“No. She’s spending the night with her boyfriend.” She’d seen Suzie briefly when she first arrived but not since. Hopefully with this crowd Suzie wouldn’t see her again and notice her infatuation. Suzie knew her well enough to see straight through her pretence.
“Good news for me.” His thumb strummed across her palm in a hypnotic manner. Back and forth.
Hayley shivered. If she concentrated on the dancers, maybe she’d manage not to make a fool of herself. She picked up her drink with her free hand and drank a good half. The faint tremor of her hand was barely noticeable, but she knew. Hayley set her drink down, determined not to drink another drop.
“Dance with me again,” he said, tugging her to her feet effortlessly.
Hayley acquiesced without protest. If they were dancing, she didn’t have to think quite as hard. She could just feel.
On the dance floor, he swept her into his arms, their lower limbs brushing with exquisite slowness. Hayley swallowed, trying to control her excitement. She’d made her decision when she’d given him a false name. A one-night stand. Dare she? With a determined playboy? At least that’s what the papers reported. Sam Norville was a dedicated playboy.
And she was considering…oh, dear. She was bad. Even thinking about a one-night stand. Hayley pressed her cheek against his leather jacket and smiled dreamily. Could a secretary be a bad girl during her off-duty hours? Maybe, maybe not. Well, she’d see how the night progressed. She ignored her conscience screaming about impulsiveness and consequences. The memories of her parents’ lectures… Couldn’t a girl have a little fun on her birthday? Maybe he didn’t feel the same sexual currents she did. Perhaps she was making a huge fool of herself, providing a little entertainment for the playboy.
Their bodies swayed. Barely moving, their limbs brushed and bumped together when they collided with other laughing dancers. His nearness, his intoxicating citrus scent overwhelmed her, kept adding to the daring thoughts already dancing through her head. She tingled all over, the heat from his touch pulling her nipples to tight beads beneath the cups of her silky bra.
They continued to dance, holding each other close, hands wandering and lazily exploring. She felt the hard ridge of his erection brushing against her stomach. Gradually she let herself believe that this attraction, this thing between them went both ways.
“What would you do if I danced you into a dark corner and kissed you?” he asked during a break in the music.
“I’m not sure.” Liar, her subconscious taunted. Her body warmed and her limbs became heavy, her pulse skittering alarmingly out of control. She glanced up at him and winked. “Why don’t you try it and find out?” He could do just about anything to her, if he kept talking in that low, husky voice.
He stared at her for a long second, and she swallowed, her nerves doing a real number on her knees. His sudden smile sent her pulse lurching madly and her stomach fluttering. Those margaritas were tricky little suckers, sneaking up on a girl without warning.
“Come on,” he whispered. “I want to see if my imagination is good.”
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Romeo for Hire Page 20