Free Anew: Book Two: Hunted by Josie Litton Page A

the most obvious one.
    “Nice diamonds,” I say.
    She flushes a little and shrugs. “I don’t think anyone has
seen past them all night.”
    She’s serious, which has me shaking my head if only
inwardly. Amelia is the least vain woman I’ve ever known. In a very real sense
and despite everything we’ve shared, she truly doesn’t understand the effect
she has on me.
    Or on other men, yet another thought that I don’t want to
entertain just now.
    We sway to the slow, sensual throb of the music. I forget
about Davos, the HPF, all of it and just concentrate on the pleasure of holding
her. I’m wondering why we didn’t do this before, back at the estate or since.
Too busy having mind-blowing sex, I guess. But there’s something to be said for
just being like this, surrounded by other people but still alone together in
our own bubble.
    It doesn’t last, of course. Nothing that good ever does. Too
soon, I catch sight of Edward. We left the floor at the same time so that I
could update him on arrangements to deal with any possible threat that could
arise this evening. Davos must have been watching and seized his opportunity to
go after Amelia. I won’t repeat that mistake. The bastard’s never getting
anywhere near her again.
    Edward’s talking with Marianne. No surprise there. Our
mother is standing nearby, smiling. She’s well aware of my sister’s interest in
my old pal and apparently approves. I’m not there yet but I’m getting closer.
    “She cares for him, you know,” Amelia says softly. Her gaze
has followed my own but I’m looking at her now and I see the wistfulness in her
eyes. It puzzles me. Why would the sight of her brother and my sister together
spark such an expression of longing in her unless…
    The answer hits me hard. Edward’s a fundamentally decent guy
with the patience to bring an innocent young woman along gently. Any “wooing” I
ever did of Amelia happened in bed…or against a wall, on a floor, anywhere that
happened to be convenient. I regret that now. She deserved better.
    I’ve sent her away twice--once from the estate and the
second time supposedly out of my life altogether. Yet here we are.
    Third time’s the charm? I almost laugh at the thought.
Nothing about my life has been charmed and for sure nothing about Amelia’s has
been either. Riding off into the happily-ever-after may be fine for Edward and
Marianne. If he makes a move on her that had damn well be what does happen. But
it’s not for us.
    Us. I turn the word over in my mind. It hurts but I take the
pain and hold on to the idea. That feels good enough that I let it linger as
the music picks up again. Amelia and I dance on.

Chapter Seven

    Amelia
     
    I can’t fathom Ian’s
mood. He seems genuinely unconcerned about any danger to himself whereas I’m
still shaking from his confrontation with Davos. What can I say to convince him
to take the threat to his own safety seriously?
    Even if I could find the words, I doubt that anything that
would come out of my mouth right now would make much sense. Being with Ian
again, in his arms, the warmth of his body driving away the cold that has sunk
into my bones since we parted makes me feel as though I am flying apart. I’m
torn between joyful relief and the sharp pain of knowing that we will go our
separate ways when the ball is over and the evening ends.
    How can we do otherwise? When we are together, he fears that
he will harm me and I know that I am harming him. I can’t bear to be the cause
of his suffering. Yet here we are…dancing. His right hand holds mine with
gentle firmness while the other rests possessively on my waist. My palm has
drifted a little from the broad sweep of his shoulder. I can feel the powerful
muscles of his upper arm even through the fabric of his evening jacket. Too
vividly I remember what he looks like in his natural state, his body perfectly formed
and honed, the ultimate expression of masculine beauty.
    I close my eyes, swept by longing