must have thought so too, because she took a last step and closed the distance between them and pressed the palms of both of her hands flat against the front of his white dinner shirt. He could feel the warmth of her fingertips through the fine fabric as she spread her fingers out in wide arcs; the light perfume enclosed them.
‘This has been a magical evening. Thank you for inviting me,’ she whispered.
Every muscle in his body tensed as she moved closer and pressed her body against his, one hand reaching in to the small of his back and the other still pressed gently against his shirt. He tried to shift but she shifted with him, her body fitting perfectly against his, her cheek resting on his lapel as though they were dancing to music which only she could hear.
So he did the only thing he could.
He kissed her.
She lifted her head and her hair brushed his chin as she pressed tentative kisses onto his collarbone and neck. Her mouth was soft and moist and totally, totally captivating.
With each kiss she stepped closer until her hips beneath the sari were pressed against his and the pressure made him groan.
‘Dee,’ he hissed, reaching for her shoulders to draw her away. But somehow he was sliding his hands up into her hair instead, holding her head and tilting her face towards him. Then he was kissing her, his tongue in her mouth, her taste surrounding him.
He stroked her tongue with his and traced her lower lip before sucking on it gently. She made a small sound and angled her head to give him more access.
She tasted so sweet, so amazing. So giving.
She gazed at him with eyes filled with such delight, as if she was expecting some suggestive comment about the fact that this penthouse came with a king-sized bed...
And that look hit him hard.
He did not just want Dee to be his stand-in date for tonight. He wanted to see her again, be with her again. He wanted to know what she looked like when she had just made love. He wanted to find out what gave her pleasure in bed, and then make sure that he delivered precisely what the lady ordered.
She was as proud and independent as he was. And just as unforgiving with anyone who dared to offer her charity or their pity.
By some fluke, some strange quirk of fate, he had met a woman who truly did understand him more than Sasha had ever done. And that was beyond a miracle.
Could he take a chance and show her how special she was? And put his heart on the line at the same time?
He slid a hand down her back to cup her backside, holding her against him as he flexed his hips forward, and one hand still in her hair. She shuddered as he slid his hand in slow circles up from her back to her waist, running his hands up and down her skin which was like warm silk, so smooth and perfect. He ducked his head and kissed her again, his hands teasing all the while until he was almost holding her upright.
When their lips parted, Dee was panting just as hard as he was. She looked so beautiful, standing there with her gold sari brilliant against the night sky, her cheeks flushed pink and the most stunning smile on her face.
His response was to wrap his arms around her back and, holding her tight against him, rested his chin on her top of her hair.
Eyes closed, they stood locked together until he could feel her heart settle down to a steady beat.
All doubt was cast aside. Her heart beat for him, as his heart beat for her.
Dee moved in his arms and he looked down into her face as she smiled up at him, not just with her sweet mouth but with eyes so bright, fun and joyous that his heart sang just to look at them. And it was as though every good thing that he had ever done had come together into one moment in time.
And his heart melted. Just like that.
For a girl who was just about as different from him and his life as it was possible to be.
And for a girl who had made her tiny flat the size of the hotel’s luggage store into a home and was willing to share her joy with him. And who wanted nothing in return but a chance to see a meteor shower from a penthouse balcony.
God, he admired her for that.... Admired her?
Sean stopped, his body frozen and his mind spinning.
He didn’t just admire Dee, he was falling for her.
Just when he thought that he had finally worked out that he had nothing to give to any woman in the way of a relationship.
Think! He had to think. He could not allow his emotions to get the better of him.
If he cared for her at all then he should stop right now, because the last thing Dee needed was a one-night stand which would leave her with nothing but more reasons to doubt her judgement.
He wouldn’t do that to her. Hell, he wouldn’t do that to himself. It would only be setting them up for heartbreak down the road.
‘I think we might want to rethink the whole getting back in time for dessert...’ She grinned as though she had read his mind.
‘Right as always,’ he replied, and stroked her cheek with one finger. ‘God, you are beautiful. Do you know that?’
Dee blushed from cheek to neck. It was so endearing that he laughed out loud, slid his arms down to her waist and stepped back, even though his body was screaming for him to do something crazy. Like wipe everything off the dining-room table and find out what came next.
He sucked in a breath.
‘You are not so bad yourself. I had no idea that hotel managers were so interested in astronomy.’ And then she bit down on her lower lip and flashed him a coquettish grin. ‘Or did I just get lucky? You are one of a kind, Sean.’
Lucky? He thought of the long days and nights he had spent working for the company to the exclusion of everything else in his life, including the girls who had cared about him. Sasha had lasted the longest.
He had sacrificed everything for the family hotel chain. Everything.
Now as he looked at Dee he thought about what lay ahead, and the hard, cold truth of his situation emptied a bucket of ice water over his head.
His hands slid onto her upper arms and locked there, holding her away from him and the delicious pleasure of her body against his.
‘I am not so sure about the “lucky” bit, Dee. Right now I am in London for a few days to sort things out and run a few classes, then Paris for a month at most. Then I’m off to Canberra...and my diary is full for the next eighteen months. Constant pressure. And all the while I feel as though I am running and running and not getting anywhere.’
‘Then maybe you should stand still long enough to look around and see what you have achieved,’ she said. Dee tilted her head to one side. ‘Somewhere along the way to being the best, I think you forgot the fun part. But I think that funny and creative side of Sean is still inside you, all ready to get excited about new things and have the best time of his life.’
Stretching up onto tiptoes, she kissed
