“I’m sorry, my lady. You don’t have to dance with him at all, of course, if you don’t wish to. Do you want a new card?”
It was too late for that; the dances were due to begin any minute. Kara shook her head. “Point me to this Lord Melbourne.”
Kara followed the shaky finger the man raised. He pointed to the man in the wolf’s mask.
Kara blew a hard breath through her teeth.Of course.She moved to the wall next to the drink carts, setting up where she could keep the wolf in her sights. She’d make him come to her. The man filling drinks kept staring at her breasts and over-filling the glasses. She’d never worn a dress so low-cut before, but she was willing to put up with the leering if it got her information. Plus, it made her feel sexy and powerful.
The masque’s officiator climbed to the top of the ballroom’s staired entrance and announced that the dance card portion of the evening had begun.
The wolf immediately turned, locking eyes with her. Like he’d been aware of her location the whole time. He began striding toward her, his dark eyes sliding over her skin. She failed to suppress the thrill that ran down her spine.
Kara turned away from him and scanned the crowd, avoiding his gaze, but she felt his presence as soon as he arrived.
“Masquerading as a wallflower?” the wolf asked. His voice was deep, with a smooth accent, but Kara couldn’t place it.
“It seems I’m out of options, since some unfeeling cad thought to monopolize my dance card.”
“You wound me, Lady Grey.”
“An unrepentant cad, too?”
“You are the only woman here I wish to dance with.”
“Then your night will be short.” Kara rose her hand in front of his face and released the fist she’d been clenching, letting the tiny, torn up pieces of her dance card sprinkle to the floor between them.
The grin he flashed her was utterly wicked. “Oh, I beg to differ.”
Kara smiled despite herself. “You’re very confident, but it wouldn’t be fair to my other prospects for me to dance with you alone.”
“I don’t give a damn about the others. I’ve made my intentions clear.”
“Come, Melbourne, we’ve just met. Such commitment is a rarity among lords. Are you ready to propose as well?”
“If you’ll have me.” Then he was down on one knee, pulling something out of his pocket.
Kara snapped her eyes to him. Surely he wasn’t—
And then she saw what he held. A dance card,Celine Greyscrawled at the top in a strong, masculine script, and below that, a single instance of his name.Lord Melbourne.The other revelers were beginning to turn and stare.
“One dance. That’s all it will take.”
Kara laughed, unable to hold it in. “You’re persistent.”
“You have no idea.”
Kara flushed straight down to her core. This man was unnerving her. “And yet you can’t even convince me to dance.”
Melbourne rose from his knees and stepped closer, his height making him tower over her. “I believe you’ll dance with me.”
She tilted her head back and looked up at him. His eyes were dark behind the mask, pulling her in, and he smelled like thesun.They stood indecently close; there would be gossip about them tonight. “What makes you so certain?”
“I could feel your gaze on me across the ballroom before we ever met. You want me.”
Kara stilled. Their verbal sparring was making her blood run hot, and she was undeniably attracted to him. He would make a fine candidate for her keening. She ran her tongue over her lips. The strains of a waltz were beginning in the background. “One dance.”
Kara offered him her hand, and he took it in his gloved one and pulled her toward him. He escorted her towards the dance floor, his hand on the small of her back.
He led her into the dance with confident, graceful steps, keeping his dark eyes trained on hers. Kara relaxed and let him take the lead. His hands were warm, and his long fingers engulfed her palm in his.
