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It wouldn’t be later tonight, Madison decided abruptly. She was really tired. Certainly not in the mood to dance again with Cousin Allen, not even to keep BiBi happy. Spotting Hannah standing near the exit, she headed that way. She explained to Hannah that she was really tired, having been post-call yesterday and traveling today. She was going to get some rest and be fresh for tomorrow’s early plans. Sympathetically, Hannah promised to relay the message to BiBi, wishing Madison a good night’s sleep.
It wasn’t rude that she hadn’t said good-night to Jason, Madison assured herself as she made her way toward the ballroom exits. It was simply in character for the role she had played tonight. A mysterious gypsy fortune-teller would fade into the shadows without a goodbye, right? The footloose adventurer he portrayed would expect nothing more.
And besides, she thought with a ripple of anticipation, she would see him again tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to find out if he looked as good on horseback as he did on the dance floor. She suspected he would.
The first thing she did after closing herself into her hotel room was to kick off the stiletto sandals and let her poor, aching feet sink gratefully into the carpet. She yanked off the headscarf and threw it onto a chair, pushing a hand through her hair. The purple waist sash went next. Little by little, she was transformi
ng back into herself.
Stripping down to her panties and strapless bra, she tossed the costume over the back of the chair and reached for a nightgown, replaying the evening’s events in her mind. She fancied that her lips still tingled a little from the impetuous kisses, and it was a nice feeling she wanted to hold on to for a while longer. Not that she expected anything serious to come of the flirtation, even if she spent time with Jason again tomorrow at the dude ranch.
Tonight had all been in fun, just a little extra entertainment at the costume party. Yes, he’d been charming and amusing and so darned sexy her toes had curled when he’d smiled at her. She’d been disappointed when BiBi had carried him off, but she hadn’t intended to take their encounter any further tonight; as much as she enjoyed flirting, it wasn’t her style to hook up with strangers.
Tossing the strapless bra onto the chair with the abandoned gypsy garments, she hummed beneath her breath, “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” Every time she heard that song in the future, she would think of stolen kisses with a sexy stranger. And she was quite sure she would smile in response to the lovely memories.
Tired to her toenails, she crawled into bed a short while later, her teeth brushed, her face scrubbed clean of the sultry makeup, all traces of the gypsy fortune-teller gone now. And if she dreamed of kissing a dashing adventurer in the silvery moonlight—well, that would just be the ideal way to complete a near-perfect evening.
Jason was not particularly surprised to find that Carl’s brief message for him could have waited until later. Nor when BiBi just happened to bring Corinna over to join them before Jason could wander off in search of Madison again.
BiBi wasn’t the only one in the Lovato or D’Alessandro families who had recently decided that Jason and Corinna made a lovely couple. He had lost count of how many pointed hints had been aimed at him from all sides since Corinna had moved back to Dallas after completing pharmacy school in Austin. Even his elderly paternal grandfather had declared that Jason should ask the girl out. She was pretty, she was smart and she was the granddaughter of Vinnie D’Alessandro’s lifelong friend Savio Lovato. Vinnie had been hoping to see a match between his family and Savio’s for the past two generations.
Vinnie was just going to have to keep hoping, Jason thought with a slight shake of his head.
He wondered how much Corinna had been influenced by that family manipulation. Though they had been acquainted since childhood, he was six years her senior and they hadn’t spent much time together, actually. She didn’t even know him on a truly personal basis. Whatever her idea of who he was and what he wanted for the future, he would bet she was mistaken for the most part.
He refused to be nudged and prodded into a relationship with a woman just to please their families. If or when he chose to get seriously involved with anyone—something that hadn’t tempted him since he’d broken up with his last serious girlfriend almost a year ago—he wanted it to be entirely his choice, and based on more than a comfortable acquaintance. He wanted sparks. Sizzle. Magic, he thought, startled by his uncharacteristic musings.
Even as he told himself he was being ridiculously romantic, he found his mind filled with the image of a pretty blond gypsy. Their moonlight kisses had definitely sparked and sizzled. He fancied he could taste her on his lips. It wouldn’t have been hard to convince himself that she did, indeed, have magical powers.
But maybe that was the liquor speaking, he told himself with another shake of his head, setting down the glass someone had just handed him.
“A new song is starting,” BiBi exclaimed with obviously feigned innocence. “Carl, we should dance at least one more time before we call it a night. Jason, have you had a chance to dance with Corinna tonight?”
He had just opened his mouth to say his good-nights, but BiBi had put him on the spot now. He didn’t blame Corinna; there was no mistaking the chagrin in the look she gave BiBi. But because so many people were waiting for his response, he smiled blandly and held out a hand. “Of course. May I have this dance, Corinna?”
She nodded and accompanied him to the dance floor, which was beginning to thin a bit as the hour grew later. “That Old Black Magic” was just beginning to play from the speakers. Great, Jason thought with a sigh. A slow song. Why couldn’t it have been “The Monster Mash?”
Corinna gazed up at him from beneath her long, sparkly green lashes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know BiBi was going to order you to dance with me. This must be very awkward for you.”
“Not at all,” he assured her, lying through his teeth. “Have you had a good time tonight?”
She tossed her head a bit. “I’ve had a great time,” she said a bit too enthusiastically. “I’ve danced so much my feet are numb. And I’ve met some very nice people. Friends of Carl’s, mostly.”
Male friends, she might as well have added. He hoped all her new friends were as nice as she’d said. And that she would fall head over heels in love with one of them, and have her feelings returned.
He still refused to believe Corinna had strong, serious feelings for him—again, she just hadn’t spent enough time with him for that to develop—but maybe she had a little crush. After all, he was somewhat older, and a doctor, which some people found impressive, and their families had probably made him sound like a real catch to her. He supposed he should be flattered, but it was inopportune, especially this weekend with so much of the family milling around watching them. And when he’d already met someone else he would like to spend more time with during the next few days, without worrying about Corinna and BiBi glaring at him every time they spotted him with Madison.
The music ended. He dropped his arms in secret relief and took a step backward. “Your sister has a lot of activities planned for the rest of the weekend. Sounds like she’s going to keep everyone busy until the ceremony.”
Corinna nodded, her expression shuttered. “You’ll be at the ranch tomorrow?”
“Are you kidding? BiBi would track me down if I didn’t show up. I’ve got someone covering for me at the clinic this weekend, so I’m free to do my duties as a groomsman, whatever that entails.”
He was very glad Carl had asked his brother, Curtis, to serve as best man. With Corinna serving as maid of honor, she and Curtis would be the ones walking together during the ceremony. Jason wasn’t sure who he’d be paired with for the ceremony, but he was relieved that he wouldn’t be escorting Corinna down the aisle and making the older family members sigh wistfully at the symbolism.
Now if only she’d tell her older sister to back off.
He hoped it wouldn’t be too uncomfortable for him to spend more time with Madison tomorrow. One way or another, he was definitely going to try.
