She felt the pressure of his hand on the small of her back, easing her closer still, and she closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest. Her heart was pounding so wildly she assumed he must be able to feel it.
Suddenly the world around them faded away and all she was aware of was Mac.
The blood throbbed in her veins as she slid her arms around his neck. She felt his sudden stillness and then he tightened his hold.
She felt the press of his thighs against her, the solid muscle of his shoulders and the firm beat of his heart.
They moved together, instinctively matching each other’s rhythm. Would it be like that in bed? she wondered, her whole body in a heightened state of sexual tension. She gave herself a little shake. They weren’t in bed, she reminded herself firmly. They were on the dance floor in a very public place and she shouldn’t be having those sorts of thoughts.
But how could she not?
Being held by Mac felt so right.
Locked in his arms, feeling his strength and breathing in that tantalising, elusive male scent, she felt safe, and yet not safe.
Mac Sullivan was holding back.
She thought about the layers. About the man. Underneath the rigid self-discipline lay scorching passion. He wouldn’t be half-hearted, she knew that. He was a man who knew exactly what he wanted and wouldn’t be afraid to go for it.
She looked up at him and stopped moving, suddenly trapped by the look in his eyes. Awareness flared between them, a mutual recognition of the sexual tension that had been building since they’d met.
Unable to help herself, Louisa lifted a hand to his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin and the roughness of his jaw.
She wanted to touch him. All of him.
Something shifted his eyes and then, with a determined movement, Mac gently disengaged himself, closed his hand around her wrist and walked her purposefully towards the door.
There was no mistaking his intention and, like someone who has teased a tiger only to find that the cage door wasn’t shut, Louisa felt her heart suddenly race in a mixture of pure excitement and panic.
She’d never done this before.
‘Where are we going?’ She paused, breathless, as he retrieved their coats, aware that people were watching them. Speculating.
‘Home.’
‘People are staring.’
He draped her coat over her shoulders, his eyes glittering as he looked at her. ‘Let them stare.’ He shrugged, totally cool and indifferent to everyone else in the room. ‘I don’t care much about what people think, you should know that by now.’
Without glancing left or right, he led her away from the party, down a brightly lit corridor and into the freezing night air.
Her heart was thumping so fast she could hardly breathe.
‘People will gossip.’
There was a gleam of laughter in his eyes as he glanced towards her. ‘You should have thought of that before you posted yourself head first through my toilet window.’ They had reached the car by now and he grabbed her and turned her quickly, his body trapping hers, his arms either side of her head, preventing her escape.
Not that she had any intention of escaping.
She was where she wanted to be.
His mouth was only inches from hers and she could see the thickness of his dark lashes, the strong, straight lines of his nose and the blue-black shadow of his jaw.
‘If you don’t want this, Louisa say so now.’ His voice was forceful, husky, and she felt something curl low in her pelvis.
There was only one answer she could possibly give. ‘I want this.’
His gaze burned into hers and his body pressed closer. ‘You know I’m not making you promises. You know the sort of man I am.’