It was all he could think of to say. Raina looked like all his best memories. Only here and now, standing in front of him. He couldn’t help but stare and she flushed a little.
‘You look...very nice.’
‘Thank you.’ She looked as awkward about the compliment as he felt. ‘Anya told me that I had to wear red and this is my only red dress...’
She remembered too. The dress was sleeveless, plain at the top and falling into pleats at her waist. Raina was wearing the little silver watch that her grandmother had given her. She looked devastatingly gorgeous and the memory of taking that dress off her made Alistair feel dizzy with need.
‘She has good taste.’ Raina didn’t need his permission to wear the dress, but she seemed to want it and she gave a little nod.
‘Gabriel’s been looking for you.’ She twisted round to survey the room and the dress foamed at her knees. Just the way it always had...
‘Ah. I’d better go and help him out.’
‘Yes. I’ll go and see if I can find Ben. He said he wasn’t much looking forward to this evening and I said we could face it together.’
That was nice of her. Ben wasn’t in his element at parties, and someone to stick with him would stop him from gravitating uncomfortably towards the nearest wall.
He couldn’t help it. As they both turned away, he had the opportunity to bend and murmur in her ear. ‘I’m glad you kept the dress. You always did look stupendous in it.’
She blushed. Then ran her hand down his lapel, her thumb grazing the fabric of his shirt. He knew that smile. Raina was just as turned on by the compliment as he was.
‘I always liked you in a dark suit as well.’ She turned suddenly and then she was gone, weaving her way through the groups of people that were forming around them.
He needed a drink. Actually a drink was the last thing he needed. If he was such easy prey to Raina’s charms when he was stone-cold sober, then alcohol wasn’t a good idea. Alistair made his way over to the bar, asking for a glass of sparkling water, and then went to find Gabriel.
* * *
He’d been watching her all evening, and Alistair’s growing need to speak to Raina was turning into an emergency. Finally he saw her standing alone. Alistair had lost the thread of the conversation around him about five minutes ago, and it was easy enough to extricate himself and walk across the crowded room to her.
‘Would you like to dance?’ After-dark piano music was playing lazily, and one end of the space had become an impromptu dance floor.
‘Is that...allowed?’
‘Why wouldn’t it be?’
Raina reddened. ‘I’m not sure. Give me a minute to think.’
It was one of the best minutes of Alistair’s life. Standing close, warmed by her scent. Watching her eyes, growing darker by the moment. Knowing she wasn’t going to come up with a reason.
‘We did everything by the book, Raina. Maya chose Anya for the project, and Gabriel’s her doctor and signs off on her case files. You don’t work for the charity...’
She nudged him. ‘I do my share.’
‘More than your share, but we don’t pay you for it. I think one dance is acceptable.’
‘You’re my ex-husband.’ Something in Raina’s eyes told him that that didn’t matter. Not tonight.
‘Which means I’ve danced with you before. And there’s nothing to say we can’t do so again if we want.’
‘True.’ She stretched up her arms, clasping her hands behind his neck. Giving him the warmth of her body in a way that had always taken Alistair’s breath away.
‘This is nice.’ His body hadn’t forgotten her rhythm, even if he’d successfully managed to expunge it from his thoughts.
‘Just nice?’ Raina knew just as well as he did that nice didn’t cover it. But, then, no one word did.
‘I’m going for understatement. To emphasise my point.’
Raina chuckled. ‘In that case, it’s just a little bit nice. Maybe...’