“What do you say?” Ward leaned in, speaking into her ear. For some reason it failed to ignite little prickling sparks in her flesh the way Mr. Grimm’s voice had. It was just kind of annoying. Maybe the timber of his voice simply wasn’t quite the right resonance or something.
Luna pushed another enormous smile into place. “Oh, yes,” she said, turning that smile up to Ward. “Let’s dance.” Out on the dance floor, everything would be better. To be moving, to be held in Ward’s arms, to feel his support. It had to be an improvement over this nasty little booth in any case.
Only once she got there, and Ward slipped his arm around her waist, Luna felt five times sicker than before. Gods, what was in that drink of Bryony’s? She should have stuck to her soft cider. When Ward propelled her into a little twirl, she felt positively nauseated and nearly fell against him on the return spin.
“Whoa there, you all right?” Ward asked.
“Yes, just . . . a little dizzy,” Luna said. “Maybe no more twirling untilaftersupper.”
“Fine by me,” he answered, and promptly pulled her closer. Luna found her head pressed up against his shoulder and turned her chin sideways to keep it from bumping into a buckle strap of his uniform. She wasn’t certain this was an improvement, but Ward seemed happy enough, and she supposed that was fine then. He turned her in time to the music.
And Luna found herself looking directly at Bryony and Mr. Grimm.
Bryony gave everything she had to her dance, as she always did. Her body moved sensually to the lively beat, every part of her, from head to toe, contriving to emphasize her femininity and sultry allure. Mr. Grimm wasn’t dancing so much as simply trying to stay out of her way while simultaneously holding her hand. His gaze kept bouncing from her undulating figure to the ceiling and back again. Luna watched Bryony sashay around behind him, trailing her fingers along the line of his shoulders. Then she ran both hands down his spine, and Mr. Grimm’s eyes widened.
Luna turned her face forward, staring hard at the front of Ward’s uniform.
“Hey,” Ward said, ducking his chin in an effort to catch her eye. “You keep looking over at your boss. Does it make you nervous, having him here?”
“Oh, no.” Luna shook her head hastily.
“He’s not one of those controlling types, is he?”
“Mr. Grimm? Controlling?” Luna laughed, her gaze quite fixed on the brass button directly in her line of view. “Mother save me, no. He’s a very kind employer. Very generous.”
Ward’s eyebrow tipped. “So what’s the problem, then?”
“It’s just, you know. Odd. Having him here.”
She glanced over at him and Bryony again. Bryony was dancing up against her date, jiggling splendidly. She was determined to get a reaction out of him and, judging by the cat-with-the-cream smile on her lips, pleased with her results. Mr. Grimm seemed to be making a valiant effort to hold onto his gentlemanliness, but Bryony was no doubt wearing him down. She would get what she wanted in the end, and then . . .
“Hey.” Ward’s voice came a little sharply. “Don’t forget,I’myour date tonight.”
Luna startled a little, before turning another enormous, beaming smile up at him. “Oh, are you now?” she said, dredgingup a flirtatious tone from somewhere in the depths of her being. “And here I thought you were the wardsman come to drag me away to the hoosegow.”
Ward laughed, his green eyes shining, his dimples dimpling. “If I ever did, you’d be the cutest little prisoner we ever had in lockup. All the boys’d treat me like a king for years to come!”
“Is that meant to be a compliment?”
“It was an attempt at one, yes. Poor taste?”
“Extremely. I shall have to think of some punishment for you now.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, if I’m to be punished anyway . . .”
He ducked his head forward then and kissed her. Soundly. On the lips.
Luna froze.
Her eyes seemed to close of their own accord, and her senses were suddenly extremely full of jazz music, of the final, manic strains of “Don’t Care Tonight.” And maybe she didn’t care? Maybe . . . maybe this was how her first kiss was always meant to happen? Gods knew she was such a backwards creature, with all her auntie-influences. She was never going to make it happen on her own. The only way she was ever going to get kissed was if a man took the initiative, and really, who could fault Ward for having initiative? It was a very manly quality. And he was a very manly man. And was it possible she was thinking rather too much and not actuallyexperiencingthe experience?
Ward pulled away, his eyes half-lidded, and grinned down at her. Luna gaped, lashes blinking fast. “Ward!” she gasped, placing a hand on her heart and taking a step back. Oh gods. Why did she have to be so keenly aware of Bryony’s gold dress and red hairandpartnerjust out of the tail of her eye?
“What?” Ward dimpled handsomely. “Did I misread the moment? Or do you prefer to do your kissing someplace more private?” He slipped his hand around her waist, drawing herback toward him so that she stumbled a half-step. “Because I can think of a few private places I’d like to take you right now.”
Luna planted her hands on his chest. Was he about to kiss her again? Before that first kiss had even cooled on her lips? Luna turned her head swiftly to the side, her eyes widening, and . . .
And met Mr. Grimm’s gaze.
