This was a really bad idea.

Tori looked around the room filled with anamated women, laughing, talking and some drinking too much. All of them were eyeing the "Knights" circulating amongst the crowd. She wondered how on earth she had allowed Sue to talk her into coming here. Satin Knights, a place for a woman to be petted and pampered, massaged and made-over, wined and dined. All by her own personal knight or knights and if she so desired, there were always the jewel rooms in the castle turret for a little something more moonlight and roses.

"Victoria Hammond, why are you skulking in the corner like this?" Sue accosted her and pulled her into the milling noisy crowd. "It's your birthday, girl. Twenty-one today. Lighten up and look around." Tori did look around and felt acute embarrassment for the good looking young men putting themselves on display. "Surely there is someone here who takes your fancy? What about him?"
"Who?"
"Him. In the blue."
Tori's eyes followed the direction of Sue's pointing finger and saw him. Leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over what appeared to be a magnificent chest. Even from this distance she could see the deep blue of his eyes, deep enough to drown in. His black hair was long enough to brush the top of his collar and cut to look disheveled. Bed room hair, thought Tori, and immediately blushed at her wayward thoughts.

Then, those blue, blue eyes were on her, holding her captive, making her heart race. Her breath left her in a whoosh. She felt light headed and tipsy although she had forsworn any alcohol for the fruit punch. As she stood, held by his gaze, someone stumbled into her. Sue grabbed her arm to stop her from falling, but the moment was gone, eye contact was broken and when she looked back to find her "knight" he had disappeared. Tori felt the loss keenly and turned back to Sue.

"You okay Tori?" Her friend asked. At her nod Sue indicated that she wanted to talk to one of the handsome knights on offer.

Tori smiled and gave her a gentle push in his direction. "I'm fine. Go. Enjoy."
Once alone she retreated back to the wall and watched the display of beautifully gowned women each trying to catch the attention of the men they desired.

Searching the room, although she would not admit it to herself, she finally found the man who had speared her with his gaze, he was surrounded by a group of older women all vying for his attention. When he left, his arm around one woman's

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Novel excerpts: Romance?
We want to hear your view. Write now!