CHAPTER 14
Their dance ended,and he drew her to the side, into an empty alcove partly shielded by a set of potted palms. For a wild moment, she thought he meant to kiss her, and her heart ricocheted with excitement. But when he lowered his head to hers, instead of heated lips on hers, what she felt was his whisper near her ear.
“Do you see the blond woman in the red dress standing by the opposite wall?”
After a discreet look, she frowned. “Yes?”
“I want to scan her. I think she could be an excellent study subject.”
Kalli’s heart dropped. The woman exuded charm and sex appeal while conversing with several men. And she was gorgeous. Tall, blond, generously endowed. Everything Dariux liked in a female, if one was to judge based on the appearance of his parbot. Everything she was not.
She wanted to refuse. An ugly emotion she had not felt in a long time flooded her heart. “Why?”
“Why, what?” Dariux asked, all innocent incomprehension.
“Why do you want to study her in particular?”
He shrugged, implying the subject was trivial. But she knew better. He had brought up the subject. He must be interested in the bombshell blond. “Why not? I think she would be an interesting subject.”
“Why do you think that? Are you interested in her?” she asked point blank. She had never been good at subtleties.
He looked at her wide-eyed. His eyebrows rising. “Not at all. At least, not in that way. Her husband approached me when I went out earlier. He’s the one who mentioned the ball to me. She was demure and stoic while he was there, then acted all flirtatious with me when her husband excused himself for a moment. But I wasn’t moved in the least. In fact, I found her approach downright off putting. There was something forced and desperate about her wiles. That’s what I found interesting. I don’t think she is how she appears to be.”
“Fine. I’ll turn the scanner on her,” Kalli grumbled, slightly mollified, but still unconvinced.
Jealousy left her feeling more than a little rattled. Jealousy over a man she had no claim on. He desired no emotional attachments and viewed sex as a physical need or sport.
“Thank you. Trust me, I think we’ll find something interesting. Now let’s mingle, shall we?” With a cocky grin and a wink, he was gone. Leaving her staring after him like a lovesick girl.
She admitted to being foolish where men were concerned. But this was the height of idiocy.
***
SHE KEPT TRACK OF HIMfrom the corner of her eye. Her mind had an intuitive sense of his whereabouts in the ballroom. He danced every dance. Thankfully, not with the blond bombshell. He dazzled every woman he partnered. Which wasn’t difficult. With his dancing skill and his wild good looks, he looked like a lion among alley cats. He was irresistible when he turned on the charm.
He had dressed in the same somber clothes as every other gentleman in attendance. Black suit, black waistcoat, and white shirt. But somehow, he looked different. Untamed. Maybe it was his bronzed skin, or the way he wore his hair, a little longer than was fashionable. Even the pomade couldn’t entirely placate his unruly locks. Or maybe it was the way he carried himself. With predatory confidence.
She knew she wasn’t the only female in this ballroom fantasizing about him. But she was the one he would go to bed with after the ball. She kept reminding herself of that. The private knowledge gave her a warm glow of pride and something else in her belly. Something like latent arousal.
She had not lacked partners either. She had danced every dance except for a few she had refused in order to catch her breath or drink some champagne. No partner compared to the exhilaration of dancing with Dariux. He made her feel the music, ignited some awareness inside her.
As if summoned by his thoughts, he appeared at her side.
“Are you promised for the next dance?”
