Susan Mallery - Surrender in Silk

But it wasn’t the present that captured her attention. It was the stunned silence and the look on his face. His eyes widened in shock, and his mouth dropped open, just like in the movies. He stared at her as if he’d never seen her before. As if he really liked what he was seeing this time.

“You’re incredible,” he said as his gaze dropped to her feet, then made a leisurely journey back to her face. “I always knew you were beautiful, but this-” He motioned to her dress, then her legs.

“You like it?”

His eyes got smoky with desire. “I like it a lot.”

She did a little looking of her own. He’d rented a black tux with a plain white shirt. His cummerbund emphasized his trim waist, while the cut of his jacket made him look even broader across the shoulders.

“You look great, too,” she said.

“Yeah?” He grinned. “Here’s the first surprise.”

He opened the top of the gold box and pulled out a delicate corsage. Baby red roses formed an elongated diamond pattern. He slipped the flowers over her hand and settled them on her wrist. Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

“What are these for?” she asked, equally touched and confused by the gift.

“For all those proms and dances you never went to. Tonight is going to make up for them.”

“I don’t understand. I really don’t mind that I missed them.” The lie was automatic. Zach knew her too well to believe it.

“Of course you mind. But you’re about to go to your first dance.”

The tightness in her chest made it hard to breathe. Love filled her, warming her from the inside out. This was the reason she cared for this man. He was so in tune with her-he knew what she was thinking almost before she did. He understood about the hurts of the past and cared enough to do something about them.

A confession of her feelings hovered on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. She didn’t want to tell him before he was ready. For a long time, she thought he might never want to hear a declaration from her. But after this, she was starting to hope.

“Ready?” he asked, and held out his arm.

She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her to the door.

The restaurant was one of the elegant, old-fashioned places with lots of wood and a small combo group in front of a postage-stamp dance floor.

They were shown to a table by the window. The city glowed beneath them, all bright lights and electric beauty. The night air was crisp, although the restaurant was pleasantly warm.

Jamie ran her fingers across the thick linen tablecloth, then touched the heavy silverware and delicate glasses.

“I adore this place,” she said. “I want to live here.”

“Wait until you try the food. It’s even better than you’d expect.”

A waiter approached and handed them heavy menus. He left with their drink orders.

Zach growled something under his breath.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I want a different waiter.”

She glanced after the departing man. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about him. “What did he do wrong?”

“He tried to look down the front of your dress.”

She looked at the cleavage curving out of the deep neckline and laughed. “You’re the one who wanted me to get all dressed up. So it’s your own fault.”

She didn’t really think the waiter had been inspecting her, but it was nice that Zach thought so. She wanted to be special for him. For the first time in her life, she felt attractive and feminine. Maybe her goal of balance wasn’t going to be as difficult as she’d thought. Maybe there was hope.

When the waiter returned with their drinks, they ordered, then sat back in their chairs and talked about their plans for the rest of their time in Denver.

“I’d like to see the Colorado History Museum,” Zach said. “I’ve always liked the Old West.”

“Me, too.”

“Maybe we could do some more shopping.”

She glanced at him over her wineglass. “Maybe.”

“So it wasn’t horrible?”

She shook her head. “Monique was great. I wouldn’t mind going back to her store again. They had some more-casual stuff. As much as I love this dress, I can’t wear it all the time.”

“Too bad.”

Their salads came and they ate. Later, after they’d finished their main course, Zach pushed back his chair and rose. “Come on,” he said. “You owe me a dance.”

“I couldn’t.” She tucked her hands behind the small of her back. “I’ve already told you I don’t know how.”

“It’s a slow song. All we have to do is sway to the music. I promise I won’t let you mess up.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed him, but he didn’t look as if he was going to give up. A couple of people had turned to stare at them. Sighing, she got to her feet and let him lead her to the tiny dance floor.

Three other couples were already there. As promised, Zach didn’t try anything fancy. He simply pulled her close and started swaying. His hands held her back firmly so she didn’t feel like she was going to do something foolish. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her cheek against his chest.

“This is nice,” she said, absorbing his heat and the hard strength of his body.

“Hmm.”

She raised her head. “What’s wrong?”

“Look around the room.”

There was a bar against the far wall. Several men were there without dates. A few of them caught her eye and smiled.

What on earth?

Then she realized what was happening.

“They’re looking at me,” she said, half pleased, half stunned. “At my legs.”

“Not to mention other things. I want to rip all their hearts out.”

She glanced up at him. Passion flared in his dark eyes. Passion and possessiveness. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

“I mean it, Jamie. I wouldn’t mind a little bloodshed right behind the bar.”

She giggled, then leaned against his shoulder again. He pulled her closer. They touched from shoulder to thigh. Something hard brushed against her hip. She moved slowly back and forth, then pressed her lips against his neck.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered against her ear.

“And here I was trying to turn you on.”

“That, too.”

Someone tapped on her arm. Jamie turned and saw an older couple next to them. They were both short-the man was maybe five-six, and the woman barely came to his chin. They had gray hair and matching sets of wrinkles around their eyes as if they’d spent a lifetime sharing the same jokes.

“My wife and I were noticing the two of you,” the elderly man said. “We think you’re a happy couple and obviously very much in love. We’re celebrating fifty years together this year.”

“Congratulations,” Zach said.

The woman smiled. “How long have you two been together?”

Jamie didn’t know what to say.

“We met seven years ago,” Zach said smoothly.

“So you’re just beginning. I remember that.” She patted Jamie’s arm. “Don’t let this one get away, dearie. The old saying is true. Good men are hard to find.”

“I know. Thank you.”

The older couple waved, then danced to the other side of the floor. Jamie felt a whisper of envy. What would it feel like to be them fifty years from now? They’d lived a normal life, laughing, loving. They might never have spent a night apart from each other.

“What are you thinking?” Zach asked.

“Just that they’re very lucky.”

“I’m lucky, too. After all, you’re here.” He tightened his arms around her.

“When did you get to be such a charmer?”

“I have a lot of secrets.”

She laughed. “I’ll just bet you do. Want to hear one of mine?”

“Sure.”

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “I wouldn’t mind if we skipped dessert and went straight back to the room.”

His hands tightened on her back. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Zach unlocked the door to their suite, and they stepped into the darkness. Before he’d done much more than move into the parlor, Jamie was on him, her arms around his neck, her mouth searching for his. He gasped at the heat of her, the hunger in her kiss as she plunged into his mouth, then he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. Passion exploded. He would die if he didn’t have this woman now.

He managed to close the door and bolt it. The key dropped to the floor, but he didn’t care. Jamie stepped out of her shoes. He tugged off his jacket. Their mouths pressed together again, open this time, damp, tongues searching, finding points of pleasure, pleasing.

He wrapped his arms around her and urged her in the general direction of the bedroom. The drapes were open with only the sheers pulled against the darkness of the night. Light from the street filtered in, allowing him to make out large pieces of furniture in the room.

Between kisses, between moans of pleasure, gasps of lost air, between lips pressing and hands caressing, they made it to the bedroom.

She’d drawn the drapes in here before they’d left, so the room was completely dark. He felt along the wall and found the switch. When he pressed it, the lamps on either side of the large bed sprang to life.

Jamie stood before him, a pagan, barefoot goddess with her slinky black dress and tumbling curls. Her eyes were huge, passion making them brighter. Her mouth-already damp from his kisses-parted slightly. He could see the rapid rising and falling of her chest.

He took her hand in his and led her over to the bed. But instead of pushing her onto the mattress, he left her standing there. He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed each sensitive pad. She tasted faintly salty with a hint of something sweet and forbidden.

He wanted her. Desire pulsed through him with every heartbeat. Between his legs, pressure built until he wanted to explode. He held back. He could no more rush this moment than he could force one of the nearby mountains to move. Their joining was inevitable-like the cycle of the moon. He wanted to enjoy every moment they had together, feel every caress, linger over every touch, every kiss. Something heady filled the night air, something that told him he was about to be shaken down to his soul.