The Earl's Outrageous Lover Page 0,28

relatively clear area. “I know there are several men here tonight who would be good candidates for you.”

Jessica sighed wearily. Wasn’t there any way to avoid this idiocy? How could he kiss her one moment, then push her towards other men the next? But even as she stood there next to Edward, several people wandered closer. Everyone wanted to talk with Edward it seemed and Jessica stood by his side, watching everyone interact with him. She had to admire the way he handled everyone. They all wanted tips on which stocks to buy or which companies to watch. But Edward wouldn’t give them that information, carefully steering the conversation towards various other subjects.

Jessica’s boredom was already well established as she sipped champagne and looked around the room. There were so many people, all dressed up and eager to pretend that the world could be righted by their simple presence and donation here tonight. She wondered how many people even remembered what the charity was for.

“William,” Edward was saying to one man about Jessica’s age who looked like he was three inches taller and twenty pounds lighter than she was. His tuxedo was well made, but there was really no way a tailor could make a man that thin look good in anything. “Jessica is bored by all of this business talk. Would you mind taking her out onto the dance floor?” he suggested.

William was more than eager to dance and Jessica looked back at Edward as if he’d lost his mind. He was actually thinking she could be attracted to a man like this? Maybe if he gained fifty pounds of muscle and had a fabulous orthodontist! The man’s teeth had gaps and angles that just shouldn’t be in a grown man’s mouth!

William took her hand and tucked it into his elbow, excited to be leading her out onto the dance floor. He chatted on about so many subjects it was hard to keep up but at least it was better than standing next to Edward as the other women flirted outrageously with him. Even the older women were batting their lashes in his direction and she really hated that.

Besides, she found that there was something wonderful and interesting about everyone. She looked at William and smiled, trying to keep up with his almost stream-of-consciousness conversation.

Dancing also gave her a chance to look around at the other guests. Standing next to Edward, he was so tall and his shoulders so broad that it was hard to see around him. He also protected her, consciously or not, by placing her against the wall and his large body to the side of her so the only people she could see were the ones directly in front of her.

She was startled when she looked around and found Edward. That in itself wasn’t so strange since he was so much taller than everyone else in the room. It was the fact that he was standing with that pretty brunette woman and they were having a very heated discussion. The woman appeared to be just as angry as he was but Edward’s body language was much more intimidating. When the woman gestured towards Jessica’s direction, she felt a strange sense of tension float her way. What was going on between those two and why were they arguing in this crowd?

Jessica felt mildly reassured when the other woman walked away, storming out of the ballroom with her head held high. She had no idea who had won the argument, but the brunette was leaving with her dignity intact.

She had lost the thread of what William was saying but, when the other woman was gone, she turned back to the younger man and tried to listen. Thankfully, his conversation didn’t really require any kind of response from her end, so she surveyed the other guests, smiling to some that she knew and nodding to any of the handsome men she passed by. When the song ended, she was flattered when a handsome, dark haired man approached. “May I have the next dance?” he asked.

Jessica immediately put her hand into his outstretched one and agreed, leaving the chatty William behind. “I’m Jerry,” he said as he swung her out into the crowd.

“Jessica,” she replied with a smile. The man was only about two inches taller than she was so it was easy to look at him while they danced. She found out that Jerry was an up and coming lawyer who was in town on business, staying with