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Jonas watched from the edge of the dance floor as Derek danced with his sister. They made a handsome pair, Derek dark and heartbreakingly handsome, Julia innocently beautiful. A muscle in Jonas’ jaw twitched when Derek’s hand lightly grasped Julia's, when he smiled at her, and when a soft giggle floated toward him over the music. The sight of them together boiled Jonas’ blood, and he tightened his hand on the champagne glass until he feared it might crack.
From the moment of his arrival, Jonas had wondered whether escorting Julia to this ball had been a good idea. At first, he had only been able to think of placing himself between Derek and his sister in any way he could. If he escorted Julia, then Derek could not. If he adhered to her side for the entire night, Derek would not have a chance to work his overwhelming charm. Now that Julia had been pried from his side within minutes of arriving, Jonas realized his mistake. The way she looked at him, her soft smiles, her genuine laughter … there was clear affection on display.
But even more stark than that realization was that Julia wasn’t the only one absorbed with Derek. From the moment Jonas had lain eyes on Derek, something inside of him had fissured. His mind’s eye became overwhelmed by memories he could not easily forget. Soft, warm lips claiming his, growing bolder with every second of exploration. A velvety, wet tongue pushing against his own, creating friction and sparking heat that slid down his throat and into his belly. The fire roared, consuming him, making him crave more.
It had been that damned kiss. Their lips had performed that most intimate of dances many times. They had explored with innocent nuzzles and soft sighs. They had devoured one another in moments of passion so intense Jonas could hardly catch his breath. But this kiss had been unlike any they had shared before. It had been a revelation, a glimpse of the sun after years of drowning beneath thick fog. Jonas had numbed himself years ago; the better to protect himself from more heartache. He had not been touched in years, except for himself when he was at his weakest. The moment Derek’s mouth had touched his, Jonas had come alive again. The embers of his desire had roared to life to such a degree that raw need had been awakened, turning him into a quivering mass of lust.
He took a deep, slow breath and prayed his burning face would cool from the flush of fierce hunger rushing through him. He must put an end to this. The more time he spent near Derek, the weaker his resolve became. It was not Julia who needed protection from Derek.Jonaswas the one in danger of losing this game. He needed to press Derek to move things along so he could free himself from this hypnotic spell.
Jonas composed himself as best he could as Derek led Julia back to his side. Jonas offered his sister the champagne and glowered at Derek.
“Oh, I am positively parched,” Julia chirped, oblivious to the tension stretching between them. “Thank you, Jonas. I vow, this ball has turned into a veritable crush! The room has grown quite warm.”
As she fluttered her fan before her face, a stranger approached, his mouth set into a determined line. His gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Julia.
“Lord Gilbanks!” Derek exclaimed, drawing Julia’s attention to his approach. “Always a pleasure.”
“Dryden,” the man muttered, shooting Derek a scathing glare from the corner of his eye. However, his demeanor softened considerably when he gazed upon Julia. “Miss Thacker, you are looking lovely this evening. But then, you always do.”
Julia dropped her fan to hang from her wrist and swiftly thrust the champagne glass into Jonas’ hands.
“My lord,” she said, her voice high and breathy. “How good of you to notice.”
Jonas nearly choked on air at his sister’s bold response. Was sheflirtingwith this Gilbanks character? He glanced to Derek, who watched them with curiosity but not much else. What the devil was going on?
“I see your glass is empty,” Gilbanks replied, nodding toward the champagne flute Jonas held. “May I fetch you another?”
Julia smiled. “No, thank you, my lord. However, I am glad you are here, for I would like to introduce you to my brother. Jonas, this is my dear friend, Viscount Gilbanks. My lord, my brother, Mr. Jonas Thacker. You have already met Jermyn and he is a dear, but … well, between you and I, Jonas is my favorite.”
She whispered the last bit with a conspiratorial wink, which Gilbanks seemed to find charming because he chuckled. He then offered his hand to Jonas in a display uncharacteristic of a lord greeting someone who stood beneath him in social status. Jonas bowed before engaging in the handshake, still very much aware of social protocol even if the viscount was not.
“I count it a pleasure to meet Miss Thacker’s favorite brother,” Gilbanks replied. “I am certain I need not tell you that your sister is a remarkable lady, Mr. Thacker.”
“Indeed,” Jonas replied, for lack of anything better to say. This was a rather queer turn of events, and he was not certain what to make of it. Julia had told him herself that she adored Derek and wished to marry him. However, it was impossible to miss how she blushed when Gilbanks smiled at her, or how he seemed unable to take his eyes off her.
“Are you promised to anyone for the next dance?” Gilbanks asked Julia. “If you are not, I should very much like the pleasure.”
Julia made a great show of glancing about as if trying to remember if she were otherwise engaged, even though they had just arrived and only Derek had had the chance to ask her. “I do believe I am available for the dance, my lord. Jonas?”
She gave Jonas a hopeful glance, reminding him that he was here to act as her chaperone.
“Of course,” he relented. “I will wait here for you.”
“Splendid,” Gilbanks said, offering Julia his arm. He cast a smug look over his shoulder at Derek as they walked away, who stood passively watching the entire scene unfold.
Once they were out of earshot, Jonas leaned toward Derek and whispered, “Do my eyes deceive me, or do you face a bit of competition?”
“That milk-chinned lobcock? Hardly.”
Jonas watched his sister, whose eyes were bright and twinkling, her cheeks rosy with excitement. “Your arrogance never ceases to astound me. The man clearly carries a torch for my sister, and she does not appear immune to his charm.”
“I suppose it would make you feel better to think so,” Derek murmured. “But I have no intention of surrendering Julia … unless, of course, you happen to emerge victorious at the end of our arrangement.”
“About that,” Jonas said, turning to face Derek. “I would like to put an end to this folly as soon as possible. If you are available tonight after the ball, I will meet you at Perdition.”
Derek drew his eyebrows upward as if surprised. “After your defeat last night, I hadn’t thought to see you cross the threshold of Perdition again for at least a fortnight.”
A muscle in Jonas’ cheek twitched as annoyance shot through him. “I agreed to three games and two remain. Shall we have done with the second tonight?”
