Free The Invitation by Scarlett Sanderson Page A

Something from one of the books she’d written.
    Why the hell was she here?
    A rich laugh drew her attention. She turned toward the sound. The laughter emanated from a sultry brunette in a dress that barely covered any skin. Evie guessed it was fashionable on the catwalks of Milan and Rome but for a Christmas ball it looked slutty.
    The brunette leaned over a man who sat in a Louis XIV chair. One of his legs was thrown over the arm. On his other side stood a petite blonde woman. She was a startling contrast to the brunette but her dress covered even less.
    Evie knew who sat in the chair.
    Her blood thickened. Desire punched through her fear. Her breasts swelled and her nipples tightened. Moisture slicked her thighs as if she’d inhaled a potent drug that made her instantly pliant and aroused.
    Her drug had a name. Gabriel Longthorn.
    The man of her childhood dreams. The man of her womanly fantasies.
    Time slowed and the music became a distant echo as his gaze met hers. A predatory smile spread across his chiseled face and her heart almost beat out of her chest. Christ, he was beautiful. Devastating. And she wanted to fling herself on him.
    Her strong physical reaction defied explanation. She’d been around handsome men before and never felt this sexual.
    Both women scowled when they realized Gabriel no longer cared what they had to say. Evie resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder. Was he really looking at her and not some stunning redhead standing behind her?
    He unfolded himself from the chair in a way that was much too graceful for a man his size before moving through the crowd.
    She stared. He was hypnotic. Mesmerizing. The crowd parted. All eyes watched as he purposefully strode toward her. A smile curled the edges of his lips.
    Dressed in a white ruched shirt and a frock coat of the finest dark-blue velvet, he was the epitome of an old-fashioned mystical being. His white breeches pulled across his groin as he walked, leaving nothing to the imagination. Black knee-high boots completed the outfit.
    He stopped inches away from her. She could smell his spicy scent as he took the champagne from her grasp and handed it to a passing guest. His ice-blue eyes stared intently into hers.
    “Miss Ward. Thank you for the pleasure of your company this delightful Christmas Eve.” He bowed and took her hand. He brushed his lips gently across her skin. His breath caressed the tiny hairs and she felt that caress between her thighs, as if he’d pressed his lips against her clit.
    Her breathing hitched. She chided herself for being so enthralled. He was just a man. Granted, he was unlike any man she’d ever seen—charismatic, charming, gentlemanly, not to mention studly.
    Good and evil warred inside her mind. She wanted to slide her body against his, run her hand across his groin and test the weight of his cock. Would it be as impressive and thick as the outline in his breeches promised?
    Pervert , the voice inside her head cried.
    She gathered her wits from the gutter. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Longthorn. I do wonder why I received an invitation.”
    He stroked the pulse point at her wrist, rubbing slow circles and stoking her arousal. “Because, Miss Ward, you have a very fertile imagination. Sometimes we all need to take a little time to dream.”
    Another footman brought out a chair to match Gabriel’s. The staff was amazing, anticipating the guests’ every need. Where did he find these people?
    Gabriel turned to the crowd and walked toward the raised dais. Everyone stared at them as if she were a specimen under a microscope.
    As if sensing her discomfort, Gabriel smiled and addressed the guests. “Please, my honored and most noble guests, continue with the ball! There is champagne to be enjoyed, food to be savored and decadent pleasures to be tasted…”
    His speech brought roaring laughter from the crowd.
    Evie raised her eyebrow. What did he mean by “decadent pleasures”? She’d seen the movie Eyes Wide