even feel asparkwith somebody.
I wasn’t looking for romance, or even for a man who’d completely blow me away the first time.
But I did want that first time to be…mine. Something I chose, not something that just came about after I got tired of her meddling and gave in, started dating some guy she threw at me just to shut her up. More, I wanted it to be with somebody who had no idea who I was, who my parents were…somebody outside their sphere of influence, somebody who’dstaythat way. So whatever happened wouldstaymine.
