‘I know where it came from. And it’s fine to let it go.’
She looked up at him, her dark green eyes glassy as a forest pool. Her lip wobbled again and she buried her head. This time she wrapped her arms around him.
‘Thank you. I’m sorry.’
‘Shh.’ The last thing she needed to do was thank him. There was nothing he would rather do than hold her and soothe her. And his body was all the evidence she needed that he was getting payback. Holding her close was playing with fire. And he was calculating the risks attached to that right now.
He hardened—fast and fierce. He leant down and breathed in her scent: flowers from her hair, sweet spice from her neck. He felt her body through the thin fabric of her dress as he held her. Slim, strong, soft. He dropped his arm to her waist and the sensation of the curve of her body hugged close sent him another sharp kick of lust.
She must have realised how aroused he’d got—she pulled back and looked up at him as if she was weighing up her odds, testing him for trust. He’d show her she could trust him …
It would have been nice to start slow, to brush his lips against hers and gently learn their shape. But steady and sweet had bailed out and he was riding the crest of a giant wave of lust. He snaked his hands through the thick red waves of her hair and scooped her mouth right under his. Fierce. He felt his body absorb the sensation of her curves. Not enough. His tongue took over—fired right between her open startled lips and plunged and tangled with hers.
She was shocked. Then she moaned. Then she settled even closer and her tongue met his with a hunger that fired his blood.
What a kiss.
Wild stabbing darts with their tongues—shallow at first and then duelling. Every thrust had him harder. Their mouths open wider, to taste more and more. He took and tasted her like a starving man. On and on they kissed. He heard her moan as if it was a surrender from her soul. Felt his face and her face wet from their mouths. Felt such a desperate need to feel her flesh that he dropped his hands to her full, plump cheeks and squeezed hard.
He pressed her closer and she opened her thighs to him. He ground himself against her, taking whatever pressure he could get against his length. He could feel a delicious tension start to build and knew he was losing control. She nestled herself hard against him, snaked her arms up and gripped the back of his neck. And, oh, that let him feel those breasts against him. He put his hands on them. Right on them. Filled his hands. Felt firm, hot flesh and hard buds through the fabric. Felt as if he’d never get enough.
He stared at her dress, tugged the V apart and slid his hands inside, pulling the cup of her bra out of the way, exposing a bare white breast.
‘Danny—stop!’
She pulled away and he was stunned. His head thick. An uppercut of lust to the brain. Literally reeling with what had just happened.
‘I heard a noise,’ she whispered, fixing her bra, closing up her dress.
He stared at her stupidly. She couldn’t really want to stop this now—could she?
‘It’s all right. It’s the penthouse. No one can come in.’
She stared—huge dark eyes.
‘Trust me. You’re safe in here.’
There was a knock at the door.
She stepped further away, looked from him to the door and back again. ‘It’s the police. It must be.’
‘Georgia, calm down—it’s fine. I told you.’
But she was panicked. The knock came again. He shook his head, walked to the door. Unlocked it and opened it. In the wide landing in front of the elevator stood two cops. No one and nothing else. They passed on the information that the place had been cleared. Sarwar had been as good as his word.
Just so long as the paps weren’t hovering.
He nodded at the guys and went back inside.
‘What’s happening? Is it all right? Am I able to go home now?’ She was smoothing down her dress, patting her hair.
‘All sorted. If that’s what you want to do you can go—any time you like.’
She looked at him. ‘Oh …’
He faced her, still semi-aroused. But she was elsewhere now—her mind was in a different place. Spooked.
He pulled out his phone, fumbled with the screen, irritated.
‘All right.’
‘All right? I’d like to finish our “discussion”.’
She swallowed, looked at her shoes. He looked at her shoes. Red, pointed … perfect Friday night shoes.
‘I … I think I should just go. I’d rather put all this behind me.’
She thought she should go? She could think what she wanted for now. He’d make his mind up in a little while.
‘You need a lift somewhere?’
She glanced at the two discarded glasses that sat on the table. Neither of them had had any more than a sip of alcohol. ‘No, thanks. My car’s parked.’
‘Okay.’ He stood up. ‘Let’s head down, then.’
They left the penthouse and headed back into the elevator. The doors closed between them and the magnificent Persian Gulf. His mind was playing catch-up as he stared out at the rose-gold sun sinking fast into sapphire-blue. Diamond-white iconic buildings held shards of every other precious jewel and metal, all polished to precision and laid out for people to worship and desire. It was some town. And he was proud that his fingerprints were all over it.
They stepped out onto the fifty-ninth floor. Better not to go straight to the lobby. He wanted to see the place cleared for himself. Passed the open door of the Jumeirah Suite. There was nobody lazing or relaxing now—only empty glasses to show that anyone had been there. A vacuum.
Her shoes clicked as she walked. He put his hand out and grasped hers, squeezed it. They moved along the marble corridor to the internal elevators. Noise bubbled up from downstairs—the chatter of everyday hotel life. He still grasped her hand. Toyed with what he was going to do next.
They paused when they got to the elevators. Both stared at their fuzzy outlines in the burnished gold doors. He let go of her hand and pulled her close. But she held herself back. He hadn’t expected that.
The elevator doors opened. She tucked her head down and went in.
He pressed the button and the doors closed.
‘Are you okay?’
She nodded. ‘Thanks.’
The elevator sped down, landed softly. She stood apart. He reached for her hand again but she shook her head.
‘Danny I’ve … It’s been … I’m grateful to you for helping me out but I just want to go home now and forget that this ever happened.’
She extended her hand for a handshake and he nearly laughed. Okay—that he really hadn’t expected.
‘No problem, Georgia. You’re a lovely woman. I was happy to help.’
She shook his hand. Firmly. ‘It was lovely to meet you.’
He nearly let her go at that. Nearly. But they’d had the hottest kiss he’d ever known. Had been heading fast to what he was sure was going to be the hottest sex. He wasn’t letting her go just like that.
He pulled her up sharply, out of sight, inside the elevator. Put his mouth right over hers and kissed her the way he knew she needed to be kissed.
She wanted to say goodbye with a handshake?
He