I guess where?”
She swallowed, a hint of anticipation shooting through her. “Try your best.”
Peter’s gaze lazily roamed over her figure then returned back to her face. “Your ankle.”
Claudia widened her eyes, surprised by his accuracy. “How did you know?”
Peter nodded to her leg, and she glanced down and noticed that her short skirt and crossed legs had made the tattoo on her ankle visible. She laughed. “So much for guessing.”
He grinned. “It was the first thing I noticed when you sat down.”
“You obviously have an eye for detail.”
“I have an eye for a lot of things.” His eyes captured hers.
Claudia nearly stopped breathing. He stared back at her with depthless, dark brown eyes that hid a mystery she wanted to solve. She soon became aware of how warm his skin felt beneath her fingers. She hadn’t stopped touching him. She yanked her hands back. “I’m sorry,” she said, quickly remembering how his jaw twitched when Tamara touched him.
Tamara grabbed Claudia’s arm and pulled her out of her chair. “We’re going to go freshen up,” she told Peter, dragging her friend away.
Once in the restroom, Claudia said, “What was that all about?”
“I told you he’s mine.”
Claudia laughed. “That was pretty obvious the moment you pounced on him.”
Tamara looked in the mirror and touched up her lipstick. “I didn’t pounce. I staked claim.” She turned back to her friend. “Hands off, Claudia.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
“You were flirting.” She mimicked Claudia’s tone. “Oh, wow, it’s beautiful. It means peace, right? You obviously have an eye for detail.”
“He was the one who asked about my tattoo. I was just trying to get him to talk. I didn’t expect the tattoo. Don’t tell me that the sight of it didn’t surprise you.”
“Yes, it did, but let me be surprised. Not you.”
“He’s not my type anyway. Besides, I like my men older.”
“He’s two years older than we are.”
“You bought that ID?”
“Yes. He can’t help it that he’s adorable.”
Claudia thought about his tattoo and his eyes. Puppies and babies were adorable. Peter was something else.
“This is my chance. Don’t mess it up for me.”
“I wouldn’t dare, but I’d be careful. Still waters run deep.”
“I like them strong and silent. Honey, when I grabbed his arm, you wouldn’t believe the muscle I felt there. I bet his thighs are just as solid.”
“I wouldn’t keep squeezing him if I were you, and don’t keep mentioning his money.”
Tamara narrowed her gaze. “You think you know him better than I do? I’ve studied psychology too, you know.”
Claudia shook her head. “I’m only trying to help. I want to see you happy.”
Tamara smiled. “I am happy, and I’ll be as naughty or as nice as I need to be to keep his interest.” She finished touching up her makeup and combing her hair then got three condoms from the dispenser on the wall. “It’s going to be a fun night.”
And it was. Claudia danced with Darius but didn’t want to monopolize him, so she encouraged him to mingle with other women while she danced with an exchange student from Sweden and then a guy from California. The music was booming, the crowd rocking and the drinks flowing.
Claudia returned to the table happy and exhausted, surprised to see Peter there alone. “Where’s Tamara?”
He gestured to the dance floor, where Tamara was dancing sandwiched between two men. Claudia laughed then sobered when she remembered her companion. “She really likes you. I’m telling you this so you don’t have to be nervous or anything. It’s like discovering there’s a pop quiz. No matter what you do, you’ll get an A. So all that—” Claudia waved toward her friend in a dismissive gesture “—is nothing serious. She’s just having fun and trying to impress you.”
Peter pushed a glass aside and rested his arms on the table.
“But you’re not having fun, are you? This isn’t
She swallowed, a hint of anticipation shooting through her. “Try your best.”
Peter’s gaze lazily roamed over her figure then returned back to her face. “Your ankle.”
Claudia widened her eyes, surprised by his accuracy. “How did you know?”
Peter nodded to her leg, and she glanced down and noticed that her short skirt and crossed legs had made the tattoo on her ankle visible. She laughed. “So much for guessing.”
He grinned. “It was the first thing I noticed when you sat down.”
“You obviously have an eye for detail.”
“I have an eye for a lot of things.” His eyes captured hers.
Claudia nearly stopped breathing. He stared back at her with depthless, dark brown eyes that hid a mystery she wanted to solve. She soon became aware of how warm his skin felt beneath her fingers. She hadn’t stopped touching him. She yanked her hands back. “I’m sorry,” she said, quickly remembering how his jaw twitched when Tamara touched him.
Tamara grabbed Claudia’s arm and pulled her out of her chair. “We’re going to go freshen up,” she told Peter, dragging her friend away.
Once in the restroom, Claudia said, “What was that all about?”
“I told you he’s mine.”
Claudia laughed. “That was pretty obvious the moment you pounced on him.”
Tamara looked in the mirror and touched up her lipstick. “I didn’t pounce. I staked claim.” She turned back to her friend. “Hands off, Claudia.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
“You were flirting.” She mimicked Claudia’s tone. “Oh, wow, it’s beautiful. It means peace, right? You obviously have an eye for detail.”
“He was the one who asked about my tattoo. I was just trying to get him to talk. I didn’t expect the tattoo. Don’t tell me that the sight of it didn’t surprise you.”
“Yes, it did, but let me be surprised. Not you.”
“He’s not my type anyway. Besides, I like my men older.”
“He’s two years older than we are.”
“You bought that ID?”
“Yes. He can’t help it that he’s adorable.”
Claudia thought about his tattoo and his eyes. Puppies and babies were adorable. Peter was something else.
“This is my chance. Don’t mess it up for me.”
“I wouldn’t dare, but I’d be careful. Still waters run deep.”
“I like them strong and silent. Honey, when I grabbed his arm, you wouldn’t believe the muscle I felt there. I bet his thighs are just as solid.”
“I wouldn’t keep squeezing him if I were you, and don’t keep mentioning his money.”
Tamara narrowed her gaze. “You think you know him better than I do? I’ve studied psychology too, you know.”
Claudia shook her head. “I’m only trying to help. I want to see you happy.”
Tamara smiled. “I am happy, and I’ll be as naughty or as nice as I need to be to keep his interest.” She finished touching up her makeup and combing her hair then got three condoms from the dispenser on the wall. “It’s going to be a fun night.”
And it was. Claudia danced with Darius but didn’t want to monopolize him, so she encouraged him to mingle with other women while she danced with an exchange student from Sweden and then a guy from California. The music was booming, the crowd rocking and the drinks flowing.
Claudia returned to the table happy and exhausted, surprised to see Peter there alone. “Where’s Tamara?”
He gestured to the dance floor, where Tamara was dancing sandwiched between two men. Claudia laughed then sobered when she remembered her companion. “She really likes you. I’m telling you this so you don’t have to be nervous or anything. It’s like discovering there’s a pop quiz. No matter what you do, you’ll get an A. So all that—” Claudia waved toward her friend in a dismissive gesture “—is nothing serious. She’s just having fun and trying to impress you.”
Peter pushed a glass aside and rested his arms on the table.
“But you’re not having fun, are you? This isn’t
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