His tongue dipped, hers welcomed, the teasing underscored by a smoldering heat that threatened to flare into something much more serious.
He slid a hand down her back, feeling the soft warmth of her through the thin gypsy blouse. He forced his hand to rest at the curve of her hip, though he would have liked very much to allow it to explore at will. As she had pointed out, this diverting charade would come to an end soon. He wouldn’t want to do anything either of them would regret tomorrow. With that thought, he started to lift his head, ordering himself to bring the kiss to an end much sooner than he would have liked.
She wrapped a hand around the lapel of his leather jacket and drew him back to her, making it clear that she was no more satisfied by that fleeting contact than he was. More than happy to satisfy her curiosity—not to mention his own—he covered her mouth with his again, making no pretense at playfulness now.
Madison blamed it on the moonlight. Maybe the champagne. Or maybe it was the enticing fantasy of kissing a dashing stranger in a secluded garden while one of her favorite songs drifted through the cool air surrounding them. Only a few feet away, dozens of noisy revelers danced, laughed, drank and ate, oblivious to the intimate tableau in the cozy courtyard.
How could she possibly have resisted taking advantage of this stolen moment?
Jason could definitely kiss. His lips were firm, warm, skilled. The kisses were thorough, but not presumptuous enough to make her in any way uncomfortable. Though he held her closely, sending a thrill of awareness all the way to her toes, she knew she could step back at any moment and he wouldn’t try to stop her. There was just enough restraint in his embrace that she understood he was leaving the progression to her.
She really should end it soon, but it was so nice to drift just a little longer in the illusion. She allowed her arms to slide around his neck, her fingers dipping into the thick, dark hair beneath his fedora. Her actions brought them even closer together, upthrust breasts pressed to muscular chest. She felt her insides go warm and liquid.
It took her a moment to notice the vibration between them, and then a heartbeat longer to acknowledge it wasn’t the embrace causing the sensation. When she realized Jason’s cell phone was demanding his attention from a pocket in his jacket, she reluctantly conceded that reality was insistently reasserting itself. With a slight sigh, she lowered her arms and took a step backward. Her high heels wobbled just a little on the bricks underneath her feet, but she kept her balance despite the weakness in her knees.
“Maybe you should answer that,” she suggested, keeping her tone even and breezy, as if kissing strangers was something she did on a regular basis. “It could be important.”
“They’re all important,” he muttered, his voice a little gravelly. He glanced at the phone, then shook his head. “It’ll wait. How about that dance?”
“I’d like that.” She walked beside him into the hotel, thinking that a slow dance would be the perfect way to end this unexpectedly enchanted evening. She would bet Jason danced as skillfully as he kissed. And she already knew exactly how good it felt to be wrapped in those strong arms. Heavenly.
The ballroom lights had been dimmed even more while they were outside, maybe to suit the more restrained and romantic music now drifting from the speakers. The dance floor was crowded with costumed hobgoblins and heroes pairing up as the party wound down for the night.
She’d been right when she’d predicted that Jason would be a good dancer. He was. And she further suspected that he would be very good at many other things. Unbidden images swirled slowly in her head, making her pulse flutter in her throat. There was a limit to how reckless she was willing to be tonight—but it didn’t hurt to fantasize a little while she swayed in Jason’s arms.
He smiled down at her. “This is nice.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to the ranch thing tomorrow?”
She nodded. “That’s the plan.”
Thinking of how early BiBi expected everyone to turn out for the planned day at a local dude ranch, she glanced around at the still-partying crowd, wondering wryly how many would show up with bloodshot eyes and pounding heads. Considering how little sleep she’d had lately, she should probably turn in soon, herself, if she was going to get into the spirit of BiBi’s cowboy celebration.
“You’ll be there?” she asked, telling herself that would be as good an incentive as any to get her out of bed early.
“That’s the plan.” He chuckled as he quoted her.
To her regret, the song ended and she moved reluctantly out of his arms. Almost immediately, BiBi appeared at her side. Though BiBi smiled broadly, Madison knew her friend well enough to sense that she was displeased. Was BiBi annoyed that Madison was dancing with someone other than Allen, whom BiBi had decided was the ideal weekend match for Madison?
“Maddie,” BiBi said a bit too brightly, “Allen was looking for you. I think he wants another dance. And Jason, Carl was just asking about you. He wants to make a few more arrangements with all the groomsmen. He’s over there by the bar.”
“I’ll catch up with him in a few minutes,” Jason promised. “I was just—”
BiBi slipped her hand under Jason’s arm, giving a tug that looked gentle, but Madison suspected was quite firm. “I’ll take you over to him. I know he wanted to make sure he talked to you all tonight. Maddie, I think I saw Allen over by the desserts table.”
BiBi could not have been more transparent in separating Madison and Jason. It seemed a little odd to Madison—why was her friend so intent on setting her up with the groom’s cousin? Jason looked over his shoulder as BiBi towed him away, giving Madison a smile of resignation and mouthing the word later.
It wouldn’t be later tonight, Madison decided abruptly. She was really tired. Certainly not in the mood to dance again with Cousin Allen, not even to keep BiBi happy. Spotting Hannah standing near the exit, she headed that way. She explained to Hannah that she was really tired, having been post-call yesterday and traveling today. She was going to get some rest and be fresh for tomorrow’s early plans. Sympathetically, Hannah promised to relay the message to BiBi, wishing Madison a good night’s sleep.
It wasn’t rude that she hadn’t said good-night to Jason, Madison assured herself as she made her way toward the ballroom exits. It was simply in character for the role she had played tonight. A mysterious gypsy fortune-teller would fade into the shadows without a goodbye, right? The footloose adventurer he portrayed would expect nothing more.
And besides, she thought with a ripple of anticipation, she would see him again tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to find out if he looked as good on horseback as he did on the dance floor. She suspected he would.
The first thing she did after closing herself into her hotel room was to kick off the stiletto sandals and let her poor, aching feet sink gratefully into the carpet. She yanked off the headscarf and threw it onto a chair, pushing a hand through her hair. The purple waist sash went next. Little by little, she was transforming back into herself.
Stripping down to her panties and strapless bra, she tossed the costume over the back of the chair and reached for a nightgown, replaying the evening’s events in her mind. She fancied that her lips still tingled a little from the impetuous kisses, and it was a nice feeling she wanted to hold on to for a while longer. Not that she expected anything serious to come of the flirtation, even if she spent time with Jason again tomorrow at the dude ranch.
