He wanted nothing more than to take her mouth and waltz her away to his room for the night. Something that could never, ever happen. As she was the daughter of his boss, and he was essentially the hired help with only a tenuous claim to a somewhat noble bloodline, he’d never be good enough to kiss her toes. So instead, he breathed in her fresh scent of lemons and sunshine, and admired the rosy hue of her cheek, the mischief dancing in her incredibly blue eyes, and the graceful lines of her smooth neck decorated only by a long gold chain with a charm of some sort hanging from it. A tiny book with castle towers? A closer look would also allow him to better study the swell of her breasts, which looked to be perfect handfuls. Pulling his thoughts upward, like the spark in her eyes, the lights danced off the highlights of her naturally blonde hair, enhancing the aura of gold that surrounded Courtland Robinson’s precious princess. The slightly disheveled strands now hanging down in soft curls from the previously polished up-do lent an attractive smudge to her perfect image of an angel. An angel who would inspire the devil to lay her out on one of the tables covered in white linen and damn the audience.
An angel he had no business thinking about in the carnal way currently trying to push more ideas into the forefront of his brain.
Fortunately, or sadly, the song came to an end, and Courtney quickly separated from him.
“Thank you for the dance,” she said stiffly, her many bracelets making a silvery sound as she dropped her arms.
Unable to speak, he merely gave her a half-bow, then waved her ahead of him back toward the table assigned to Drew’s family. Who were somewhere on the other side of the dance floor as the music switched to something from the eighties. Neptune Satellites if he wasn’t mistaken. One of their least offensive rocker tunes. Probably a nod to the those who’d come of age in the eighties.
As he stopped by the table, she kept walking in the direction of the door to the ballroom. The gentle sway of her hips was enhanced by the slit up the back of her dress. He wanted nothing more than to follow her and lower the zip until the dress slid from her slender shoulders. Did she wear red lace beneath?
“Come dance with me, Oswald.” A soft hand touched his arm, and he turned his attention to one of the bridesmaids. Ping? Yuahua? Junlei? No, Junlei was the one cuddling an infant at a table toward the back. He kept getting them mixed up, in part due to their matching dresses and hairstyles, and unfamiliar names, despite their very different personalities. Especially when he only wanted to think about Courtney. No other woman could break his focus on the one woman he wanted with a need so strong he could barely breathe. Meilin’s friends were bright and beautiful, but they weren’t Courtney and that wasn’t their fault.
“Of course, my lady.” He gave her a smile and watched as her eyes widened. A gentle hand in the middle of her back was enough to guide her back to the dance floor.
“Wow. You should do that more often.” The woman fanned her face, then took his hand and led him to the middle of the floor where Drew and Meilin danced in the center of their friends.
“Do what?” He took control and guided her into a jitterbug that went well with the beat.
“Smile.” She gave him a coy one. “Then again, if you smile, I’ll get bumped out of the way far too soon.”
Oswald laughed. It was better this way. Let Meilin’s pretty friends pass him around and he wouldn’t have time to think of blonde hair and blue eyes.
Chapter 3
In the ladies’ room Birdie blew out a frustrated breath. As she’d left the ballroom Ozzie was already headed back onto the dance floor with Yuahua, one of Meilin’s closest friends. Just as well. Birdie was probably mistaken about what she thought she’d felt against her stomach as he’d pulled her close during the dance. Who knew those old music groups could be so sexy?
A damp paper towel gently patted against her throat helped cool her down. The warm day and the closeness of the guests shoehorned into the ballroom made it hard to keep from sweating. Dancing only made it worse. Someone needed to turn up the AC in there.
The outer door to the lounge opened, and she heard whispers and giggles. Not only female, but a low male voice as well.
Good God. She recognized that voice. Drew.
She stepped from behind the wall near the sinks and caught her brother kissing his new wife.
“Stop that, you two,” she called out.
Meilin squeaked and Drew cursed.
Birdie shook her finger at them. “This room is not empty and is not to be used for sneaky nookie in the middle of your party. Drew, get out of here.”
“What if I pay you a hundred quid to guard the door for fifteen minutes?”
Arms folded across her chest, Birdie planted herself firmly in the arch separating the anteroom from the tiled room behind her. “Not on your life. You are not bumping uglies in a nasty, dirty bathroom. Save it for your suite.”
Drew groaned and buried his face in Meilin’s neck. The shameless woman merely laughed and patted his head.
Birdie pointed at Drew, then the door. “You. Out.”
Pouting and complaining, adorably, he went, leaving Meilin giggling her fool head off. Which was a little scary in itself. Meilin wasn’t the giggly type.
“Time to get you situated, woman.” Birdie took her arm and steered her toward the sinks.
By the time she helped Meilin freshen up, the bridesmaids had swarmed the ladies’ room, and Birdie vowed to wear a simple wedding dress should she ever get married. It shouldn’t take two women to hold the skirt up just to cop a squat.
Fluffed and primped herself, Birdie had her hand on the doorknob when Meilin caught her shoulder and spun her around into a hug. “I’m so happy to have such a cool sister,” the bride gushed. Very un-Meilin-like, but Birdie figured she had a right on such an emotional day.
“I’m happy too,” she assured her new in-law. “Now let’s get out of here.” A loud, pounding knock sounded on the door. “I think he’s about used up his limited store of patience.”
Ping grabbed Meilin’s arm. “Let’s do this like going down the aisle, but Birdie first!”
The ladies all agreed, and barely refraining from rolling her eyes, Birdie made her exit to find Drew, Jack, and Ozzie waiting in the hallway.
“Patience, dear brother, patience,” she advised, patted him on the chest, then headed back to the ballroom. As she thought about it, a trip to Vegas or a Justice of the Peace was starting to sound like a great way to get married. Never mind what her mother had been planning for the past two decades.
Back at the table, she picked up her empty champagne glass and waved at a nearby waiter. The dance floor was full, but her grandparents were sitting this one out.
“Where are they?” Grandmother Robinson demanded, not one pearl or one strand of fluffy styled hair out of place.
“Took a break to freshen up a bit, Gran. They’re on their way back,” she assured the self-proclaimed keeper of the family dignity. In addition, she pointed toward the entrance to the ballroom in time to catch the first of the bridesmaids leading the procession back. Finally Jack appeared escorting Yuahua, followed by Ping hanging on Ozzie’s arm. The attendants formed a path, and the bride and groom made their second entrance into the ballroom to the sound of applause as the