‘That sounds great,’ she said, squeezing his warm hand in hers.
They followed Gideon into the ballroom, where Amy was surprised to find the dance floor full of couples dancing to a six-piece band. The whole place was done like a winter wonderland, and the bride, dressed in a long cream gown with a white fur shrug over her shoulders, looked like a Siberian queen.
‘Shall we dance?’ said Daniel.
‘You?’ laughed Amy.
‘I think I can dredge up a few moves, if you don’t mind me stepping on your toes every now and then.’
‘Then I accept, kind sir,’ said Amy, doing a mock-curtsey and grinning as he led her to the floor. He turned to face her and pulled her in close, one hand laid over hers, the other in the small of her back.
‘Not bad,’ she smiled. ‘You learnt some decent moves at that fancy school of yours.’
‘And I’ve learnt a few more tricks since I left,’ he said, pulling her tighter and beginning to guide her around the floor. He was rusty, but he had a natural kind of sway, and Amy resisted the urge to correct his mistakes – the man was supposed to lead, after all. A lady knew that, even if she was secretly calling the shots.
As the song finished, he deliberately brushed his lips against her neck. ‘You’re absolutely beautiful,’ he said softly.
‘You’re not too bad yourself,’ she replied with what she hoped was a sexy smile.
‘I don’t ever want to let you go.’
‘Then try a bit harder to keep me.’
‘I’m sorry about what happened. I was an idiot. You’re right. It’s about trying harder, and you know, Washington isn’t far. I was thinking, if we both do a transatlantic flight each month, then we can see each other every other fortnight. I know bankers who see their wives less than that.’ He gave a low, soft laugh, but she could tell he was anxious.
‘Do you mean that?’
‘Let me make it up to you. Let me start right now.’
‘Right now?’ she smiled pulling away from him.
‘I’ve checked us into the hotel,’ he said, searching her eyes. ‘If that’s what you’d like.’
‘I’d like that very much,’ she said, taking his hand and leading him from the dance floor, feeling sexy at being in charge.
They went up in the little lift to the second floor. One hand still holding hers, Daniel pushed open the door and then pulled her into the darkness of the room, not bothering to turn on the lights.
He pushed up the silk jersey and pressed her against the wall, cupping her buttocks, his hands searing through the soft fabric, his mouth lowering to kiss her bare shoulder.
‘That’s a lot of dress you’ve got on there. Is this some sort of designer chastity belt?’ he said as he struggled through the acres of fabric.
‘Let’s just get it off, shall we,’ she laughed softly as they stumbled towards the bed.
She pushed her hands down his boxer shorts, feeling the firm contours of his body, then brushed her palm over his prickle of pubic hair, over the entire length of him until he grew hard in her hand.
He unclipped her bra and peeled off her thong, and when they were both naked, they fell back on to the mattress. He straddled her and swooped down to suck her tight brown nipples, one, then the other, then down to her belly, kissing and stroking it with his breath, his lips, as if she were the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. He licked his fingers and pushed two of them inside her, finding such a hot, delicious spot that she groaned and arched her back, enjoying the sensation of feeling so desired. And as she spread her legs, she felt him push inside her, slowly at first, until she was full of him and they were moving in rhythm, the sweet energy building and building to such a white-hot climax that she did not want it to stop but at the same time she wasn’t sure if she could bear it to continue.
When Amy opened her eyes, the thin winter sun was leaking through a small gap in the blinds. Daniel, she thought with a smile, her hand sliding across to check he was still there, warm and solid. It wasn’t a dream after all. She looked across the room and saw Georgia’s dress lying on the floor like a pile of melted silk jersey.
‘Oh crap,’ she hissed, leaping out of bed to scoop it up, smoothing down the fine fabric. Please don’t be damaged, she thought. Georgia had been so kind to lend it to her, she couldn’t take it back screwed up in a ball.
‘Nice view.’
She jumped and straightened up, quickly holding the dress in front of her naked body. There was a pause, then she burst out laughing.
‘No point in hiding it all now,’ said Daniel with a lazy grin. He held out a hand to her and she carefully laid the dress on a chair and walked back to the bed.
‘You’re awake,’ she said, smoothing his hair back.