Page 14 of One Hot Christmas

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He rubs his hands over my back. "Definitely incredible."

I lift my head, intending to look into Ben's eyes, but something else catches my attention.

The waitress has just walked out of the hallway that leads to this secluded part of the restaurant. She stands frozen in the entryway, eyes bulging, mouth open—and she stares straight at me and Ben.

Oh shit.

Chapter Seven

Ben

I can't believe that just happened. Can't believe I suggested we have sex in this restaurant, where anyone might see us—and I absolutely cannot believe Sam said yes. We're both off our trolleys, aren't we? Ever since I first saw my savior in pink, I've behaved like a lunatic. It must be stress. I ran away from my life so fast, without making any concrete plans, that I'm feeling a bit off-balance. That's the only excuse I have for the fact I seduced this woman twice in less than twenty-four hours.

Sam is still straddling my lap, and I'm still inside her. But something past my shoulder seems to have caught her attention. Her eyes go wide, and her lips fall open.

Is that shock on her face? Twisting my head around, I try to see what stunned her.

Our waitress hovers on the threshold between the hallway and this little hidden corner. The girl gapes at us with even more shock than Sam shows on her face. Bloody hell. That waitress must have seen us going at it. This booth is set away from the rest of the restaurant, but anyone could've peeked through the doorways at either end and seen us. Anyone who wants to use the loo has to walk past our booth.

The waitress hurries away, out of sight.

Sam slides off my lap and struggles to reassemble her clothes. "What should we do? Leave? Or pretend that didn't happen?"

"Don't know about you, but I can't pretend we didn't do that." I stuff the used condom in my pocket and zip up my trousers. "Why don't you, ah, go back around to your side of the table."

"Oh. Sure. Good idea." She scrambles to get back to the spot where her food waits for her. Then she picks up her fork and freezes, as if she's forgotten what to do with it.

"Are you all right?" I ask. Should I not have ordered her to go back over there? Maybe I was meant to hold her and whisper to her about how wonderful she is. Bollocks. I should've done that, right? I'm an idiot, and now she feels uncomfortable. "Sorry, I—You could come back over here if you like."

She bites her upper lip and shifts her gaze to me while keeping her head down. "I'm okay here."

But I'm not entirely convinced she is. What we just did has scrambled my brain, though, and I can't think of a bloody thing to say that won't sound stupid. So I opt for what might be the worst possible response, but it's all I can think of.

I start eating again. Shoveling it in, actually.

Sam stares at me, seeming not to blink.

"Aren't you hungry?" I say with my mouth full. I'm bloody starving.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She slides a tiny bit of food onto her fork and daintily sets it on her tongue. While she chews, she keeps watching me cram cod and crab cakes into my mouth. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Why?"You sodding liar.

"You'll get indigestion if you keep eating that fast."

"I've got an iron constitution." No idea if that's true, since never in my life have I eaten this much this fast. I swallow another half-chewed mouthful. "Are you all right? I didn't mean to shove you away. Just thought we should, uh, separate before someone else saw us."

"Separate?" she says with a snort. "Guess that's the British way of saying it."

"Of saying what?"

"That you wish we hadn't done that."

I drop my fork, and it clatters onto my plate. "How can you think I regret it?"

Sam hunches her shoulders. "You did push me away."

"No, I—" Yes, of course that's what I did. Why am I lying about it? "Sorry. I shouldn't have treated you that way. But I've never had sex in a public place before. I guess I'm feeling…odd about the whole thing. It was brilliant, but—"


Tags: Anna Durand Hot Brits Romance