In the Eye of the Storm

19. True Fake Love

Shooting me a cold glare, he leaned closer.

'Remember,' he growled, 'we are in love, you and I!'

Something painful tugged at my heart. I clamped down on the feeling, hard.

'No, we aren't!'

'Oh yes, we are, my darling.' Spinning me around in time with the music, he pulled me close. His dark, sea-coloured eyes sparkled in the candlelight, and before I could prevent it, his lips met mine. There, in public, on the dance floor!

Dash it all! What is he up to?

I didn't know, not in the least.

And you don't really care, as long as he doesn't stop kissing you, do you? Lilly, what is happening to you?

Ineffectually, I struggled to get out of his hold, but it was no use. His arms held me tightly, preventing my escape. And then I felt something delicious and wet tickle my lips.

Oh no! He isn't going to... No, not here, in public! He can't!

Apparently, he could. Half a second later, his powerful tongue parted my lips, invading my mouth. For one moment, just one moment, I surrendered myself to the blissful sensation. For that moment, I was dancing threefold. I was dancing with my feet, hardly noticing it anymore. I was dancing in my mouth, a delicious dance that sent my blood roaring through my veins. And I was dancing in my soul, more gracefully than I ever had in real life.

Then I heard the giggles. They came from all around us – nasty, female giggles that made it clear what they all thought of me. I gathered all my strength and, finding that it was just about enough, wrenched my mouth away from that of Rikkard Ambrose. Slowly opening eyes that had slid shut during the kiss, I stared into his perfect face, only an inch away.

'Just relax,' he murmured against my lips. 'Remember, we're in love. People who are in love kiss each other all the time.'

'I don't want to kiss you!' I lied, my teeth gritted. 'I don't love you! I hate you!'

Something flashed in his dark eyes. 'Then I'd suggest you start pretending better!'

*~*~**~*~*

They didn't have solid chocolate in Egypt! Why? Probably because it melted too easily, or because that ingenious invention hadn't yet reached this distant corner of the earth. Sullenly, I slumped down on one of the chairs beside the refreshment tables and picked up a date from one of the plates. My gaze turned to the dance floor, where Mr Ambrose was waltzing away with the daughter of the French ambassador, who stayed here as part of an excursion up the Nile Delta. Pointing out to me that my way of dancing with him was likely to break his toes sooner or later, Mr Ambrose had suggested I sit down for a dance or two. So, now I was sitting and staring at the dancing pair, morosely.

'Blast!' I murmured. 'Why do the French have to have an ambassador in Egypt, anyway? It's not as though they import frogs or snails from here!'

Viciously, I bit down on the date, and winced. Not exactly my taste. What I needed to give me comfort right now was chocolate, massive amounts of chocolate, dark and sweet. But there was none to be had. I grabbed another date.

The music ended, and on the dance floor Mr Ambrose and the French girl parted. She smiled. He bowed to kiss her hand. She smiled more widely.

'Oh, sure,' I grumbled, stuffing another date into my mouth. 'You go ahead and leer at him! He's only married to me, so no problem. No, actually he isn't even married to me! But you don't know that, you little vixen, do you?'

Even from this distance I could see that the girl was very pretty. A small, delicate nose, dimples in her cheeks, the kind of eyelashes that seemed to have nothing to do but to flutter all day and a waist so slender Mr Ambrose could probably have reached around it with one hand.