Page 43 of All For You

“Hello. You’re all dressed up.” He looked dazed. “They told us you were going to be, though, didn’t they?”

Had I gone too far? “We’ve been made over.” I did a twirl. “What do you think? Is it too much of a change?”

His hungry admiration took in my hair, his attention shifting to my drop earrings and down my slinky dress, then along my bare legs to my strappy sandals. The molten heat of his intensity ignited every pulse in my body.

He lifted his gaze to mine, and the passion in his darkened blue eyes unraveled me.

“It’s a change from today.” He moved toward me. “But you look like yourself, and that makes you the most beautiful woman in the room.”

I placed my hand on my chest, winded by his compliment.

CHAPTER 21

Lizzy

The music started, a traditional waltz.

“Lizzy, I would love it if you would honor me with a dance,” Darcy asked. He held out two hands in the waltz position.

Butterflies flew through me. “Really?”

“Doyou waltz?” he asked, almost in a challenge.

I was more of awildly throw your body ’round the roomdancer, but I did know how to waltz. Mum had taught Jane and me to dance, hoping we would marry into a class that hung out in ballrooms.

“Yes, I do,” I said. But did he? On Friday night when I’d asked him, he’d said he didn’t dance. What had changed?

He smiled and raised his hands higher in position, and with a nod from me, he stepped forward. Without another word, he put his hand on my lower back, sending jolts down my legs. He joined hands with me and held our clasped hands at a level I knew was perfect. I put a hand on his shoulder. He pulled me to his chest, and I gasped a little at his sudden closeness.

He moved me backward with a smooth one-two and a side step. I kept expecting him to fumble or step on my toes, but the hand on my back was firm, as was his palm in mine. He wasguiding me, and he was light on his feet. But he was still gazing at me, his attention uncomfortably silent and searing.

“Right about now, you might venture a comment like, ‘What a lovely tune,’” I said teasingly.

His eyes narrowed. “The violins are kind of annoying,” he said.

“And then I might remark on the drapes,” I went on.

“The naked bodies on the drapes? Interesting. What would you say?” He suppressed a smile.

Yes, I had noticed those unclothed, cavorting bodies. Yikes. Bad choice of topic. It surprised me thathe’dnoticed, but he was a property developer after all.

“Um, okay. But I suppose my point is, civilized people make conversation.”

He grunted.

Maybe he didn’t understand? “A few polite words?—”

Suddenly, I was spinning in a circle, swept around by imperceptible nudges with his hand in mine, his other hand on my back, his knees, his hips.

“Oh!” I cried out.

He spun me around again and then bent me backward, holding me there, his face a kiss away from mine.

“I thought you said you couldn’t dance,” I squeaked as he held me there.

He swept me back to a dizzying upright position.

“I said I don’t, not that I can’t.” He gave me a sly wink.