Sexy, me? Not for the first time that evening her eyes collided with his, but this time she didn't have the comfort of a room's distance between them. 'I've never learnt to dance properly,' she babbled in panic as his arm went around her waist.
'Then we'll leave the dips and twirls to the people who know what they're doing, shall we?' He took one of her hands and placed it against his shoulder. 'Shuffle step will do just fine. You can't deny you don't have an ear for rhythm after tonight.'
'I can't?' She couldn't attribute the light-headed sensation to the glass of wine she'd nursed throughout the evening. Her proximity to Ethan was a much more powerful drug.
Her legs were pressed against his hard thighs as they moved around the impromptu dance floor. Without doing anything obvious Ethan had unobtrusively drawn her closer. To prevent her hand being squashed between their bodies she had sensibly placed it out of harm's way around his neck. Her fingertips lightly trailed across the area where his dark, thick hair ended in crisp curls.
As the music throbbed Ethan dropped his head until she could feel the warmth of his breath stirring the glossy strands of hair on her head. 'What do you smell of? I don't recognise the perfume.'
'Shampoo, probably. I don't possess any expensive perfumes.' She almost stumbled when his hand slid down from her waist and his fingers splayed over the rounded contour of her behind. "These heels,' she laughed, recovering her balance but not her equilibrium. Was he doing this on purpose, and, if so, to what end? The heat of his body was absorbed by the thin fabric of her dress and passed directly into her own skin.
'You've got good legs.' Somehow he managed to insinuate one of her legs between his. She grunted softly in shock as she felt the evidence of his arousal graze the crest of her hip before a slight twist of his body moved the pressure to her lower belly.
'If they were six inches longer.' Catherine had been tall, very tall, a Nordic-looking beauty. Hannah wished she hadn't spoilt the moment by thinking of her.
"There's nothing wrong with being petite—small but perfectly formed.'
'If I agreed with you I'd sound conceited,' she said, trying to sound as if his words hadn't raised her excitement levels to a new high. 'If I denied it I'd sound coy.' The effort to be cool took its toll, and she surrendered to the invitation of his broad chest with a small sigh. 'I'm a bit tired,' she murmured in a husky voice, just in case he got the wrong, or rather right idea.
'Let's go home.'
'Now?' she faltered, lifting her head as the slow beat was replaced by a livelier tune. 'It's early.'
I’m sure it's difficult to tear yourself away, but I'm less keen on the spectacle of grown men drooling over my wife.'
'Are you suggesting I was encouraging them?' Her hands slid down his dark-suited forearms and with a small flick of his wrists his fingers closed around hers. 'The transformation from wallflower to belle of the ball must be a pretty intoxicating one—I wouldn't blame you if you enjoyed flirting. I was afraid this would happen,' he mused, watching her broodingly.
'I don't know what you're talking about.' He looked into the puzzled depths of her clear eyes. 'I know,' he said heavily. 'Come on, we'll make our apologies and leave.'
Richard Hilton insisted on seeing them out himself. He placed an arm around Hannah's shoulders and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. She didn't much mind—he made an amiable, if garrulous drunk.
'I keep telling her she looks gorgeous,' he announced, slapping Ethan heartily on the back. 'You sly dog, you knew what you were about. Like I said to Maggie, nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.' He tapped me side of his nose and gave a conspiratorial wink. I never said you were a fool.'
'I'm touched,' Ethan said, detaching himself gently but firmly from a maudlin embrace. 'We must go.'
'Yes, that's it, off you go. Would myself in your place.'
Hannah laughed as they walked over to the car. She was determined to show him she wasn't reading anything into his friend's drunken and deeply embarrassing ramblings. 'Richard seems to think we're leaving early to—'
'Do unspeakable things behind closed doors,' Ethan finished smoothly. 'A crazy idea.'
'He's had a lot to drink.' It was hard to sound suitably amused when she had the distinct impression that under the superficially bland expression Ethan wasn't laughing at all; he wasn't even smiling.
'Don't let that bumbling air fool you—I've seen Richard win at poker after imbibing enough to sink a battle cruiser. A very perceptive man,' he mused half to himself. In the darkness she could see the silver flash of his disturbing eyes.
It would be a mistake, she decided, to read anything at all into this cryptic utterance—but of course she did.