brightened with amusement. “Of course.” He glanced at something behind her then stood. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand.
“Where?”
“Where do you think?” he said then led her onto the dance floor.
“You want to dance?” He pulled her to him and she tried to wiggle away. “This isn’t the way it works. You’re here with Tamara.”
“I don’t see her with me right now.”
“She really likes you.”
“And you don’t?”
“Not the way she does.”
“Relax. I saw her dancing with Darius.”
Claudia sighed with relief. “Okay.” She held up one finger. “Just one song.”
Peter only smiled.
Claudia danced with him the rest of the night. He was a great dancer. Whether the beat was fast or slow, with him she lost track of time. At times they danced together and other times apart, but she had a wild night with an unassuming man who made her laugh and feel wonderful. Then she raised her arm to wipe the back of her forehead and glanced at her watch. She swore.
“What?”
She tapped her watch. “That can’t be the time.”
“It’s still early.”
“It’s nearly one o’clock. I’ve got work tomorrow.” She swore again. “And I forgot all about Tamara.” She briefly squeezed her eyes shut. “She’s going to kill me.” She began to make her way through the crowd.
Peter grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Claudia, we need to talk,” he said, his voice urgent.
She held up her hand. “No, we don’t.”
“We can’t pretend that—”
“Yes, we can, and if you won’t, I will. This can go no further. You’re good for her, she’ll make you happy. Let’s leave it at that.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do.”
Peter looked at Claudia for a long moment then let her arm go.
Claudia returned to the table, where Tamara sat steaming. She looked at Peter then glared at Claudia. Claudia held up both her hands. “I am so sorry. We lost track of time.”
Claudia saw Peter’s jaw twitch, but this time she didn’t care.
Peter grabbed his jacket from off the back of the chair then took Tamara’s hand in such a smooth, inoffensive gesture, both women were too surprised to protest. Claudia watched him take her friend over to a quiet corner. Tamara stared up at him with her arms folded defensively.
“He doesn’t know what he’s dealing with,” Claudia muttered.
“Yes, he does,” Darius said, coming up behind her. “Don’t underestimate him.”
He was right. As Peter continued to talk, Claudia saw her friend soften. Then smile.
Claudia whistled, amazed. “He’s good.” I made the right choice. Any man who could maneuver a woman like Tamara that easily was dangerous. She smiled at Darius, and they set up a date to go out for drinks. Once they’d exchanged numbers, Claudia looked at her friend again. “Tell Tamara I’ll meet her outside.”
Ten minutes later they were driving home and Tamara was laughing.
“What did he say to you?” Claudia asked, pleased by her friend’s buoyant mood.
“I can hardly remember. One moment I was mad at you, and the next moment I was laughing. We’ve got a date for Saturday night.” She winked. “I told you he was mine.”
“Yes.”
“He said you just felt sorry for him or something and that’s why you were together.”
That was the first reason, but as the evening progressed it had become something else. But Claudia wasn’t about to tell her friend so.
Tamara suddenly looked pensive. “I don’t know how you got him to dance.”
“He probably said yes just to get me to shut up.”
“Hmm. I can’t wait to see him again. There’s something special about him.”
“Definitely,” Claudia muttered.
“Hands off, Madison.”
Claudia stiffened, knowing that Tamara jealously guarded whomever she thought was hers. And she had Peter. “I was just agreeing with you,” Claudia said, trying to keep her voice light. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay far away from him.”
Chapter 8
F or the next
“Where?”
“Where do you think?” he said then led her onto the dance floor.
“You want to dance?” He pulled her to him and she tried to wiggle away. “This isn’t the way it works. You’re here with Tamara.”
“I don’t see her with me right now.”
“She really likes you.”
“And you don’t?”
“Not the way she does.”
“Relax. I saw her dancing with Darius.”
Claudia sighed with relief. “Okay.” She held up one finger. “Just one song.”
Peter only smiled.
Claudia danced with him the rest of the night. He was a great dancer. Whether the beat was fast or slow, with him she lost track of time. At times they danced together and other times apart, but she had a wild night with an unassuming man who made her laugh and feel wonderful. Then she raised her arm to wipe the back of her forehead and glanced at her watch. She swore.
“What?”
She tapped her watch. “That can’t be the time.”
“It’s still early.”
“It’s nearly one o’clock. I’ve got work tomorrow.” She swore again. “And I forgot all about Tamara.” She briefly squeezed her eyes shut. “She’s going to kill me.” She began to make her way through the crowd.
Peter grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “Claudia, we need to talk,” he said, his voice urgent.
She held up her hand. “No, we don’t.”
“We can’t pretend that—”
“Yes, we can, and if you won’t, I will. This can go no further. You’re good for her, she’ll make you happy. Let’s leave it at that.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do.”
Peter looked at Claudia for a long moment then let her arm go.
Claudia returned to the table, where Tamara sat steaming. She looked at Peter then glared at Claudia. Claudia held up both her hands. “I am so sorry. We lost track of time.”
Claudia saw Peter’s jaw twitch, but this time she didn’t care.
Peter grabbed his jacket from off the back of the chair then took Tamara’s hand in such a smooth, inoffensive gesture, both women were too surprised to protest. Claudia watched him take her friend over to a quiet corner. Tamara stared up at him with her arms folded defensively.
“He doesn’t know what he’s dealing with,” Claudia muttered.
“Yes, he does,” Darius said, coming up behind her. “Don’t underestimate him.”
He was right. As Peter continued to talk, Claudia saw her friend soften. Then smile.
Claudia whistled, amazed. “He’s good.” I made the right choice. Any man who could maneuver a woman like Tamara that easily was dangerous. She smiled at Darius, and they set up a date to go out for drinks. Once they’d exchanged numbers, Claudia looked at her friend again. “Tell Tamara I’ll meet her outside.”
Ten minutes later they were driving home and Tamara was laughing.
“What did he say to you?” Claudia asked, pleased by her friend’s buoyant mood.
“I can hardly remember. One moment I was mad at you, and the next moment I was laughing. We’ve got a date for Saturday night.” She winked. “I told you he was mine.”
“Yes.”
“He said you just felt sorry for him or something and that’s why you were together.”
That was the first reason, but as the evening progressed it had become something else. But Claudia wasn’t about to tell her friend so.
Tamara suddenly looked pensive. “I don’t know how you got him to dance.”
“He probably said yes just to get me to shut up.”
“Hmm. I can’t wait to see him again. There’s something special about him.”
“Definitely,” Claudia muttered.
“Hands off, Madison.”
Claudia stiffened, knowing that Tamara jealously guarded whomever she thought was hers. And she had Peter. “I was just agreeing with you,” Claudia said, trying to keep her voice light. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay far away from him.”
Chapter 8
F or the next
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