Page 29 of Gabriela and His Grace (The Luna Sisters #3)
Sebastian rotated until he faced Gabriela again, and she seemed to read the intention on his face because she arched a brow.
When the tempo swelled, he moved close to her, his eyes fixed on hers while he tilted his chin.
His heart skipped a beat when she did the same, her face so close he could count the smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose.
Without conscious thought, Sebastian glanced down at her mouth.
He’d noticed it before—of course he had, he was no monk—but never had her lips looked so perfectly kissable.
It would be just a move of inches to claim her mouth, as his mind and body had been begging him to do since… forever.
Christ. Sebastian somehow managed to use the movements of the dance to save him from making a fool of himself in front of every resident of San Luis Potosí in attendance, for he knew Gabriela would not take kindly to being kissed against her will.
Wasn’t that why she was in Mexico now? Because another supposed gentleman had thought to take advantage of her? He refused to be so boorish.
Thankfully, Sebastian was not required to touch her.
If they had danced a waltz together, he would be free to rest his hand on her waist. To touch her palm to his.
To feel her body step and sway in harmony with the music.
But the damn el jarabe tapatío required him to have his hands knotted behind his back.
To have her so temptingly close but so far away made it the most frustrating dance Sebastian had ever engaged in.
They moved together again, and this time Gabriela positioned her chin so that her mouth was at the right height and angle to be kissed.
He clamped his eyes shut to block out the temptation, but Sebastian could not stop her violet and amber perfume from filling his lungs.
Her luscious scent seemed to settle on his tongue and twirl about his mouth.
Sebastian almost groaned aloud at the taste.
His eyes shot open in time to catch the playful light that flashed in her hazel gaze before she pivoted away.
What had he gotten himself into? Sebastian had managed to spend three weeks with Gabriela Luna, and a single dance, one that prohibited him from touching her, threatened to be his undoing.
As it was, his wild attraction to her was making itself inconveniently known, and Sebastian prayed the dance would end soon before he embarrassed himself.
For once Providence heard his plea, and the last strums of the string instruments reverberated through the air. With a dramatic flourish, Gabriela grasped her skirts and sank into a graceful curtsy.
“That was…” She peered about them before meeting his gaze. “Fun.”
Widening his stance, and hoping to relieve his straining cock, Sebastian said, “Once again, you sound surprised.”
“Because you’re making a habit of surprising me, Your Grace.
” She shook out the fall of her dress and adjusted the fit of her gloves.
“I thought perhaps we’d be so concerned with the correct footwork and movements that we wouldn’t enjoy the dance itself.
But after a while, I didn’t even care if I was doing it right. ”
“Neither did I,” Sebastian chuckled. “As I’m sure you could tell.”
“I thought you were very elegant.”
He went still, even as he battled a grin. “What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”
Gabriela cut him a sharp look. “We both know you heard me.”
“I beg to differ,” Sebastian pushed, daring to move closer. “Would you be so kind as to repeat it?”
Raising her hand, Gabriela poked him in the center of his chest. “I said you’re an arse.”
In a flash, Sebastian grabbed her wrist and reeled her against his chest. He expected her to be surprised, maybe pull back and attempt to step away from him. But instead, Gabriela’s eyes dropped to his mouth for an electric instant, and then slowly rose to meet his.
God damn this woman.
Wetting his lips, he whispered, “You always have the prettiest compliments to share with others but never with me, and I find myself hungry for them.”
As double entendres went, his was heavy-handed. But this seemed to delight Gabby, because she giggled.
“I am very generous with my praise.” Her voice dropped further when she said, “But compliments taste much sweeter when they’ve been earned.”
Sebastian dared to run his thumb over the back of her knuckles. “And have I not earned them?”
Gabriela’s brows rose, and she stared up at him for a fraught second. Then her pink tongue darted out and ran across her bottom lip, and—
“Gabby, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
They stumbled apart as if they’d been burned.
Sebastian reached out to steady her, but Gabriela pulled away, and his arms dropped to his sides.
He watched in a daze as she turned to converse with her sister, the color high in her cheeks.
It took him an embarrassingly long moment to understand that Sirius now stood at his side.
“You look like someone just punched you in the face,” his friend said, staring at Sebastian intently.
“I’m sure there are many who would relish the opportunity to do so.” Sebastian scrubbed a hand over his chin. “I’m just a little knackered after that dance.”
“Juan, the groom, said you and Gabby danced el jarabe tapatío.” Sirius clicked his tongue. “I’m sorry I missed it.”
Sebastian snorted. “I’m sure you are. Have you ever danced it?”
“Lord, no.” Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. “I have no qualms with leading Isabel out for a waltz or a minuet. Even a Scots reel. But Mexican dances are for people with more rhythm than me.”
“Well, my mother worked to ensure that I didn’t trip over my own feet when I stepped onto a dance floor, so I hope I didn’t look too ridiculous.” At that moment, Gabriela threw back her head to laugh at something Isabel said. Sebastian’s gaze lingered on her. “Thankfully, I had a graceful partner.”
“Yes, it seemed you two were quite…absorbed with one another.”
Sebastian looked at his friend askance. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“What do you think it means?” Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and stared back at him with a smirk.
Spinning on his heel, Sebastian stalked toward the Ortiz villa. “I have no interest in playing guessing games with you.”
“Don’t leave.” His friend yanked on his arm. “Christ, Sebastian, you have no problem teasing others, but heaven forfend others tease you in turn.”
Tugging his arm away, Sebastian smoothed his palms over his sleeves and then his lapels.
Sirius was not wrong, and yet he couldn’t possibly exchange lighthearted banter when his whole body felt as if it were vibrating like a tuning fork.
That damn dance had changed how he looked at Gabriela Luna—no, that wasn’t true.
This whole blasted trip to Mexico had done that.
It had thrust her from the “lovely but shrewish and completely unavailable” category he’d long ago placed her in, to a woman he surprisingly understood and sympathized with.
Whom he desired, not just for her stunning beauty, but because she made him feel needed.
For while she was defending everyone else, whom did she turn to when her sword grew dull?
“Is everything all right?” Sirius asked, his brows pulled low. “Isabel and I saw Gabby dashing out of the gathering, and she appeared upset. And now we’ve found the two of you together, and you’re as prickly as a cactus.”
Was everything all right? No , it bloody hell wasn’t.
And yet Sebastian had no desire to tell his friend how Gabriela Luna had knocked him off his feet again and again.
Instead he cleared his throat, and said, “Miss Luna overheard unkind remarks from her father, and was understandably upset. I like to think that making a fool of myself dancing the tapatío has improved her mood.”
If the smile brightening Gabriela’s face now as she chatted with Isabel was any indication, it had helped a little. And that damn smile made Sebastian’s chest a tad lighter.
“That man,” Sirius growled, swiping a hand over his brow as he stared at the sisters. “Well, whatever you did or said appears to have worked, although let’s hope no one has anything to say about the two of you being alone here.”
Sebastian scowled. “We’re hardly alone.” He emphasized his point by waving a hand at the surrounding crowd and even Juan, who stood nearby.
“Propriety is just as valued here as it is in London.” Before Sebastian could argue, Sirius jerked his thumb at his wife. “Isabel wanted to visit the book peddler. He only comes through San Luis Potosí every few months.”
Sebastian blinked, embarrassed he had been woolgathering about Gabriela when his friend was speaking to him. Clearing his throat, he murmured, “A welcome visitor, I’m sure.”
“Indeed. So I’m going to escort her and Gabby there.” Sirius inclined his head. “Did you want to meet us at the villa?”
He hesitated. Sebastian knew he should return to the safety of the Ortiz gathering, yet he didn’t move.
Locking his teeth together, Sebastian slid his gaze to Gabriela at just the moment she glanced at him.
Their eyes held, and while Sebastian could read nothing of her thoughts in her stare, he found himself shaking his head.
“I’ll accompany you,” he said shortly.