Free Dancing With A Devil by Julie Johnstone

watching us but him, I feel sure.”
    “ And Lady Caroline,” Audrey inserted in a cool tone.
    “ Yes, of course,” he agreed. “And Lady Caroline. Please don’t be angry. I did not mean to overstep any boundaries. I only wished to help you. Please.” He grabbed her gloved hand and raised it to his lips. “Say you forgive me.”
    Audrey frowned at him and slowly pulled her hand away. “You are acting rather odd tonight.”
    “ I do believe your prey is coming to find you,” Lord Thortonberry said in a dull voice.
    A tremor of excitement ran through Audrey. She sat up straighter, pressed her shoulders back and said a silent prayer of thanks for Whitney’s ingeniousness.

     
    Trent paused outside Drake’s box and took a moment to compose himself. His heart pumped at an unmerciful beat. Could worry kill a man? If so, Audrey was going to put him in his grave early with her apparent interest in Thortonberry. It had taken a moment to figure out who it was in Drake’s box sitting by Audrey, but the minute recognition struck it was like a knife plunged into his gut and deftly twisted when Thortonberry had whispered in Audrey’s ear.
    Trent drew open the curtains and strode in to the box, making an effort to show no reaction when everyone turned to look at him.
    He forced a casual smile to his lips and walked slowly toward the seats. Pausing near Whitney’s side, he inclined his head to his cousin, then gave Sutherland a cold stare. The man better have an excellent reason why he had invited Thortonberry to the theater.
    Forcing a casual tone, he said, “Imagine my surprise when I looked over from Primwitty’s box and realized you had a little party in yours. I did not realize there would be four of you here tonight. If you had told me, I would have made arrangements to join you.”
    Whitney giggled, capturing Trent’s attention. No doubt, his irrepressible cousin had something to do with Thortonberry being here. She patted the seat beside her, a definite pleased look in her shining eyes. “Come sit by me and enjoy the play.”
    “ I’ll sit up front,” he said and strolled to the seat on the other side of Audrey. He dropped down beside her and faced her. Taking her hand as he had seen Thortonberry dare to do, he kissed it. Her smell of honeysuckle lingered on the silk of her white gloves. He inhaled deeply before releasing her and peering into her eyes. Audrey on an ordinary day stole his breath. Tonight, Audrey’s appearance rendered him speechless. He let his gaze soak up every aspect of her appearance. The way the lights lent a soft glow to her porcelain skin. The gentle slope of her high cheekbones. Her long thick lashes that could alternately veil her eyes like a seductress or make her look the picture of utter innocence.
    He moved his gaze lower to the inviting slopes of her breasts displayed by her low-plunging iridescent blue gown. His blood thickened as he counted each beat of his heart. Shadows lay between her curves, taunting him, heating him and promising many nights of sinful pleasure in her arms.
    A physical ache for her that rivaled the raw desire to escape that had plagued him the many months he had been imprisoned gripped him now. He stared, unable to look away and unable to speak yet. The jolt of his heart and surging of his blood was far from what he felt for any friend he had ever known. He did not know what to do. How to proceed with her. Yet he knew he would not get up and walk away. That was out of the question.
    He cleared his throat. “Your beauty left me speechless. Forgive me.”
    She grinned, but to the other side of her Thortonberry grunted.
    The marquess leaned over and met Trent’s gaze. “I imagine you’ve said that before.”
    “ Never,” Trent replied, supremely glad it was the truth. Gwyneth had been beautiful but in a calculated way. He had never been rendered speechless by her. Lust crazed? Certainly.
    Audrey tsked at Thortonberry. “It’s not well done of you to