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At his jerky movement I trail off and clear my throat awkwardly.
‘Would be...?’ He prompts me.
I glance up and am ensnared in his gaze. He’s insanely good-looking. But of course he is. Simone is the type to have only the best money can buy. He must command squillions per performance.
‘I thought you guys had like special tear-away shirts and things,’ I mumble inanely, trying to turn away but only half succeeding. His isn’t some cheap satin suit with easy-open Velcro sides or anything. It’s high end. ‘Those shirt buttons are stiff. Is it a deliberate thing? To prolong the tease?’
‘The tease?’ A strange tenor flecks his low echo as he resumes fastening the buttons.
I suppress the shiver skittering down my spine. ‘That’s what it’s all about, right?’ I can’t stop myself babbling. ‘Taking the time, building the anticipation...’
Shut up, Talia.
‘Mmm...’ He nods and reaches for a black jacket I hadn’t even noticed slung on a nearby shelf and pulls a strip of black silk from the pocket. There’s a gleam in his eyes that makes shivers ripple through me. ‘Could you help me with my tie?’
I don’t believe for a second that he can’t tie his own bow tie. He’ll be taking it off and on multiple times a night.
‘I can’t do it without a mirror,’ he adds, apparently having just read my mind.
I summon self-control. Because I fix things. I oblige. It’s what I do. ‘Of course.’
I step closer and take the silk. He is much taller than me and I have to rise on tiptoe. Freshly shaven, his jaw is sharp and smooth and I smell a hint of cinnamon. His eyes are very blue and, honestly, I forget what I’m meant to be doing. I wobble. Instantly he puts a hand on my waist to steady me but the contact hits like an electrical current and it resets my heart. It beats faster. I breathe faster too. And my skin seems to have tripled in sensitivity because IswearI can feel the heat of him through my dress. Now my legs are wobblier still and suddenly it’s not just his hand at my waist, but his arm curled around my back pulling me closer until I’m all but leaning against him. It’ssuperembarrassing but there’s a glint in his eye that makes me refuse to step back and admit my mortification.
I’m all thumbs. I make myself remember what I’m supposed to be doing.Simone.The birthday guest should have the best night of her life.
‘They’re pretty noisy but in good spirits,’ I babble as I tie the silk. ‘Mostly women. It’s a birthday, you know?’
‘I know.’
Yeah, of course he does. He’s an absolute professional. He has a calm, confident deliberation about him, there’s no rushing him. I can’t resist breathing in again to appreciate that cinnamon. His hair has an ever so slightly damp look to it. He’s a pillar of sensual heat and I’ve basically plastered myself all over him.
I’m jealous of Simone and her party. Would it be okay to loiter at the back of the room during his show?
A wave of lust washes over me. I almost choke. I don’t behave like this. I don’t gawp at men. I prefer to avoid them—I have other priorities. Besides, I don’t want to risk discovering I’ve inherited my mother’s appalling taste in men. But I can’t stop staring—orleaningon him. I even pat his chest once I’ve finally finished the tie.
‘You’ll give her a good time, won’t you?’ I mumble. ‘She’s nice.’
He blinks. ‘A good time?’
My fingers seem to be stuck to his chest. I can’t lift them away from the heat of him. The hard strength is compelling. Instinctively I spread them wider. He tenses even more. We’re so close and it’s madness. I manage to lower my gaze from his but I only get as far as his mouth.
‘Do I pass inspection?’ he mutters.
‘I guess...’ I bite my lip.
‘Aren’t you in charge around here?’
I shake my head. I’m not in charge of anything right this second and that is so not like me. ‘I’d better get back to...’
‘To what?’ He leans a little closer.
I manage to breathe but I get another hit of that soap and I’m brainless again. ‘Making coffee. I make a lot of coffee. But that’s okay. I actually love making coffee.’
He nods. ‘I love my job too.’
Yeah. ‘I bet you’re really good at it.’
‘So I’ve been told,’ he says gravely.
