Debutantes Don't Date. Kristina O'Grady

her skirt was almost up to her waist! And it didn’t appear as though anyone was coming to her rescue.

      “What’s the world coming to when a lady’s mamma can’t even keep her daughter’s stockings out of view?” Philip said when he made his way to Jasper’s side. “Good thing Lady Anne would never act in such a disgraceful manner, eh Bingham?” Philip nudged him with his elbow and winked.

      “What’s that, Philip?” Jasper peeled his eyes from the enchanting display to look at his friend. “Sorry, I got a bit distracted,” he grinned.

      “I was just saying Lady Anne would never behave like that in public.”

      “More’s the pity,” Jasper mumbled. “You’re right about that. Remind me, why am I offering for her again?”

      “‘To carry on the succession’, of course. ‘We Lords must all do our duty one day’,” Philip quoted in his father’s stern voice. “Lucky for me, I am still expected to have my fun, while you, my old friend, must take up your duty at once.” Philip laughed.

      “You’re only two years my junior.”

      “That may be, but I’m still free to have my fun. You, my friend, are not. And if you don’t mind, I think I’ll go and partake in some of the fun that is expected of me. You should go and enjoy some too, before you become betrothed tomorrow.”

      “I haven’t asked her yet, and maybe I won’t,” although they both knew he was talking rot. “Besides, who is to say that Alderton will even agree to the match anyway?”

      “If you ask, he will agree,” Philip stated deadpan. “He won’t get a better offer. Besides, it is expected. Your parents arranged it with him after all. I think he would be more surprised if you didn’t ask. Word is Lady Anne has been groomed to marry you and only you. You can’t disappoint her, now can you?” he said with a wink and another nudge.

      Disappoint her? No. Disappoint himself? Aye well Jasper felt more and more disappointed every passing year. His world was closing in on him and there was nothing he could do about it. The responsibility to his family and his line pressed down on his shoulders as a tremendous weight. He’d felt it since his father died, but lately it was dragging him under. He put on his best smile and said, “You know me, my friend, I never disappoint the ladies.”

      Philip watched as his friend walked away, knowing that Jasper would behave as he always did: properly. He never partook in anything even remotely scandalous. Not since Eton, anyway. Not since his parents were taken from him and the responsibility of the Earldom was placed squarely upon his shoulders. Not that the truth of the matter stopped the rumour mill. There had been more rumours about Lord Bingham and his exploits than humanly possible; or humanly desirable for that matter. Really, who thought up the one about Jasper visiting five different brothels every night, Sundays included? No one who actually knew his friend, that was for sure.

      As the crowd swallowed Jasper, Philip wished his friend would misbehave just once.

      ***

      Grace stumbled slightly when the lights went out at midnight and she dropped the object in her hand. “Damn.” She hoped it didn’t break. She didn’t get a good look at it before the lights went off, but it felt like a brooch or a pin. Getting out from under the table wearing a costume was becoming a bit of a battle. With her bum pointed high in the air and her head still stuck under the table she elicited shocked gasps behind her when the lights flickered back on. She tried to scramble to her feet, giving her growing audience a glimpse of more than they bargained for, before she tripped on the skirt of her gown and fell hard back onto her bottom and whacked the back of her head on the table. This was ridiculous. A few glasses of wine should not make her so off-balance. It never had before, although she has never had a ‘few’ glasses so close together…but still. The room felt sideways, as if the world had been tipped off its axis. The lights in the room were oddly dim and her mind was fuzzy. She was suddenly confused and unsure where she was. Tears burned her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks which would cap off her moment of humiliation.

      Through the crowd of people gathered to see her indignity, a hand reached for hers. “Need help, my lady?” She might not be able to see straight, but she could see the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. My God, he looked like Ryan Gosling in ‘The Notebook’. Oh she hoped it wasn’t him. She had a rule against dating celebrities.

      He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. His eyes crinkled as he smiled down at her and the slight dimple in his right cheek stole the breath from her lungs. The fact that the hand held out to her belonged to him was a dream come true and she grasped hold of it firmly. As soon as she made contact with his skin awareness shot up her arm and forced a gasp from her lips.

      The mystery man helped her up and tried to straighten her skirts by running his hands up and down her body. Desire flowed through her along the same path as his hands. All she could do was stare longingly up at his mouth, and her tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly very dry lips. More gasps sounded around them, jerking her back into reality. She looked around her before grabbing hold of the man’s hand and she pulled him along behind her through the crowd, away from the gaping mouths and the shocked faces. She led him to an alcove, cleverly hidden behind a couple of pillars and a partly closed drape.

      Grace pushed the drape aside so they could enter and turned to face the man she had just dragged through the ballroom. What the hell had she done? She had been so consumed with getting away from the incensed looks that she didn’t even think of what the poor man must think of her. Ha! As if he was poor! He oozed money and privilege; his clothes, although a costume, were obviously of the highest quality and were tailored to suit his body. Actually, they fitted him like a glove. She couldn’t stop herself from running her eyes up and down every glorious inch of him and mentally peeling his perfect clothes off his body.

      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