Cobb (Lighthouse Security Investigations #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,3
her close. With one hand on her waist, still leaving a socially-polite space between them, he took her other hand and held it close to his chest. Moving slowly, they began to dance. The delicate scent of orange blossoms filled his nostrils, and he fought the urge to bury his nose in her hair and inhale.
She was taller than his grandmother, but he knew without her heels she would be staring at his chest instead of his chin. Her dress dipped in the front, giving a hint of perfect cleavage. His hand rested on the material in the back, his fingertips able to slide along the soft skin at her shoulder.
“I should apologize for being so forward, but you looked quite lonely standing by yourself pretending to drink champagne.”
Her clear-eyed gaze never wavered. “You’re right, you should apologize for being so presumptuous, but I notice you didn’t actually say that you’re sorry.”
Her voice was as soft as he imagined but her lips still had not formed a smile.
“Then I do apologize if you were, in truth, drinking the champagne that you’d been holding. Or if you weren’t standing by yourself.”
She tilted her head slightly to the side. “I’m afraid that’s not a good enough apology. I was choosing to stand there with the champagne in my hand.”
“But isn’t it more fun to dance than to stand all alone?”
“And you think a woman standing by herself needs to be rescued? Perhaps I was waiting on someone.”
He gently rubbed his thumb over her fingers and pressed them closer to his chest. “If you were waiting on someone, they should have been there. I assure you that if you were supposed to meet me, I would never have been late to leave someone as beautiful as you to stand alone.”
He hoped her lips would curve slightly or that she would glance up at him through her eyelashes, coyly offering a silent invitation. Instead, she merely lifted an eyebrow. He had the strange sensation that he was back in school having offered a smartass comment that was overheard by a teacher. He’d never had to work so hard to get a woman to smile at his charm.
Clearing his throat, he confessed, “I’m afraid my attempts at being suave have fallen short. Do you think perhaps we can start over?”
“That would probably be best, and may I suggest you begin by taking your foot out of your mouth?”
Unable to keep from laughing, he shook his head. “Good evening, I’m Jorge.”
“Just Jorge?”
Wanting to get to know her without revealing that he was the son of the governor, he smiled. “Yes. And I completely understand about standing off by yourself. I’ve done it many times.”
She shook her head slowly as she continued to hold his gaze. “I have to admit you certainly don’t look like the others here. For one thing, you’re much taller and broader than any other man in the room.” She blinked suddenly and tilted her head as her eyes narrowed. “Are you a bodyguard? Is there someone here you’re keeping an eye on?”
“Yes,” he said smoothly. Since he worked for a security company, his deception didn’t seem so bad.
An adorable crinkle formed along her brow. “I find it quite odd that you’re dancing and flirting with me instead of guarding whatever body you’re supposed to be attending to.”
“There’s no one right now that I have to keep an eye on other than the woman that’s in my arms. Which, by the way, I still don’t know your name.”
“Josie.”
Hating that he’d not been entirely truthful, he continued to move slowly to the sounds of the music, maneuvering them so that they could enjoy the music privately. “So, Josie, what brings you to an event like this?”
“Why is anyone at an event like this unless they have to be here?”
“For many people, it’s to see and be seen,” he offered as a glib reply.
“Perhaps that was my reason.”
He shook his head slowly, drowning in her pale blue eyes. “I doubt it since you’re the most beautiful woman in the room, and yet you were standing off to the side.”
She offered a delicate shrug. “Perhaps there was just no one here I cared to talk to.”
“That I could believe.” Finally, her lips curved ever so slightly. Josie was an enigma, but he knew anyone at this event was wealthy, usually with an agenda. Who was she and why come alone if she was just going to stand in the shadows? She didn’t appear to be there