HIS FORBIDDEN OBSESSION

ng crowd, her fingers resting lightly on Etha

How people turned to him, eager to be in his orbit, drawn

had ch

dn't feel re

very woman in the city wanted-had looked at her and s

s, his voice smooth, assured. Even when discussing busine

he wa

e sharp cut of his jaw, the piercing blue eyes that h

im before he eve

d n

he

ng her hand gently. "Enjoying the view, sweetheart?

ep up her neck. "Jus

was something softer in his e

his lips, brushing a

stomach f

round beneath her was both steady and unsteady at the same ti

, handing one to her. "Come," he said, tugging her slightly tow

low them, the Blackwell estate stretched in elegant perfection-manic

stone railing, his gaze

tilting her head. "You see

ampagne. "Can you blame me? I'm engaged t

r smile was real. "Flattery

dropping. "Because I seem to recall a cert

betrayed her, thrumming a little faste

e sound was rich and d

ushing a strand of

ded-the party, the guests, the we

s just

warm against her skin. "You d

o the eyes of the man she had given

verythin

low, lingering kiss, and Ce

ture held, what being a Blac

, none of th

, she wa

he was

our. And Celia let herself fall into it, let herself forget the dozens of eyes

wasn't just the future

was

he wa

her lower lip, his blue eyes dark with something unread

breath

ct on her. The slow, teasing words. The way he looke

r chin up slightly. "I

ogance, but it only mad

s her again, the bal

tha

as sharp, au

his presence commanding as always. Even in his sixties, the Blackwell patriarch was

ightened in

ng the champagne in his glass as he turned to face

ger than necessary. "There will be plenty of time for that after the wed

-just the slightest shift, the briefest flicker of s

noticed

time studying him to c

mall smile before pressing a kiss to t

e, disappearing back into the p

pping the railing a

ackwell meant obligations, power plays, carefully orch

was supposed

y, champagne in hand, she couldn't shake t

ething wa

she didn'