“You have ten minutes, Vi.”
She clamped her lips over her protest, gave him a fulminating glare and flounced away. It was a damn wonder her breasts did not spill from the gown at her movements.
“She will be upset for a long time,” Lucien said, closing the door to the office behind him and coming over to stand beside Edmond.
“I do not give a damn. We already hire bodyguards to protect her on that stage since she insists on singing. Our sister is a rare talent, and we do not restrict her, but I will be damned if I allow her to prance around like a prize on display for any of those entitled fools to think they can accost.”
“I think she might like one of those entitled fools,” Lucien murmured.
Edmond stiffened. “She would not make the same mistake twice. It was a damn nob who broke her heart by deeming her unworthy of marrying him because he was a lordling.”
“Still, there is something different about her. It reminds me of when I met Ellie. I was knotted up inside and could not stop thinking about my love,” Lucien said with a contemplative smile. “I can tell Vi has met someone and that someone scares her, which means her feelings are challenged. In truth, even your air of distraction just now reminded me of myself.”
Edmond stiffened. “I was not distracted.”
His brother grinned. “Who is the lady?”
“There is no one.”
“You protest too quickly. You were deep in thoughts, and I do not believe you contemplated business.”
Edmond sighed. “I merely contemplated a growing headache.”
“Truly, you would say such nonsense when—” Lucien broke his speech with a low whistle. “Now that I think about it, I believe the possible source of your headache just walked in. It would explain a lot since I had a similar affliction recently. A word of warning. This headache will only grow until you cannot sleep or eat. It is stupid to ignore it.”
Edmond snapped his gaze down to the lower floors, and the lady in question immediately commanded his attention. She wore a golden ballgown that clung to her figure with mouthwatering sensuality. Her hair was unadorned and clasped in a loose chignon with artful curls kissing along her cheeks and shoulders. A simple tug, and surely it would spill down her back in loose waves.
She wore a golden filigree face mask, and her lips were painted a lush, provocative red. A smile hovered about that carnal mouth, and as she strolled further into his domain, something hungry came alive inside Edmond’s chest. He would know that walk anywhere, for it was bold yet sensual, and only one lady in his experience owned it—Miss Ester Fairbanks.
“I am going to put her over my knees,” Edmond growled, gripping the railing until his damn palms ached.
“Well, now!” Lucien said. “I gather I should not be around for this.”
Edmond swallowed his ire. “I told her to stay away from this establishment. Has she no care for her reputation?”
Lucien chuckled. “Surely you should have an inkling of how rebellious the Fairbanks are.”
A sound between a curse and a growl slipped from Edmond. Worse, he did not like the hot bolt of need and want coursing through his veins. “I have little time for this nonsense.”
Lucien hesitated and an odd emotion shifted in his gaze. “Treat her gently. She is rather sweet.”
“I will have no interactions with her,” Edmond refuted coolly. “I have a business plan to review if we are serious about opening another gambling establishment in Germany and then New York.”
His brother said nothing to that, and Edmond strolled away, determined to keep his head cool, his ardor controlled and concentrated on what mattered in his life. Business and his family, nothing more.
* * *
Stay away.It had been a dare.
It had also been a taunt.
Surely those words had been an invitation of sort, and it was quite permissible for her to accept it after being unable to forget Edmond Glendevon and their torrid kiss days later. Those were all the things Ester told herself that evening when she took a deep breath and crossed the threshold into the Glendevons’ gambling hell, inhaling the intoxicating revelry. Something about this place sent a thrum of excitement to the base of her spine. The establishment decor was one of luxury; blue and silver carpets covered the floor, and swaths of green and golden garlands twined themselves around massive white Corinthian columns. “Who exactly are you?” a tinkling voice asked at Ester’s elbow. “My brother is staring at you in a manner I have never seen before. I am considerably curious.”
As she was not easy to startle, she shifted and met the steel-gray eyes that were present in the Glendevons. Even with the mask and wig, she could tell it was Edmond’s sister. “Edmond is staring at me?”
The beautiful lady before her smiled. “How interesting you know to which brother I referred.”
Ester smiled. “What manner is his regard? Please do tell.”