You, and Only You (5 page)

Glancing toward the orchestra stand, Alex noted that the
musicians were presently partaking of refreshments and appeared to be in no
hurry to start the next set.
 
Turning to
Tiffany, he smiled somewhat sheepishly.
 
“My apologies.
 
It appears that I
may have acted a bit precipitously, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps just a bit,” Tiffany replied with a light
laugh.
 
She hardly minded though.
 
While the Duke of Ravenfield was nearly as
good-looking as Alex and delightfully charismatic, he didn’t make her feel the
same way the Earl of Chesterfield did, not even close.
 
Not even Brendon Leighton, one of the most
attractive and charming men she’d ever met made her heart flutter and her pulse
race as Alex did.
 
There was something
different about Alexander Warrene, something that affected her in a way no
other man ever had, and perhaps never would.
  

“Well then, since it looks as though we may have a few
minutes before our waltz is set to begin, would you care to take a turn about
the room?”

Although walking through the crowd on Alex’s arm sounded
lovely, Tiffany had a better idea.
 
“Actually, I’m feeling a bit warm.
 
Do you think we could step out onto the terrace for a moment instead?”

Alex hesitated for one brief second before responding in the
affirmative.
 
“Of course.”
 
Turning toward the rear of the ballroom, he
headed for the nearest set of French doors.
 
Strolling along the moonlit terrace with the enchanting Tiffany Marlowe
didn’t seem like the wisest of decisions, considering his attraction to the
enticing minx, but surely they wouldn’t be the only people taking advantage of
the cool evening breeze, he reasoned.
 
He
certainly hoped not, anyhow.

Exiting through the doors a few moments later, Alex was
immensely relieved to see that there were indeed several other couples
occupying the expansive marble terrace.
 
Leading Tiffany to a vacant spot near the waist-high balustrade, he
deliberately kept them within eyesight of the others.

Taking a deep breath and inhaling the cool night air,
Tiffany smiled in contentment as the gentle breeze caressed her warm
cheeks.
 
“The breeze feels lovely,
doesn’t it?”

“It does indeed,” Alex said, returning her smile.
 
As he watched, she tipped her head up and
scanned the night sky.
 

“The sky is so clear tonight,” Tiffany mused as she looked
up at the stars twinkling above.
 
“Oh
look,” she said a moment later, pointing to a trio of bright, evenly-spaced
stars that appeared to form a straight line.
 
“There’s Orion’s Belt.”

Alex followed the line of her gaze.
 
“You have a good eye,” he commented.
 
“Are you interested in astronomy, perchance?”

“I am,” Tiffany admitted.
 
“Ashleigh’s grandfather took us to visit the Royal Observatory when we
were children and I’ve been fascinated with the stars ever since.”

“Do you have a telescope of your own?”

“Sadly no.”
 
She shook
her head.
 
“Years ago I asked father if
we might be able to purchase one, but he promptly informed me that there were far
more important things to be done with ones time than staring into the night
sky,” she said with a rueful smile and a light, disingenuous chuckle.

“While that may or may not be true,” Alex maintained, “I
freely admit that I enjoy it nonetheless.”

“You own a telescope?” Tiffany asked, eyeing him with added
interest.

“I do.” Alex nodded.
 
“I would be happy to show it to you sometime.”

“Oh, would you?”

“Of course.”
 

Tiffany’s expression lit up instantly.
 
Fool
,
Alex chided himself.
 
What the hell was
he doing?
 
He wasn’t supposed to be
encouraging any kind of relationship with Tiffany Marlowe, not even something
as innocuous as a mutual interest in astronomy.
 
Considering his attraction to her, it was simply too dangerous.
  

“I’d like that.
 
Thank
you.”

Damn, when she looked at him like that he couldn’t think
straight.
 
It was a good thing they
weren’t alone.
 
Even as that reassuring
notion registered within his thoughts, he detected another couple approaching
from the opposite side of the terrace.
 
Cringing, he realized that it was Lucinda Langdon and her husband
Winston.
 
He’d noted their presence
earlier in the evening and had done his best to avoid them.
 
Though he was fairly certain that Winston was
unaware that he and Lucinda had anything more than a social acquaintance, he
had no desire to rouse the elderly baron’s suspicions.
 
However, he supposed that it hardly
mattered.
 
For according to Lucinda,
Winston was well-aware of her philandering ways, and in fact, privately
sanctioned her amorous activities.
 
She’d
been quick to inform him that due in large part to his advanced years and
declining health, as well as the fact that his first wife had dutifully
provided him with his requisite heir long before her death; Winston had ceased
visiting her bed years ago and nowadays simply chose to look the other way when
she sought her pleasure elsewhere.
 
Nevertheless, Alex preferred to be as discreet as possible when it came
to his amorous activities, regardless of the circumstances.

“Chesterfield, I thought that was you,” Winston said, as
they drew near.

“Good evening, Langdon, Baroness Langdon,” Alex greeted,
nodding politely to each of them.

Turning, Tiffany eyed the couple whom she’d met earlier that
evening.
 
They were an odd-looking
pair.
 
While the baroness was young and
strikingly beautiful, the baron was stoop-shouldered and wrinkled with a head
of thinning grey hair, and in fact appeared old enough to be his wife’s
grandfather.

“Have you met Lady Tiffany Marlowe?” Alex asked, motioning
to Tiffany.

“Yes, we met earlier,” Lucinda replied, glancing briefly at
Tiffany before turning her attention back to Alex.

“Indeed,” Winston added.
 
“Lovely to see you again, my dear.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you both again as well.
 
I hope you’re enjoying your evening.”
 
Though her tone was polite, inwardly she felt
a flash of irritation as she watched Lucinda Langdon’s admiring gaze linger
just a moment too long upon Alex’s handsome features.
 

“How could we not,” Lucinda responded with a broad smile,
“for the Leightons are such splendid hosts.”

“The duchess always did know how to throw a party,” the
baron agreed.
 

“I believe you’re referring to the dowager, dear,” Lucinda
clarified.
 
“I’m quite certain that this
is the first event the current duchess has hosted.”

“What?
 
Oh yes.
 
Quite right, quite right.”

Thankfully at that moment the call for the final waltz of
the evening could clearly be heard through the open doors, saving Alex from
prolonging their conversation with the Langdons.
 
“Lady Tiffany, I believe that is our cue,” he
said, turning his head toward Tiffany.
 
“Baron, Baroness, will you excuse us please.
 
Lady Tiffany has granted me the favor of
partnering her in the next dance.”

“Yes, yes.
 
Go on, go
on you two,” Winston said affably, waving his hand in the direction of the
ballroom.
 
“We’d join you, but for this
blasted leg of mine.”

“Perhaps we should go back inside,” his wife suggested, “and
find you a comfortable chair, dear.”

Nodding in agreement, Winston allowed his wife to lead him
back into the ballroom just a few steps behind Alex and Tiffany.

Moments later, as Alex swept her onto the dance floor and
into the midst of the other dancers the Langdons were all but forgotten.
 
Gazing upon Alex’s handsome face, Tiffany
felt as if she were suddenly in a dream world, lost somewhere within the smoky
depths of his extraordinary eyes.
 
It was
finally here, the moment she had been waiting for all night, held within the
circle of his arms.
 
Good heavens, it was
even better than she’d imagined it would be.
 
They were so close that she could smell the tantalizing scent of his
cologne.
 
Unable to help herself, she
inhaled deeply, filling her senses with the spicy, masculine aroma.
 

Looking down upon Tiffany’s upturned face; Alex nearly
missed a step as her expressive blue eyes played havoc with his senses.
 
Damn, he’d seen that very same look too many
times before and knew exactly what it implied.
 
Desire.
 
Tiffany Marlowe was still just as attracted
to him as he was to her.
 
Try as he
might, there was simply no denying that the unmistakable spark that had leapt
between them in the past was still just as strong as it ever was, if not
stronger.
 
As his eyes dropped to her
full pink lips, he couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to capture
their sweetness in a long, passionate-filled kiss.
 
It was sheer madness to even think such a
thing, but her exquisite loveliness and voluptuous young body seemed to drive
every pure thought directly from his head.
 
He knew that it would be an easy feat to seduce her, but once again he
reminded himself that she was off limits.
 
Even if he had no compunctions about seducing Ashleigh’s closest friend,
Tiffany’s youth and innocence were insurmountable barriers to a casual affair.
 
Although he had definitely earned his
reputation as a rogue, he had never dallied with virtuous, young debutantes and
he wasn’t about to start now.
 

However, reckless as it may be, he simply couldn’t resist
the urge to engage the lovely lady in a little harmless flirtation.
  
Bestowing upon Tiffany his most charming
smile, Alex tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her the slightest bit
closer as he spun her about the floor.
 
“You know, I was afraid you might have forgotten about me, or our dance
that is, what with so many handsome young men vying for your attention this
evening.”

Alex’s devastating smile, combined with the proximity of his
tall, muscular frame left Tiffany feeling breathless.
 
In that moment, she was completely oblivious to
every other person in the room, including those handsome young men to whom he
had referred, for each and every one of her senses was focused solely upon
him.
 
As she gazed into Alex’s eyes, her
smile was unconsciously provocative.
  
“I
could never forget you, my lord.”
 
Without intending to, her words came out in a husky whisper.
 
Ducking her head, she felt a blush warm her
cheeks as she realized how that must have sounded.

Alex merely smiled.
 
“I’m glad,” he whispered, utterly captivated by Tiffany’s artless
sensuality.

They danced in silence then, moving together in perfect
harmony as the fluid strains of the waltz surrounded them.
 
To Tiffany it seemed as if they were the only
two people in the room.
 
Unlike many of
her previous partners, Alex didn’t pursue idle conversation as they danced and
she was grateful, for she wanted nothing to distract her from each and every
delicious sensation that was coursing throughout her body.
 
Uncaring if her cheeks were still pink, she
lifted her gaze once again to Alex’s face, relishing in his nearness.
 
Oh how she wished she could run her fingers
along the chiseled line of his jaw, to feel the heat of his skin beneath her
fingertips.
 
Slowly, her gaze moved
higher, pausing for a moment upon his lips, before continuing upward to his
eyes.
 
His lashes were so long and dark,
perfectly accenting the incredible beauty of his unique eye color.
 

As their eyes met and held, Alex could literally see the
budding desire reflected in Tiffany’s gaze.
 
She looked like a woman who wanted to be bedded.
 
Christ!
 
Was she such an innocent that she didn’t
realize what a look like that could do to a man?
 
He tried to look away, to focus upon the
movement of his feet, to the sights and sounds around him, anything but the
undeniable longing he saw in her eyes, most certainly a mirror image of his own
damnable desire, but it was impossible.
 
It was as if an invisible tether held his gaze fastened to hers.
 
In that moment, the only thing that saved him
from giving in to the sudden, irrational impulse to drag Tiffany from the dance
floor in search of a secluded location to pursue what they clearly both wanted,
was the realization that the music had just come to an end.
 
Regaining his senses, he silently cursed
himself for allowing Tiffany Marlowe to once again affect him to such a
shocking degree.