Daphne looked at her closely. “And you are not happy about this, I assume?”
Isabella shook her head. “I do not want to marry him, but no one will listen to me. No one cares what I want, what I feel.”
Daphne took her hand and squeezed it. “I am sorry that you are feeling so desperate, Isabella. Is there no way you can escape the match?”
“I do not think so,” Isabella replied, feeling a sense of hopelessness washing over her. “My father is determined that I will be a duchess, and even my mother does not seem prepared to stand up for me and what I really want.”
“And what you really want is …?” Daphne’s voice trailed off as she glanced up and saw Lord Ashcroft approaching. “Oh!” she said softly.
Isabella turned to see Sebastian walking towards them purposefully. When he met her eye, it was as if the rest of the world had disappeared. The ballroom sounds faded into the background, and all she could see was him as he looked at her with those deep brown eyes.
The memory of lying naked in front of him flooded back into her mind. She remembered how he had looked at her, with that insatiable hunger in his eyes. It was almost painful to remember the exquisite pleasure they had shared together when there was no hope that they would ever be able to enjoy it again.
He was standing in front of her now, and her heart was pounding so hard that she could scarcely think straight.
The orchestra was just beginning to play the opening notes of the first dance, and Isabella looked at Sebastian expectantly. The duke had not even bothered to secure her hand for the opening dance, so sure was he of his own standing with her.
That meant that she could accept Sebastian if he asked her, even though she knew that she should not since her engagement to another man was about to be announced in a matter of hours, if not minutes.
But here he was, bowing to her. “Lady Isabella,” he said in a low voice. “I am sure that you are already engaged for this dance, but if by some miracle you happened to be free, I would be more delighted than you can imagine if you would dance with me.”
She did not think she had ever heard a gentleman speak so perfectly. The words he chose made her heart sing, and she smiled at him. “I am not engaged for this dance,” she said and took his arm. She glanced back at Daphne, who looked at her strangely, but her face changed as soon as she spotted Mr Sterling approaching her. Isabella sensed that her friend would only dance with one gentleman tonight.
As Sebastian led Isabella to the dance floor, she felt that strange sensation of everyone looking at them again. As they passed groups of people on their way across the ballroom, she was certain that people were staring and whispering.
“Sebastian, why is everyone staring at us?” she whispered, but then regretted it almost instantly, as an older lady, who she did not know gave her companion a knowing look, having seen Isabella bending her head towards Sebastian to speak to him in a low tone. It felt like she could not win, no matter what she did.
He shrugged. “I do not know, My Lady, and I am not sure I care all that much.”
She could not stop herself from laughing. It was so refreshing to be with someone who seemed to care so very little about what others thought. She wished she could be more like Sebastian.
He dropped his voice to a whisper, clearly not caring a jot about the stares and whispers. “I expect they are staring because you are the most beautiful woman in the room.”
Isabella felt her cheeks redden at his compliment. “You should not say such nonsense, My Lord,” she replied as they reached the dance floor.
He smiled, took her in his arms, and then led her into the dance. “It is not nonsense,” he murmured, looking deeply into her eyes. “It is true. Every word of it.”
Isabella thought her heart would explode; the power of her feelings was so strong. She knew as they glided across the floor together, staring into one another’s eyes, that they should not be dancing together, not when she was going to become another man’s wife, and there was no hope for them.
And she knew, in the depths of her gut, that something strange was going on this evening, with the way that everyone was staring at them. It filled her with a sense of trepidation as if something terrible was about to happen.
But she resolved to push all those feelings to one side, just for this one dance. Because she feared that this would be her last dance with Sebastian and that it would be the last time their bodies would be so close together, the last time that his hand would be on her waist. And she was determined to enjoy every last second of it before her life changed forever.
***
Sebastian pressed his hand against Isabella’s waist, feeling a thrill at the firmness of her body under his touch. He remembered what it had been like to caress her naked body with his hands. He did not think he had ever felt such passion in all his life.
She was gazing into his eyes, her lips slightly parted, and there was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to take her hand and run off to some deserted corner of the house, close the door, and take their pleasure again together. He had been scarcely able to think of anything else since their encounter in the library the previous night, and more than anything, he wanted to do it again.
He had resolved, though, that he would do things properly from now on. His thirst for revenge was fading, and he thought that perhaps he might be willing to let it go now if it meant he could be with Isabella.
Because he had realized that was what he really wanted now, to be with her. But that could not happen while there were still secrets between them. He had already decided that before the ball was over, he would tell her the truth. He had to. Suddenly, being honest with her was more important than ever.
Over her shoulder, as they danced, he could see Adrian and Daphne dancing together. He had to admit that they did seem to be the perfect match. Adrian grinned at him from across the space, and he returned his friend’s smile. Clearly, Adrian approved of his actions for once.
But now, as they moved across the dance floor, he tried to forget everything else and focus on her. She had never looked so beautiful as she did now, her green eyes sparkling as they whirled through the dance. Her movements were perfect, and their rhythm together was flawless.
It reminded him of their movement together when their bare skin touched and their lips pressed together. He hoped and prayed that once he had made things right between them, they could be together like that again.
