Marshall tugged irritably at his tie. "Gods, I hate these things."
Tristan grinned and straightened his own tie. "Aye, but you look very handsome." Marshall punched him in the arm. "Shut up."
Tristan sucked in his breath. He was staring at the door to the common room and Marshall
followed his gaze.
"Gods be damned," Marshall breathed.
Maya, gorgeous in a soft blue dress and her blonde hair glinting in the hundreds of twinkling
lights that had been strung to the ceiling, had entered the common room, carrying Nicholas and holding Sophia's hand.
But it was not Maya that had Tristan's attention so riveted. Behind her, smiling and clasping her hands nervously in front of her waist, was Avery. Her red hair was braided and wound around her head with a few soft curls pulled down and framing her pale face. The dress Marshall had picked out for her fit her perfectly. The bodice clung to her full breasts and small waist, and her skin glowed against the dark green material.
He couldn't stop staring at her as Marshall crossed the room and kissed Maya on the cheek. Sophia leaned against Avery's leg, and she smiled down at her and stroked the small girl's hair. Tristan, his stomach churning with sudden nerves, smoothed his jacket and started toward her. Victoria, wearing a dress the colour of blood, stepped in front of him.
"Good evening, Tristan."
"Hello, Victoria." He strained to look around her as Avery, holding Sophia's hand, was approached by the lord and lady Barton.
Victoria tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led him towards the long table that was laden with food. "Will you join me for a bite to eat, Tristan?"
He forced himself to smile at her. "Of course." ** *
Avery watched as Tristan danced with Victoria. Once everyone had eaten their fill, the tables had been pushed against the wall and the music had begun for dancing. The Lycan looked gorgeous. Her blonde hair and tanned skin were a startling contrast to her deep red dress, and Avery swallowed hard as Tristan said something to her and she laughed up at him.
She sighed and forced herself to look away. The evening was the best night she'd had since her father died, and she refused to spend it feeling sorry for herself. She heard Sophia laugh and smiled as the little girl, holding Maya's hands and dancing around the room, waved at her.
"Would you like to dance?"
She glanced up to see the Barton boy, she thought his name was Rory, standing in front of her.
She smiled. "I would love to."
She took his offered hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
** *
Tristan leaned against the wall and watched as the others danced. The music, a fast and furious beat, throbbed through the room and he grinned as the people twirled and spun around the
room. Avery, her face flushed and glowing, was in the middle of the room dancing with Maya and the Tomlin brothers. She stomped her feet and wiggled her hips, laughing and giggling.
"It's a fine party." The lord Barton stood next to him and Tristan forced himself to stop looking at Avery and concentrate on the older man.
"Thank you for joining us, Thomas."
"Thank you for inviting us," Thomas replied.
Tristan's gaze turned to Avery again. Her red hair gleamed like fire under the lights, and he
stiffened a little when Hendrick took her hands and spun her around in a rapid circle.
"I spoke with Miranda. She's open to the idea of taking the Red. She spoke at length with her earlier and is quite taken with the girl," Thomas said. "What's her background? She's not
like any slave I've ever met before."
"I'm not sure," Tristan said. "I haven't asked her."
"She's a hard worker, is she?"
"Aye, she is."
"Well, we'll take her then. Miranda could use some help around the house."
Tristan nodded stiffly. He had already spoken with Lord Tomlin and he too, had expressed
interest in taking Avery. He knew he would prefer that Avery go with the Bartons. Not only because she would be closer to him, but he didn't care for the way Paul, the oldest Tomlin boy, was looking at Avery.
"If you'd like, we'll take her back with us when we leave tomorrow afternoon. It will save you a trip bringing her to us."
Tristan shook his head immediately. "No, I'll need her until after our houseguests have left."
Thomas smiled. "Are you sure? With yours and the Sanders slaves, you seem to have more than enough help at the moment."
"I will bring her to you in a few weeks, Thomas," Tristan said harshly.
His stomach had clenched painfully when Thomas had offered to take her with them and he wondered, not for the first time, if he would even be able to honor his promise to Avery. The thought of not seeing her every day, of not hearing her voice or touching her soft skin, made him feel nearly mad.
Thomas held up his hands. "That's fine, Tristan, Are you sure you want to sell her to me? You don't seem keen on giving her up."
Tristan didn't reply. The music ended and another song began, a slow and soft one this time. He watched as the dancers broke off into couples and Avery wandered to the edge of the dance floor. She leaned against the wall and watched the couples dancing.
Tristan pushed away from the wall. A flash of red caught his eye and he groaned inwardly as Victoria weaved her way through the dancers towards him. As she approached, he turned to Thomas. "Do me a favour, Thomas?"
The old man raised his eyebrows at him.
"Ask Victoria to dance."
Thomas glanced at her and then back at Tristan who was staring at Avery again. "Aye, I can
do that, Tristan."
Victoria stopped in front of them. Before she could speak, Thomas smiled at her and held out
his hand. "May I have this dance, lady Victoria?"
She hesitated and then nodded. Thomas took her hand and led her to the dance floor as
Tristan started toward Avery. He stopped in front of her and held out his hand. "Will you dance with me, girl?"
She smiled at him. "Aye, my lord. I will."
She took his hand and he led her to the dance floor. She rested her right hand on his shoulder as he slipped his left arm around her waist and pulled her up tight against him. He held her left hand in his right and moved her around the floor in a smooth circle.
"Thank you for the dress, my lord."
"Do you like it?" He asked a little anxiously.
"I love it. It's the nicest gift I've ever been given," she said.
"You look so pretty," he said, and then groaned at how stupid he sounded.
"You look very handsome," she whispered.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to lead her to his bedroom, rip off her new dress and touch
and caress her naked body until she was moaning his name. He wanted to bury himself in her warm body and feel her come apart around him. He was growing hard and he could pinpoint the exact moment she felt it.
She stared up at him, her green eyes dark with need. When her mouth parted, he dipped his head to kiss her. He didn't care who was watching. She jerked against him, tripping over his foot, and they stumbled to a stop.
"Sorry," she said. She lifted up her long skirt a little to rearrange it and he couldn't help smiling at the sight of her leather work boots.
She followed his gaze and blushed, dropping her skirt to hide the boots.
"I don't have any other shoes," she said almost apologetically as he led her around the dance floor again.
"I should have asked Marshall to buy you shoes as well," he said.
She laughed. "Could you imagine, my lord? He did a wonderful job with the dress but I'm not sure I would trust him with my footwear."
He grinned at her and let go of her hand briefly to tug on one of the curls that framed her face. "I like your hair tonight."
"Thank you. Maya braided it for me."
He pulled her even closer and inhaled. It had been days since he had touched her, had smelled her own unique scent, and he squeezed her tightly as she began to tremble against him.
"It's been a wonderful party has it not?" she said. "Sophia has been having so much fun. She will remember this night her entire life."
She glanced at the couch that was pushed up against the far wall. Sophia was on the couch with her small head cushioned on a pillow and her body covered with a blanket. She had fallen asleep over an hour ago while Tristan had held her and danced her slowly around the room. Despite the noise and light, she had not stirred since.
"You're having a good time then?" he asked.
"Aye!" She gave him a dazzling smile that took his breath away. "This is the most fun I've had since before Daddy died."
He smiled down at her. "I am pleased to hear that."
She looked up at the ceiling, staring at the small twinkling lights, and he had to smother an urge to place a soft kiss on her milky white throat.
"So many people have asked me to dance tonight." She gave him a very child-like grin of delight and he was helpless to stop his answering one. "Even at Daddy's parties, very few people would dance with me. I would dance with my father and my younger brother of course, and once, a very nice old man danced with me, but I normally just watched the other people dance."
She looked around at the people swaying on the dance floor. "Tonight, I've danced with all the Tomlin boys, Marshall, Lord Barton, Hendrick and Rory."
"Aye." He gave her a mock glare. "You danced twice with the Barton boy."