Aurelia looked up as a footman led Max into the drawing room. She was careful to school her features into a mask of impassivity despite her surprise at his appearance. After their last encounter, she did not expect to see him for a good while.
Three days had passed since he hauled her from Sodom. Three days since he had kissed and rejected her. Three days since she decided once and for all to move forward with her life and stop doing whatever it was she was doing with Max. She’d told herself time and distance would be for the best. So truly there was no excuse for her heart to race faster at the sight of him.
His tall length ambled with a casual grace. He conveyed strength and checked power as he greeted her brother and Violet. He cut a fine figure in a dark jacket and buff-colored breeches. She looked away from his impressive physique and glanced to Buckston, sitting across from her. Buckston was still talking, moving his hands animatedly. He had not even noticed the new arrival. Her smile felt brittle as glass but she clung to it, desperate to give no reaction to the inclusion of Max into their dinner party. He’d been around all her life. Tonight should be no different from any other night.
Except it was. She never had to mingle among her family with him so close, with the knowledge of what his lips tasted like, a living, breathing memory.
She clenched her hands together in her lap and followed Buckston’s cue, laughing when he laughed even though she had no notion what he had said that he considered so amusing.
Even though she did not glance at Max again, all of her hummed with awareness, her body achingly alert. A marked change from moments ago. She had been fighting to stay awake during Buckston’s diatribe as he recounted his latest shopping spree and the new haberdashery that had just opened its doors. Buckston just might enjoy matters of clothing and fashion more than any woman of her acquaintance. He had won Mama over instantly when he complimented her puce turban and matching slippers. Gentlemen so rarely noticed a lady’s slippers.
Buckston reached out to stroke the sleeve of her gown. “I must say, Lady Aurelia, I’m a great admirer of jewel tones, and this emerald green is a lovely color on you.”
She glanced down at her gown. She was so rattled by Max’s presence she could not recall what she was wearing. The awareness of him was still there, a warm hum that flowed along her nerves. Without even looking, she imagined she felt his stare.
A quick glance across the room revealed he was in fact staring at her, his blue eyes dark as a night sky. He watched as Buckston lightly fingered her sleeve, his brows drawn tightly over his deep-set eyes.
Her brother and cousin conversed, oblivious that Max’s attention was focused with soul-burning intensity on her. Panic tickled low in her belly when she glanced around the room, catching Violet looking between them curiously. Blast. Her sister-in-law had noticed.
She snapped her gaze away. What was he doing looking at her like she had done something wrong? She had not seen fit to visit Sodom again, and she’d refrained from sabotaging any more of his liaisons. Assuming he had any.
That almost made her laugh. This was Max. It had been three days. He’d likely engaged in any number of liaisons.
The very idea that he continued his rakehell ways brought forth her own scowl. Brilliant. Now they were both scowling at each other in a roomful of people, displeasure radiating between them in palpable waves.
Blood rushed to her face, and she gave him a slight shake of her head, hopefully signifying that he should stop glowering at her. She forced her attention away. It was a sad state indeed when her body failed to grasp what her mind already had. She needed a husband, and Max was not that man.
She fixated on Buckston’s kindly, attentive face and enormous bobbing Adam’s apple. She skimmed his rail-thin form and tried to ignore the knotting in her stomach at the idea of Buckston touching her.
“Th-Thank you,” she murmured when she realized she had yet to respond to his compliment of her gown.
Even though she did not turn to look, she could see on her periphery that Max had joined Will and Dec at the far side of the room.
She tapped a single foot impatiently beneath her skirts. Tonight was to have been a small dinner party. Aside from Dec and Rosalie, Buckston was the only other person invited. At least that’s what she had thought when her mother asked her if she would like to include a suitor. She’d prepared herself for an intimate gathering. She’d had no time to brace herself for seeing Max again so soon. She had convinced herself she would be betrothed before she clapped eyes on him again, and once that happened, she would have forgotten all about Max. Because it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing.
She woke the morning after Sodom with fresh resolve swimming in her veins to welcome whatever suitors came to call. She promised herself that she would be agreeable. Charming even. Well, as charming as possible. She fully expected Struan Mackenzie to call on her, but as it turned out, Buckston was her only suitor to surface. Apparently, Struan Mackenzie had a change of heart after Sodom. It had been an easy enough matter to settle on Buckston when no one else had called on her. It was a jarring reminder that she was no great catch. Penniless with only good bloodlines to recommend her.
Aurelia knew she should have been disappointed, but there was only numbness. Struan or Buckston. It made little difference. She felt nothing for either one of them. In truth, the gangly Buckston was probably the far safer choice. He would expect little. Struan might demand too much from her. She shivered at the thought. He would see past her inane remarks and empty smiles. He would know she thought of another man whenever he touched her.
The thought of Max made her look again. She couldn’t help it. He stared back at her over the rim of his glass with eyes far too serious. She was accustomed to derisive laughter and cheeky smiles from him. Not this broody and intense Max. If she thought he was dangerous before, he was downright deadly to her senses now.
Her cheeks burned and she faced forward. Mama urged Buckston to play for them. Everyone else chimed in, clapping encouragingly. Buckston sank behind the pianoforte, flipping out his coattails. “Forgive my blunders,” he declared. “I’m no Chopin.” He then began to play with relish. He might not be Chopin but he played a near second.
She took advantage of the reprieve and moved to stand beside her mother. “Mama? What’s Camden doing here?”
Mama did not tear her gaze from Buckston at the pianoforte while saying, “Oh, I invited him, dear. It’s been a while since he last dined with us.” Then, as if a thought occurred to her, she cast a quick frown at Aurelia. “I do hope you won’t be a beast, dear. It won’t do at all to behave that way in front of Buckston.”
“Of course not, Mama,” she replied dutifully, sighing as Buckston slid into another song. As well as he played, the loud music beat at her temples. “If you’ll pardon me,” she murmured. Mama did not spare her a glance, her smiling gaze fixed on Buckston.
Aurelia slipped from the room without a backward glance. She quickly made her way down the corridor, leaving the sounds of the pianoforte behind. For a moment she debated taking refuge in her bedchamber, but Cecily was probably there.
Desperate for a moment’s solitude, she slipped inside her brother’s study.