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"I was beginning to wonder where you went," she said softly, relieved that she didn't need to speak any louder to be heard over the din. His attention shifted down to her mouth, and it was all she could do not to lick her lips. Her senses had been on overdrive since they arrived. No, since he picked her up at the apartment. He'd told her on the way that he would prefer to keep the signing to a minimum if possible, which she thought odd since she'd understood her purpose at the event was to interpret. But, if not signing had him standing closer and looking at her the way he did…she was fine with that.
"Drew Kapchik cornered me by the potted ferns," he said with another quick tick of his grin. "He's been trying to get on my team for the last nine months. He wants an excuse to quit Legacy Funds."
"You escaped…" she smiled.
"I told him I had a beautiful woman waiting for me."
Heat bloomed in her cheeks and Benjamin smiled wider. He slid his hand from her back, letting his fingers trace the underside of her arm until he took her hand in his. "Would you like to dance?"
Jewell raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"I am not without my secret talents."
She tilted her head with a smile and let him lead her to the small area cleared in the center of the room where no more than half a dozen other couples danced to the slow waltz. When they reached a clear space, Benjamin raised her hand above her head and she spun, the chocolate silk of her dress swirling around her legs. When she came around to face him again he drew her against him, his bent right arm angling behind her back so her left hand rested on his shoulder. He took her other hand and pressed it to his chest, holding it in place beneath his warm palm.
"What kind of music are they playing?" he asked, looking down at her as they stood still amongst the dancing couples.
"A waltz."
"Waltz…we dance on the three, right?"
Jewell nodded, but couldn't figure out his intention. More than once, Benjamin had surprised her with his capacity for adaptation. His lip reading was near perfect, and his speech—for someone with total hearing loss—was not only impressively clear but expressive and varied. He understood the concept of whispering, of shouting, and of dropping the tone of his voice to a seductive hum that danced over her skin. He was a perpetual puzzle.
"Give me the beat." Benjamin shifted his hand over hers and tapped his fingers against hers in a steady rhythm. "Understand?"
Jewell nodded and closed her eyes, listening to the lilting music for a few bars. With the next measure, she tapped the rhythm on his shoulder where her hand rested. One-Two-Three. One-Two-Three. Then Benjamin stepped, and as simply as that they were dancing.
She opened her eyes, and her breath caught at the warm way he watched her. His lips had only the slightest bow as he turned her around the floor. She almost forgot to keep up with the beat, giving him the taps he needed to stay in step.
"Everyone is watching us," he said low, tipping his head toward her. "They're wondering how I got to be so lucky."
Without missing a step, they danced through the remains of the waltz. As the music neared the end, he arched an eyebrow and she nodded. "It's almost over."
He gave a smirk and his hand shifted on her back. "Ready to be dipped, Ms. Kincaid?"
Before she could answer, he shifted his stance and bent her backward, his strong arm supporting her back. Catching her breath, she laughed and leaned into his chest as he righted her on her feet. Jewell raised her chin to look at him, her cheeks almost hurting from her smile and found herself once again caught in the intensity of his stare. His rich brown eyes shifted over her face, settling for a beat longer on her lips, before looking straight at her again. The hand on her back pressed a fraction firmer, drawing her closer, and Jewell let herself be drawn.
Then movement in her peripheral caught her attention and she looked past Benjamin to see Kevin Burke standing on the edge of the crowd, a grin she could only describe as "smarmy" on his face. He winked and popped up an eyebrow, his gaze blatantly looking both she and Benjamin up and down, assessing their embrace.
"What is it?" Benjamin asked.
Jewell blinked and pulled her attention from Kevin to look up at him. "N-nothing."
Benjamin turned, still holding her against him, and when he did Kevin Burke's entire expression changed—the lecherous glare gone. He raised his hand in a friendly wave and slipped into the crowd. Jewell took the opportunity to step back from Benjamin's hold, her body suddenly so flushed she swore she had to be glowing from embarrassment.
She touched Benjamin's arm to draw his focus, and raised her hands, signing discreetly between them. "I'm going to get some air. I'll be right back."
He watched her with concern pulling at his forehead, but nodded. Jewell turned, nearly slipping on the wood floor, and pushed through the crowd toward the nearest exit from the ballroom. Greg's warnings rang in her head, and she knew she had to get herself under control before she lost focus. There was already enough innuendo and perception stirring around the two of them to cause problems, she didn't need to add to it by actually being attracted to Benjamin Prescott Roth.
She snagged a flute of champagne as she passed one of the wait staff and slipped into the wide hallway beyond. A few event attendees mulled in the hall, some seated in small clusters talking, others walking to or from the ballroom. Some of the faces were familiar, but names escaped her. After working in the Boston financial sector from the time she earned her degree, Jewell had been in contact with people from various levels from many of the firms in the city. Unless she worked with them directly, most were just faces in the crowd.
Like tonight.
Except all she could think of was how many of them had just seen her dance with B.P. Roth, and Greg's warnings echoed in her head. The previous fall, one of the higher members of management at Safeguard Fiduciary had been accused of demanding sexual favors from an individual on his staff. The accusations were neither proven nor denied, but the man stepped down and left the company. It didn't matter whether they were true or not, because his name had been sullied and the young woman left the company shortly after because she couldn't take the whispers and gossip.
None of that meant anything when Benjamin looked at her, or when his fingers skimmed her skin, whether intentionally or casually.
Jewell groaned, and two people turned her way as she strode by. She tried to smile but figured it looked more like a grimace, and reached the end of the hall. A cool evening breeze carried in through a partially open balcony door, and Jewell pushed through it to the small ledge beyond. A humid wind blew in off the Charles River but carried enough evening cool to take away the heavy weight of a New England summer.
