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Si the countless times in the past that she had spurned his invitations to dance Reflecting that Siotten his way, Annabelle s what you want?" she asked
"Soer than I would prefer," he said As they entered the ballroouided her to the edge of the swirling iddy nervousness, as if they were about to share sonificant than ainto his arms
"I know That’s why I requested it"
"How did you know?" she asked with an incredulous laugh "I suppose one of the Bowloved fingers curved around hers "On more than one occasion, I saw your face when they played it You always looked ready to fly out of your chair"
Annabelle’s lips parted in surprise, and she stared up at hi so subtle? She had always been so dismissive of him, and yet he had noticed her reaction to a particular piece ofof tears to her eyes, and she looked away i swell of emotion under control
Si couples, his aruidance It was so easy to follow him, to let her body relax into the rhyth floor and whipped lightly around his legs The enchantingthe ache in her throat and filling her with unruly delight
Siuided Annabelle across the floor Finally, after two years of pursuit, he was having his long-sought waltz with her Andstill, Annabelle would still be his after the waltz…he would take her back to the hotel, and undress her, and make love to her until dawn
Her body was pliant in his arht on his shoulder Feomen had ever followed his lead with such fluid ease, as if she knehat direction he would take her in before he even knew it himself The result was a physical harmony that enabled theht
Simon had not been surprised by the reactions froratulatory words and subtly covetous gazes, and the sly murmurs of a fewsuch a beautiful wife Lately Annabelle had beco her face after hts of dreamless slumber In bed she was affectionate and even frolicsorace of a sportive seal, scattering kisses over his chest and shoulders He had not expected that of her, having known beautiful women in the past who invariably lay back passively to be worshiped Instead, Annabelle had teased and caressed hih He had rolled on top of her while she giggled and protested that she wasn’t yet finished with hirowled inwith pleasure
Simon had no illusions that their relationship would be continually har by nature to avoid the occasional clashes Having relinquished her chance to marry a peer, Annabelle had closed the door on the kind of life she had always dreamed of, and instead would have to adjust to a far different existence With the exception of Westcliff and two or three other wellborn friends, Simon had relatively little interaction with the aristocracy His world consisted mainly of professional men like hi money This crowd of industrialists could not have been more different than the cultivated class Annabelle had always been familiar with They talked too loudly, socialized too often and too long, and had no respect for tradition or manners Simon was not entirely certain how Annabelle would accoame to try He understood and appreciated her efforts more than she could have known
He ell aware that scenes like the one she had endured two evenings ago would have reduced any other sheltered young woman to embarrassed tears, and yet Annabelle had handled it with relative poise They had attended a soiree given by a wealthy French architect and his wife, a rather chaotic affair with floine and tooin an at left Annabelle at a table of acquaintances for just a few minutes, Simon had returned from a private conversation with the host to discover that his flustered wife had been cornered by two e of drinking cha played in a spirit of fun, it had been clear that the rivals for Annabelle’s favor were deriving a great asomeone’s modesty, especially when their victi to ame had distressed her, and the s frolance around the roo a bland social facade, Si hand over Annabelle’s stiff back, his thue at the exposed top of her spine He had felt her relax slightly, and the hectic color had eased fro over ill drink pink chane froest it, and I don’t kno--"
"Well, that’s a problem easily solved," Simon had interrupted athering, eager to see if he would lose his temper over the men’s audacious advances toward his wife Gently but firuided Annabelle back into her chair "Have a seat, sweetheart"
"But I don’t want--" she had begun uneasily, and gasped as Si beneath the hem of her skirts, he removed both her beaded satin slippers "Si, Simon had handed a slipper to each rival with a flourish "Youas you’re both aware that their contents belong toup his barefoot wife, he had carried her frohter and applause On the way out, they had passed the waiter who had been sent to fetch the bottle of chane "We’ll take that," Simon told the dumbfounded waiter, who had handed the heavy chilled bottle to Annabelle
Sie, while she clutched the bottle in one hand and curled her free ar to cost hter had shimmered in her eyes "I have some more shoes back at the hotel," she told hine fro to drink it frolance, and as understanding dawned, she had pressed her face against his shoulder, her ear turning cri the episode, and the pleasurable hours that had followed, Siht of eight chandeliers was reflected in her upturned eyes, filling them with tiny sparks that ht She was staring at him with an intensity that she had never shown before, as if she yearned for soht never have The look disquieted hi a powerful need to satisfy her in any way possible Whatever she iven without a qualm
No doubt they presented a hazard to every other couple there, as the roo hi They danced until people reauche for a husband and wife to display such exclusivity at a ball, and that soon after the honeyrinned at such comments, and bent to whisper in Annabelle’s ear "Are you sorry now that you never danced with e, you would have lost interest"
Letting out a low laugh, Simon hooked his arm around her waist and led her to the side of the roo you do or say interests me"
"Really," she said skeptically "What about Lord Westcliff’s claim that I’m shallow and self-absorbed?"
As she faced him, Simon braced one hand on the wall near her head and leaned over her protectively His voice was very soft "He doesn’t know you"