Initiating Christian by Emma Wildes

Author:Emma Wildes [Wildes, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-05-10T16:24:41+00:00

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decidedly impractical.

Smiling blandly, she said, “More tea?”

* * * *

The music swirled over the sound of hundreds of voices, the huge room humming like an active beehive.

One shoulder against a pillar, Christian watched the crowd with seeming idle observation, when in reality his attention was sharply focused on one couple among the moving throng of dancers.

It had to be a damned waltz, he thought darkly, and Lord Braden, their host, was taking every advantage of it. In Christian’s admittedly critical opinion, the man was holding Lauren entirely too close for propriety, and the urge to stalk out there and pry them apart was not easily conquered, but he’d had plenty of practice when it came to watching her dance with other men.

Of course, that was before they were lovers and he felt this new sense of unreasonable possessiveness.

Tonight she was more than stunning in ivory lace over lemon silk, her shining hair dressed simply but effectively. Even from a distance, her delicate complexion flushed from the exertion of dancing to almost every single tune the orchestra played. As a beautiful young widow, she was always highly in demand as a partner and usually surrounded by fawning men, both young and old.

“You might want not to glare so obviously.”

Looking over at the sound of his brother’s amused voice, Christian muttered, “I’m trying, but bloody hell, it isn’t easy. It never was particularly, but now it’s almost impossible.”

“So dance with her yourself instead.” Sipping champagne from a fluted glass, Adam said the words negligibly as he joined him in his little obscure spot in the ballroom. They were dressed similarly in dark, severely tailored evening clothes, his older brother’s only affectation a glittering diamond stickpin in his pristine cravat.

“I’ve promised to keep my usual distance, you know that.” Christian said it grimly.

“She’s probably right, actually. I retract; don’t dance with her if the two of you want to continue what to me is idiotic secrecy. I cannot picture you being able to conceal your feelings, brother, and people would notice.”

“I agree with the idiotic part, but what the devil can I do except go along with it? I’m not likely to risk Lauren’s unhappiness with our current arrangement, because while it isn’t everything I want, it’s still damned good.”

Adam gazed at him with open sardonic humor. “I take it you are more convinced than ever your affections run deeper than just your enjoyment of her admittedly delectable body?”

“In my current mood,” Christian said with a slight but distinct warning in his tone, “I wouldn’t even hint at the fact you know anything about her body. And yes, I love her. I knew that before I ever even touched her.”

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