Darcy

I'm gazing at her and I know I should stop, but I just can't. Standing right there, with the glow of the fading sun illuminating her fair skin, Lizzie looks more like an angel than anyone has the right to. Reddish coils of glossy hair, once twisted into an intricate knot, frame her face delicately, while her blue eyes pulse with surprise as they glance down to my hand, which I've held out for her.

"You want to dance with me?" She asks incredulously, eyeing my hand with suspicion. I smile faintly at her surprise – clearly she doesn't see herself very clearly, because I doubt there's not a single man in the room that hasn't looked at her with a sense of longing.

"Who else would I dance with?" I say, knowing full well that the thought of holding someone else in my arms does not appeal.

Lizzie shrugs nonchalantly, jerking her dainty shoulder at me. "Caroline. Isn't she your go-to person when events like this get awkward?"

I snort. "First of all, events like this are always awkward, until someone drinks a little too much alcohol and gets the party started. And secondly, Caroline isn't the one I want to dance with." I peer at her through my lashes, seeing the indecision clearly in her eyes.

"Why?" Lizzie says softly. "She seems to enjoy dancing with you."

I straighten slightly and my mouth twitches. "You are far more observant than I give you credit for."

She presses her lips together. "You don't see the way she looks at you."

I watch her until she begins to squirm underneath my gaze. "She can look at me for hours and I don't think I'll ever look at her the way she wants me to."

Elizabeth bites her lip and I squash the urge to take a step forward and tumble her into my arms. "Why not?" She asks hesitantly in a barely audible voice.

Because of you, I want to say. You've ruined me for any other woman, and you're not the least bit aware or sorry about it. But I don't say that. I merely smile slightly, hold out my hand, and say the one thing I can say without ruining the moment.

"Dance with me, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's gaze gets tangled with mine for a brief moment, and I hold onto it as long as I can. Her eyes beckon to me like little pools of viscous honey, in a shade of blue that is too becoming for her own good. She sucks in a breath and her lashes lower as her gaze flicks down to my waiting hand. And with a little sigh, she places her hand gently in mine, and I unconsciously feel myself tugging her forward, as the sun outside dips slowly past the horizon. It is dark in the room now, as neither of us had bothered to flip the lights on, and we are coated with a shroud of dusky nightfall. Despite the shadowy blanket over everything, her soft features are still visible to my hungry gaze, and I drink in her appearance as if the chance will never be available to me again.

"I thought we're going to go dance." She whispers, her warm palm enclosed in mine, reminding me of the irreplaceable chance in my arms. I realize I have been watching her for longer than I thought.

"Is that what you want?" I whisper back, enjoying the way her pupils dilate.

"Maybe…" She utters softly, taking a tiny step to close the distance between us. "Yes."

Her face is close enough to mine that I can see the flecks of green in her eyes. Her lashes flutter once again, and I bite back the urge to brush my fingers across her satiny skin. "You just took a step away from the door."

Elizabeth's breath hitches. "Did I?"