From Leather to Lace by Jasmine Hill Page B

her. “I could tell.”
    “What do you mean?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
    Placing his glass on the table, he leaned towards her. “How do I put this delicately?” he said, running a finger lightly down her arm. “You were pleasantly tight.”
    Sarah gasped, momentarily stunned. “Well, if you must know, I haven’t had too many sexual partners and I don’t jump into bed with the first man who takes my fancy. You were”—she paused—“an exception, Maxwell.”
    He cupped her chin and tilted her head towards him. “I’m glad I was the exception, Sarah. I wanted you the moment I met you.”
    He brushed his lips softly over hers then took the kiss deeper. Still cupping her chin, he ran his other hand lightly up her side until he reached her breast where he ran his thumb softly over her nipple. She moaned into his mouth and her heart rate sped up until she was sure that he could hear it. She reached around and clasped the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to her. All the sounds of the club receded as she became lost in his kiss, lost in the feel of his lips on hers and his thumb running delicious circles around her nipple. Slowly he pulled away from her and stroked a finger down her jaw. “Do you know what you do to me?” he whispered.
    Sarah closed her eyes, trying to re-establish her equilibrium. When she opened them he was looking at her intently, his dark eyes seeming to burn into hers.
    “How many?” he asked her.
    She looked at him quizzically.
    “Lovers,” he clarified.
    “Oh, I can count them on one hand and that’s all I am saying, McIver.”
    “Well, that will have to satisfy me—for now.”
    “Why are you interested?”
    He shrugged. “Call it morbid curiosity.” He refilled her glass of champagne and she took a long sip, enjoying the bubbles as they burst pleasantly on her tongue. “Now, I plan to be the only man who touches you for the foreseeable future.” He ran a finger over her lips, catching the residual champagne, before placing his finger in his mouth and sucking it. The action was so erotic it started a frantic fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. She cupped his cheek and was just about to lean in to kiss him when Roxy unceremoniously plopped down in the seat next to them.
    “Sarah, it’s been an age since we went clubbing together. We need to dance and James wants a quick word with you,” Roxy declared.
    Sarah shot a quick look in Maxwell’s direction and winced at the look of irritation that crossed his face.
    He spoke up before she could respond. “I can’t imagine what James has to say to Sarah, and, Roxy, Sarah is not clubbing with you but with me.”
    Sarah arched an eyebrow at his high-handed attitude but Roxy merely shrugged. “I have no idea why James wants to speak to you, he just asked me to mention it.”
    Sarah thought it best to speak to James and get it over and done with. He was obviously not going to rest until he apologised personally and she really couldn’t see why Maxwell was making such a fuss over it. As far as she was concerned the incident in the bathroom was history.
    She put her hand on Maxwell’s leg. “I’ll go and have a quick word with him, I won’t be long.” He gave her a quick, impatient nod in response.
    Roxy grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the others. “I think Max is really taken with you, Sarah,” Roxy said in her ear. “He’s becoming quite possessive—I haven’t seen him like this before. His usual modus operandi where women are concerned is a sort of studied indifference. I mean he is always polite and charming, but he is used to them falling at his feet. You seem to have made quite an impression, Sar.”
    At Roxy’s words a little thrill ran through her.
    “Do you think it could get serious?” Roxy asked.
    Did she think things between them could become serious? She definitely hoped so.
    “It’s early days yet but I have to admit that I really like him, Rox. He does