“Is he still with that woman?” Étienne asked as he walked back into the ballroom.
At once, I tore my gaze away from Nat and focused on what was left of the orchestra. The musicians remained in their seats, but their shoulders were slouched, and their eyes heavy as they continued. They were waiting for this night to end just like we were.
Miles shrugged. “He’s been with her for over two hours. Your brother is nothin’ if not persistent.”
“Oh, he’s persistent all right,” Étienne muttered under his breath before he walked across the room, his steps determined, and strode right up to Livingston and the chosen lady to warm his bed.
He clapped his hand so loudly, the lady jumped. Livingston appeared mildly annoyed. “All right. I’m afraid the dancin’ portion of the night is over. Take your seduction elsewhere, Livingston.”
Miles snorted loudly, which in turn, made Rainey and Nat erupt into giggles. The woman appeared mortified, pushed out of Livingston’s arms and rushed out of the room.
Livingston turned to his twin and somberly stared at him. “She could be my wife.”
“Well, if she is, I give my apologies to my sister-in-law, but it’s late and this ball must come to an end.”
Livingston shrugged, already forgetting about his future wife. “But should it? How about one more dance for the beautiful debutante?” Livingston suggested to the four of us.
Rainey and Nat looked at each other before Nat nodded. Rainey hopped out of her seat, and bowed before Nathalie and playfully held a hand out. Giggling, Nathalie accepted it and the two of them ran onto the ballroom floor.
While the orchestra played, Rainey and Nathalie danced in the middle of the ballroom. Only one chandelier was lit, but Nathalie’s happiness was an extra beam of light.
I couldn’t understand what had changed about her. And I wanted to. She had become a math problem I wanted to solve. But I shouldn’t have searched for an answer with her or it would be all I seek.
“Well, that’s over with,” Étienne huffed.
Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Indeed.”
Étienne looked back and forth between Nat and me. His eyes slowly narrowed. “What were you lookin’ at?”
“Nothin’,” I lied.
Slowly, he nodded as he looked at his sister. “Hmm. Could have sworn I saw you intently starin’ at Nat.”
The sharp edge of his words had me looking in his direction. “Never.”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye and lifted a brow. “Good. Because as much as I treasure our friendship, that is my little sister. She will always come first.”
The implications of his words were clear: look at her, touch her and I will kill you.
Squaring my shoulders, I faced my best friend and dipped my head. “Of course. I expect nothin’ less.”
Étienne scrutinized me, and after a long, strained silence, he cleared his throat. “I think I will turn in.”
I stood there, knowing that the best thing for me to do was to follow Étienne and go home where a long night of work awaited me. But I didn’t. I stood there, quite aware that the moment my best friend left I’d stand against this wall and watch his little sister with a tight fist of desire in my belly.
And that was what happened. With my back against the wall, I watched Nat dance around the room with her best friend. She tilted her head back and laughed at something Rainey said, exposing the elegant line of her throat.
“Asa, do come dance with our debutante!” Rainey called out.
Clearing my throat, I stood straight. “I did earlier this evenin’.”
“Oh, la di da,” Rainey said with a wave of her hand. “Someone is awfully stuffy.” Rainey quickly dismissed me and looked to Livingston. “Come dance with us.”
Livingston arched a brow, but nonetheless, he sauntered back onto the ballroom floor. He loosened his tie as he walked past me. “Le savauge, hold your hands where I can see them. I need to make sure you aren’t hidin’ your bow and arrow underneath that dress.”
Rainey sneered at him before she raised both hands. “No weapons, Limp Lacroix.”
“I don’t believe a word you’re sayin’. But for the sake of tonight, I’ll pretend I do.” As Livingston took Rainey’s hand, he looked above her head at me. “Come on, Calhoun.”
“I’ve already danced.”
Livingston turned and looked at me with a twisted-up face. “I don’t want to dance with you. I merely want you to serve as a reinforcement in the event Rainey strikes me. Dance with Nat.”
Even from where she was standing, I could see the stain on Nat’s cheeks. She might not have been able to hear our entire conversation, but she heard the last portion of it.
Regardless of what I was fighting inside myself, I couldn’t say no now. Not tonight. This was her night, and I didn’t want to devastate her.
I nodded and wordlessly followed behind Livingston. Once I reached Nat, I dipped my head and held my hand out to her. “One more dance to finish the night?”
Her head rapidly moved up and down as she took my hand. The violinist began to play the instrumental version of “Cuddle Up A Little Closer” by Ada Jones and Billy Murray.
It felt far more intimate than before. Maybe because it was. I was wisely keeping my mouth shut. At the ball, I couldn’t be trusted and made the most arbitrary remarks. Nathalie was polite and smiled, but if it was any other lady, I was certain I would never have seen their face after the ball came to an end.
Nat hummed the lyrics of the song lightly to herself. They seemed to vibrate through me. Each one hit me in the chest as a personal blow.
To ignore the sweet sound of Nat’s humming, I thought of the lyrics:
Cuddle up a little closer, lovey mine
Cuddle up and be my little clinging vine
My grip on Nat’s hand tightened. At once, she looked at me, almost sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I like this song.”
“No, no. No,” I rushed out. “I apologize. You can continue. You are a good hummer.”
Smiling, Nat dipped her head. It came as no surprise that her soft humming didn’t resume.
Good hummer? Good hummer? You know how to speak to ladies, Asa! Pull yourself together!
“Do you want to know somethin’?”
Nat stared up at me, her hazel eyes dancing with life and mischief. I arched a brow, but found myself smirking. “I don’t know, do I want to know somethin’?”
She laughed. “I believe you do.” Nat leaned in ever so slightly. “My friend Doris was quite disappointed that she never received a dance with you tonight.”
My brows crinkled together. “Doris…Doris. I don’t know which one is named Doris…” My voice faded as I thought of who Nat was referring to, and then a face took shape in my mind. “Oh, do you mean the girl that repeats herself constantly and has eyes so wide she resembles an owl?”
A short burst of laughter escaped Nat. “What?”
I realized my blunder and quickly said, “That description did not come from me. Livingston told me that.”
“Of course, he did,” Nat murmured. She continued to shake her head and smiled. “Well, apparently ‘the owl’ is fond of you.”