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She was dazzling, with strands of white pearls in her lustrous dark hair, her voluptuous body wrapped in a blue dress that htly over the swell of her breasts A double circlet of fresh white rosebuds rapped around one of her gloved wrists Extending her hands in welcouests near the door of the ballrooic As he watched her, McKenna noticed so their earlier …she walked differently than he rerace she had possessed as a girl, Aline nowacross a still pond

Aline’s entrance attracted azes, and it was obvious that McKenna was not the onlyallure Nothe luminous sensuality beneath McKenna could barely restrain hi her away to some dark, secluded place He wanted to tear the pearls from her hair, and press his lips to her breast, and breathe in the scent of her body until he was drunk froaze "But you could find soer--back in New York"

McKenna threw hiaze returned compulsively to Aline

Gideon sers "Although I wouldn’t claim that all women are alike, I can say with some authority that they do possess the same basic equipment What makes this one so infinitely preferable to all the rest? The simple fact that you couldn’t have her?"

McKenna did not bother replying to such inanity It would be impossible to make Shaw--or anyone else--understand The dark reality was that he and Aline had never been separate--they could live on opposite sides of the earth, and they would still be caught together in a hellish tangle Not have her? He had never stopped having her…She had been a perpetual tor to suffer for that, as he had suffered for hts were interrupted as Lord Westcliff approached Like the other men present, Westcliff was clad in a forht-cut coat lapels and loose, expertly tailored trousers He had the powerful build of a sports His resemblance to the old earl, however, caused a prickle of aninore On the other hand, not uest--McKenna would give hireeted them, his expression was pleasant, if not precisely friendly "Good evening," he entlelass in approbation "A very fine Bordeaux, my lord"

"Excellent I will see that soe is stocked in the bachelor’s house for your convenience" Westcliff’s gaze moved to McKenna "And you, sir? What do you think of your first ball at Stony Cross Park?"

"It looks different from this side of the s," McKenna said frankly

That drew a reluctant s distance froed "And not one that many men could have traversed"

McKenna barely heard the rereet a newcouest had come alone He was a handsoood looks that were coolden and weathered, this ilded, his eyes piercing The sight of hily attractive

Following his gaze, Westcliff saw the pair "Lord Sandridge," he ard by Lady Aline"

"Apparently so," McKenna said, notthe air of intih him in a poisonous tide

Westcliff continued casually "They have been friends for at leave five years My sister has an unusual affinity with Sandridge--which pleases reat deal, as I desire her happiness above all else" He bowed to theentlemen"

Gideon sist is our Westcliff," heyou away frolance, though he had long been accusto at his self-possession "Westcliff can go to hell," he growled "Along with Sandridge"

"You’re not afraid of competition, then?" Gideon murmured

McKenna arched one brow and spoke scornfully "After five years of knowing Lady Aline, Sandridge hasn’t yet laid claim to her That’s not what I would call competition, in any sense of the word"

"Hasn’t publicly laid claim to her," Gideon corrected

McKenna shook his head with a faint se, Shaw, that’s the only way that counts"

Eight

There had been few people in Aline’s life that she had trusted enough to love However, loving Adas she had ever done Theirs was a friendship in its purest form, uncompromised by any nuance of sexuality Many ru the past five years, which served both their purposes Aline liked the fact that fewer men dared to approach her because of her supposed rorateful that the gossip about theht have arisen otherwise

Aline had never pried into the subject of Ada to do with her But she knehat very few people suspected--that his attraction was limited exclusively toward other men Which would make some like-minded fellow very fortunate indeed Adaence, and his finely honed ould have made him desirable no matter what his physical appearance But as it happened, he was also resplendently handsoray eyes, and a lean, well-exercised body

When Aline ith Adah, heto say before she even said it Adam could lift her from her occasional depressions of the spirit as no one else could, and she had, on occasion, done the same for him "Sometimes youHis answering shtly tanned face

"No, you’re too perfect as a woman"

"Far from perfect," she had murmured, conscious of the thickAdam, he had not resorted to platitudes or lies, but had only taken her hand in his and held it for a long tie it had done to her legs, not long after they had met Odd, really, as she had kept it a secret fro anything from Adam She had also told Adam every detail of her forbidden love for McKenna, and how she had sent him away Ada and just the right a a stiff social srip, and spoke beneath her breath "I need you, Adaht, intent eyes "What is it?"

"McKenna," she ed to say "He’s come back"

Adam shook his head incredulously "To Stony Cross?" At her jerking nod, he shaped his lips in a soundless whistle "Good God"

Aline s at the manor--he came with the Americans"

"Poor sweet," he said ruefully "Your bad luck is holding true, it seeed to comply, but she held back uncertainly "I uests"