Page 25 of Vistaria Has Fallen
She found the washroomswith the universal symbol for women and stood at the basin, staring blindly into the mirror while she tasted her roiling anger and frustration. Last night and again tonight. He was toying with her.
Only, that wasn’t accurate. Her mind, trained for critical thinking, nagged her into acknowledging the inconsistencies.
Calli spread her hands and leaned on the counter, letting her head hang as shepushed aside all the hurt feelings and her bruised ego and separated out the facts. He had said...what?
“I saw the light leave your eyes when you heard my name. That is why I stand here. I did not like watching your spirit die as you put it together.”
The caress of his voice in her mind: “I dreamed of you, Calli.”
She shivered.
He hadn’t been playing with her at all. He had revealed himselfto makeherfeel better, then explained why he could not give in to the desire.
Calli rubbed her temple. God and she had been at the point of dragging Peter to bed to get even with him. How stupid! How could she not have seen this before? “I’m out of practice,” she whispered to the mirror.
That left one remaining question. Why had he come over to the table tonight?
If she hurried back, wouldhe still be there? Afraid, she raced from the room. He would have sensed her dismissal. He would not need it repeated. He would leave as quickly as politeness would allow. She had to get back there.
Halfway down, she saw him. He stood next to the green swags, looking out at the view. She knew he waited for her. Her heart hammering and her body on high alert, she descended the rest of the stairs.Calli grew aware of her dress, the sheer black stockings and was proud of her appearance. She was glad he had seen her like this.
She stepped onto the landing and stood beside him, as if they shared the view. The skin on her shoulder prickled at the nearness of his arm, even though they did not touch.
“Why did you come over to our table?”
“Did you think I could stay away? With you looking likethat? I am a man, Calli, not a machine. Your appearance tonight... A man has only to look at you to know he should shower you with every sensual pleasure he can produce, that the rewards for such efforts would be ecstasy beyond his wildest dreams.”
A shiver wracked her. Peter had not managed to be even remotely poetic, while Nicolás had responded. She remembered Minnie’s advice and realized thatNicolás understood the difference.
“He’s not worthy, Calli,” he whispered.
“He will do.” She would not tell him she had changed her mind about seducing Peter. There was no point.
“I assumed you would have better taste. He’s a boy and he cannot dance.”
“And you can?”
“Better than he.”
“Yet he took me out on the dance floor, while you will not dare. Who is more the man?”
He reached out togrip the velvet curtain beside him and crushed it in his fist. “It is not lack of courage that prevents me.”
“You made it clear last night that my life is none of your business.”
In the reflection on the window, she saw his head drop, as if he didn’t like the fact any more than she. “So I did,” he agreed, his voice low.
“Are you recanting?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her heart hurtas it pounded against her chest.
His grip on the velvet tightened. “Ican’t,” he growled.
The exquisite tension in her subsided, like air from a tire. “I know,” she agreed. All the pride, the excitement, fled. “I have to get back to Peter. He’ll be wondering—”
Nick’s arm wrapped around her waist as she turned to go. She inhaled sharply as he pulled her up against him and held her with her backto him, his arm an iron band around her.
“Not yet,” he said, his voice strained.
Heat. Solid, immoveable strength. The hard length of his body registered along hers. His hand cupped her hip.
