Free His Dark Desires by Jennifer St Giles

widened as she looked at him, clearly wondering why so sophisticated and richly dressed a man would have any interest in me.
    "Monsieur Trevelyan, this is Madam Hayes, an old acquaintance of mine."
    "Madam Hayes." Mr. Trevelyan nodded. "I'm sure you won't mind if I steal Mrs. Boucheron away. We've had so little time together that I am greedy for every moment"
    "Of course," Letitia murmured.
    Mr. Trevelyan swung me around and brought me to the edge of the crowd, acting like a besotted, attentive lover.
    "You're incorrigible," I said, smiling at him.
    "What I am is incensed. That woman is a witch."
    "She used to be my friend. We grew up together."
    "There's an old saying: 'With friends like that—' "
    " 'You don't need any enemies,' " I said.
    He smiled. "Besides, I didn't lie. The evening was empty without you."
    "Where did you go?"
    He shrugged. "I thought I saw someone I knew. I was mistaken." He glanced toward Andre, who now stood alone, about to take his turn at the ring toss. "Let's go win some confections. I have a sudden craving for something sweet."
    Looking up, I discovered that Mr. Trevelyan had his gaze centered on my mouth. If I'd been capable of moving, I think I would have bridged the heated gap between him and kissed him. Instead, Andre called to us, and Mr. Trevelyan led me to my son. Regaining my sanity, I put my best effort into making the evening as much fun as I could. Mr. Trevelyan showed Andre some pointers on how to toss the rings, and they both won bags of sweets. We saw bears dance, had our fortunes told, watched magic tricks, and then saw a sleek black panther leap through a circle of fire. Mr. Trevelyan bought Andre and himself fur hats with tails, which I teasingly banned, declaring that I'd have no critters in my home. We didn't encounter Mignon and Ginette with Mr. Davis, but I didn't worry. There were so many people jostling about the square that they could have been standing next to me and I wouldn't have known it
    The sun had dipped below the horizon and torches lit the square. The spires of St. Louis Cathedral cut a black silhouette against the dark blue sky. The moon, full and bright, hung low, just tempting a dreamer to reach out and grasp it. I didn't.
    Andre ran to the next booth to watch a group of clowns juggling. Across the brick walkway, a trio of stringed musicians played a lilting waltz.
    "It is your turn for a treat, and you must have that," Mr. Trevelyan said, snatching my attention. He pointed at a beautiful silver shawl that shimmered in the moonlight.
    "No. But thank you. That is much too fancy and expensive. If you must buy me something, I'll take a hat to match Andre and yours," I said teasingly.
    He caught a loose tress of my hair and sifted it between his fingers. "Midnight silk. It would be a crime to cover it up." Before I could catch my breath, he sauntered over to the woman selling the shawls and bought the silver one without even haggling over the price. Returning, he slipped it around me. The silken shawl made my plain blue dress feel like a ball gown. We were on the edge of the square, by the rush of the river, just within the flickering torchlight with few others around.
    "Dare to dance with me a moment, here in the moonlight amidst the magic of the music and the night." His voice was low and seductive.
    He had a way with words that could sweep a woman off her feet. I nodded and he took me in his arms and swung me gently around. He danced with assured elegance and grace, deftly moving me in a slow waltz. His black suit and embroidered vest, along with the flickering lights, made me feel as if I were once again at a masquerade ball, swirling with excitement, with life anew and happiness within my fingertips. I hadn't danced in over a decade, and as I gazed into Mr. Trevelyan's smoldering eyes, I knew I'd never known real desire before. He drew me closer to him, and a dark passion wrapped around me, making me want to touch him, to experience all those forbidden things