Worse if I stay

He occupied my late night thoughts last night, and this night, I stand at the ball and think of what he said to me. I think of what it is he was offering, what he was suggesting, what could happen if I made the decision to attend his apartment tonight as he had asked me to. That is all I think of as I loiter by the drinks table, as Benedict and Colin tease me as they seem to enjoy to, as Daphne continues to insist on thanking me for what I did to Lord Berbrooke earlier. Even as the prince greets me, I cannot think of anything other than what I shall choose to do this evening after the ball.

Simon beckons me as he might find out whether I am getting the carriage back with him or not, and I am faced with the choice. "I think perhaps I shall walk home tonight. I has a few too many glasses of champagne so I should appreciate some fresh air."

"Of course. I shall see you back at Lady Danbury's home." He thinks nothing of it. Of course he does not, why should he?

I follow the brief instructions I was given and I arrive at the apartment that he described. I knock and there is no answer, and so I knock again. "You know that I shall not be able to answer if I am not in the house, do you not?" I turn to see him walking towards me, his arms wrapped across his chest to protect himself from the evening cold. "Or are you simply that eager?"

"I simply expected you should already be here. You left the ball long before i did."

"Do you often keep notes on my exact whereabouts?" He unlocks the door, placing the keys on the table that sits in the hallway. I walk in, taking a quick look around the entrance, when I feel his arm snake past me to close the door behind us. I stand, pinned against the door, whilst one of his arms is extended above me and the other hangs by his side. "I was not sure whether you would come here or not."

"Neither was I. It took the entire night for me to deliberate my plans." I keep my hands behind my back, not wanting to make the first move. He seems to be using the same tactic. Neither of us wanting to be the first one, another battle of wills. "I almost did not."

"I do not believe that to be true. I am sure you have given it careful consideration and decided this was what you wanted." He puts his other hand on my chin, lifting my face gently so that he can kiss me. Of course, this is not my first kiss or my first experience with a man but I feel as though I hardly know what I am doing. My head feels dizzy with thoughts of him, his lips on my lips, his hands on my body. "You are possibly the most irritating girl in the ton. You are aware of that?"

"I am aware that you are the most irritating man in the ton, certainly." I breath hard as he pulls away from me, and it does not take any time at all for me to tangle him in another kiss. This time, once he has pulled away, he reaches down and grips the material at the bottom of my dress, bundling it up in his hands before he presses me once more against the door, so that my bottom half is exposed. He does not now waste any time in lifting me, moving me so that I might sit on the table by the door. "Keys... Anthony, keys..."

"Keys?" He looks at me, before he realises what I mean and sweeps the keys from the table before he sets me down. I wrap my legs around him to pull him closer to me once again, enjoying his body pressed against mine. "You are beautiful. You are horribly irritating and a nightmare to talk with but you are beautiful." I enjoy him complimenting me, until there is a knock at the door.

"Who is that?"

"Most likely no body." He keeps a grasp on my waist and runs his fingers along and up my thighs, kissing my neck aggressively as he ignores the constant knocking at the door. "Shall we move upstairs?"

"Only after you have answered the door! I shall not be able to concentrate if I know there shall be somebody waiting out here to catch me as I leave." I raise an eyebrow and grip his hair to pull his head back. "Answer the door."

"Perhaps you shall go upstairs and wait for me? I should not wish for it to be a Lord or lady who shall spot you here and begin any nasty rumours." His fingers run along the neckline of ny dress as he tugs gently at it, smirking to himself. "Yes?"

"Yes. I suppose so. I shall be upstairs." I tap his hand away and I cannot help but grin, rushing up the stairs and finding the room with the bed, settling onto it. I clutch my dress to my chest, breathing out deeply. I still do not know how I came to the decision to meet him here but currently I am very glad that I did. Even if I am merely sat upstairs waiting for him to deal with whoever has come to see him, I am glad that I am here.

I sit for a little while, the minutes ticking past. I become bored quite easily and I am bored waiting for him. So, quietly and careful so that I shall not be spotted, I sneak down the stairs only to see the last thing I expected I should have seen. "You must be joking!" I feel as though I am Anthony since I scowl so hard my entire face hurts. In the same place that I was sat moments ago, there is now another woman, who has her face practically attached to his own and her long and slender legs wrapped around his chest.  His hands grip her bare thighs as they did mine, and he hardly looks at me as I exclaim. "What is this?"

"Who is she?" The woman asks.

"Who is she?!" I ask similarly, both of us glaring at the man who does not seem to have any idea what he should do nor say and who he shall apologise to first. "To be clear... you invited me round and sent me upstairs so that you might then invite another woman inside?"

"I am concerned as to what exactly you thought should happen here!" The woman pushes him harshly away and holds him there with her extended leg, crossing her arms over her chest. "You tell me lies of your love and your affection only for me to catch you here with another lady? On the night you invited me over?"

"Both of us? You invited the two of us over at the same time? Oh you are repulsive." I look desperately around for something that I might launch at his big and fat and rather stupid face. "You are just disgusting."

"I did not think either of you should actually come, nevermind both!" He covers his face defensively as though he knows that one of us shall surely throw a punch. "In my defence-"

"Oh, I shall not give you the time of day to develop a defence. You are a rake and you are a disgusting one at that and I shall be finding Lady Whistledown so I might personally inform her of how small your package is!" With that, I storm from the house, knowing I shall only make the situation worse if I stay.