Kristina O'Grady - Debutantes Don't Date

She often rubbed shoulders with these types of people through her work but she never looked at them. She hadn’t looked at any man for three years. She didn’t have the time or the inclination. But right now, with her brain fuzzy and the room slightly off its axis, she couldn’t think of the reason why she never looked and why she definitely never touched. There was only one thing she could think of as she gazed up at this gorgeous man in this closed-off corner; it was as though they were all alone in the world. Even with the sound of the ball surrounding them, they were in a cocoon. What the hell, she would be gone in the morning and no one would ever know.

She stepped closer and grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him into her lips. He jerked with the initial shock and then relaxed completely into Grace’s overheated body. He grabbed her hips and hauled her body closer, pressing himself to her heat. He took her over, consuming her until she was at the point where she tried to crawl into him. Grace could feel his erection against her belly as she hiked her leg up to wrap around his thigh. One of his hands grabbed her ass and pulled her tighter to him still. The other made its way up her skirt. Grace wrapped her arms around his neck and grabbed handfuls of his hair. Moans were forced from her lips as they embarked on a dance entirely different to any the ball was intended to provoke.

Whatever he had been expecting when he followed her into the alcove it was not this! He waited for her to say something once they arrived, but no words had come from her lips. But when she stepped towards him with a look in her eyes that he recognised but was surprised to see in a ballroom, he couldn’t believe his luck. This little woman was just what he needed before he tied himself to ball and chain. The girl’s lips melted into his and opened willingly to his tongue. She had kissed before, he was sure of that, as he ran his hands up and down her body, pressing her closer to him. She did not shy away; instead she pushed her body further against him and tried to get closer. No innocent would behave thus. She must have kissed before!

Blood roared in his ears as his whole body throbbed with need. The woman hiked her leg up onto his waist and his fingers involuntarily found the hem of her dress and slid up her smooth leg. His lips trailed kisses along her jawline to just under her ear so he could taste her intoxicating skin. The hand under her skirt slid past her knee and closer to her heat. He felt her tongue slide against his ear and shivers cascaded through his body. He heard an outraged gasp. It took a moment to realise that the sound did not come from the lady in his arms but from the entrance to their hiding spot. Jasper jerked his lips away from her sweet silky neck so fast that he gave himself whiplash swinging his head towards the opening in the drape and to the woman who stood there with her mouth hanging open.

Mrs Hillary Barrett watched with interest as a little raven-haired woman pulled Lord Bingham from the spectators. She wondered who the young lady was that made such a commotion. Her friends would dine out on this gossip for a week; she had never seen him follow any female willingly anywhere, besides his sister of course.

Hillary followed them closely, watching as the couple disappeared behind the pillar. She looked over her shoulder to see if any of her cronies had spotted this little rendezvous. Seeing all her lady friends were still discussing the spectacle the young woman had made, she rubbed her hands together with glee. She may just find the scandal of the year! This may be even better than seeing the young woman with her skirts around her ears. She rounded the corner into the alcove and stopped as a gasp was torn from her lips. This was even better than she thought!

Jasper wrenched his mouth away from the vixen and turned to see the one and only Mrs Hillary Barrett, the ton ’s biggest gossip, staring at him with outraged shock.

“Lord Bingham! What on earth do you think you are doing with that young lady?”

Jasper looked down at the beauty in his arms. Her body was plastered against his, her glossy hair spilling down his left arm. Somewhere along the way her hairpins had fallen out. Her heaving breasts pressed to his chest, her clothes were slightly askew and her leg was still wrapped tightly around his thigh as though she was trying to climb him. He belatedly realised one of his hands was on her backside, pulling her closer to him, and his other hand was up her skirt just shy of her heat. He let go and dropped her like a hot poker. He turned to face his adversary, shoving the unknown woman behind him to keep her from Mrs Barrett’s prying eyes.

“Forgive me, I was just getting myself acquainted with my new fiancée, Mrs Barrett. I was just so happy with her answer I seem to have got carried away in the happy moment. If you would be so kind as to give us a minute, I would be happy to introduce you to my bride-to-be as soon as we have put ourselves to rights.” He smiled so sweetly that she blushed.

“Of course, my dear, I would be the last one to deny a new couple their happy moment.” She turned and ducked out of the alcove.

“Well, that was embarrassing,” the woman he was just making love to said once the curtain twitched back to its resting place. “I can’t believe she just barged in like that.”

Oh God, she was American, his sister was going to love this. “I can’t believe I fell for this. No one else has ever managed to do it, but you got me.” He turned towards the dishevelled beauty who was frantically trying to fix her dress. No matter what she did, it still kept gaping in the front, showing off the creamy tops of her breasts. He stared as her nipples played peek-a-boo with the lace of her bodice.

“What? What do you mean, I got you? Do you think someone put me up to this as a joke?” She looked up in disbelief from her ruined dress. “It’s terribly embarrassing getting caught kissing someone in the corner, but I assure you it was no practical joke.” Exasperated, she threw her hands down. “I can’t fix this blasted dress! Now what am I going to do? I can’t go back out there looking like this, not tonight.”

“Here, let me,” and, with experienced hands, he adjusted her dress so her breasts were no longer in danger of falling out. Jesus, it was hard to concentrate with this woman around. How in the hell was he going to get out of the mess she created? “This certainly is not a joke!” He stepped back and ran his hands through his hair. “I now must do the honourable thing…and to the wrong woman too! God damn it, what a mess. Where is your father? I must speak to him immediately.”

“My dad is dead. Did you just tell that lady I’m your fiancée?” Her beautiful mouth dropped open and then broke into a smile as she finally registered what he had said earlier. “Fast thinking, but are you crazy? At least that old lady won’t be too worried now, will she? But you don’t even know me, I could be some psycho for all you know.”

Jasper scrubbed his face with his hands and thought maybe he was the crazy one. He should just walk away from this fortune-hunter and leave her to the wolves. Who cared about her reputation? It was all but ruined from her display earlier anyway; his reputation would survive, men got away with so much more. But looking down at the confusion evident in her eyes, he couldn’t just leave her there. Besides, if he was honest with himself, she was not the only one to blame in this predicament. He suspected he couldn’t walk away from the passion he still felt for her. His hands still tingled where he had accidently brushed against the warm skin of her breast while he was setting her dress to rights, for God’s sake. How could he walk away from that? His passion for her was immediate and so intense he, for the first time ever, had forgotten where he was and what the consequences would be if he was caught. And caught he was.