His Dark Embrace

Kaiden Thorne proved to be a fantastic dinner companion. He was knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects, everything from the life and times of Abraham Lincoln to the latest James Bond movie. They discussed books and movies and the current world situation, but wisely avoided politics and religion.

By the time they ordered dessert, Sky’s schoolgirl crush had reasserted itself. She loved the way Kaiden smiled, the hypnotic sound of his voice, the fact that, unlike most men, he loved chocolate almost as much as she did.

Sky leaned back in her chair, stuffed to the brim with lobster and chocolate fudge cake. “I could die happy right now,” she murmured with a smile.

He grinned at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Could you wait a few hours? I thought maybe we could go dancing, or take in a late movie.”

“Dancing! I haven’t been dancing in, gosh, I don’t remember the last time.”

“Then we should remedy that right away.”

“It’s not a disease.”

“No,” he agreed, reaching for the check. “But it will give me the perfect excuse to hold you in my arms.”

He took her to a high-class nightclub located on a moonlit lake. Sky had never been there before, since membership was required, and only the elite could afford the dues.

She couldn’t help feeling like one of the ugly stepsisters as Kaiden escorted her into the club. The women inside wore designer gowns accented by glittering diamonds and rubies. The men wore Armani. The room itself was exquisite, with parquet floors, crystal chandeliers, and tables covered in rich, cream-colored damask. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors adorned two of the walls opposite each other, making it appear as if the dancers went on and on, into infinity.

A tall, slender woman in an elegant black dress welcomed Thorne by name, then escorted them to a booth. Thorne slid in beside Sky. His thigh brushed hers, sending a tingle of awareness through her from head to heel.

After ordering a good bottle of Chardonnay, he looked at her and asked if she wanted to dance.

“Isn’t that why we’re here?” she replied with a saucy grin.

“Indeed.” Rising, he offered Sky his hand and led her onto the dance floor.

Excitement thrummed through every fiber of her being when Kaiden drew her into his arms. She had always loved to dance. At seventeen, she had fantasized about dancing with Kaiden at the junior prom, but she wasn’t a teenager any longer and the reality of being this close to him was far more exhilarating than any daydream she’d ever had.

Kaiden’s breath fanned her ear as he whispered, “Relax.”

Relax? Was he kidding? How could she relax with his big body pressed so intimately against hers? When he was looking at her like that, as if he was a starving man and she was the last meal on the planet? When he smelled so good? When all she could think about was pressing her mouth to his to see if he tasted as good as he looked?

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to concentrate on the music, and as she did so, some of her tension melted away.

Kaiden smiled at her. “That’s better.”

“I love this song,” she murmured.

He nodded as he twirled her around the floor. “‘Unchained Melody’ just became one of my favorites.”

His words warmed her heart. It was a magical night, she thought as she lost herself in his embrace. The music was soft and romantic, the man was handsome and danced divinely. When the song ended, another began, and as they moved across the floor, it seemed they had danced together forever. She loved the confident way he held her, the way he looked at her, as if she was the most beguiling female he had ever known, the way his hand dwarfed hers. He was so blatantly male. Everything that was female within her responded to him. She took a deep breath and her nostrils filled with his unique scent. Try as she might, she couldn’t place it.

When the song ended, they returned to the table to sample the wine, and then they danced again. Once, when he twirled her around the floor, she caught sight of the two of them in the mirror. She smiled inwardly, thinking how good they looked together.

Sky hated to see the night end, but when she yawned behind her hand for the third time, Kaiden suggested it might be time to go home.

He drove much more slowly on the return trip. Sky smiled inwardly. Dared she hope it was because he wanted to spend more time with her? She certainly wanted to spend more time with him.

He parked the car in his driveway and after opening her door, he took Sky’s hand in his and walked her across the street.

Sky’s heart was beating triple time when they reached the porch. Butterflies fluttered in Sky’s stomach as she delved in her handbag for her keys. Would he kiss her good night?

“I’d like to do this again real soon,” he said as she slid the key into the lock.

“Me, too.” After opening the front door, she reached inside and switched on the hall light.

“Is tomorrow too soon?”

Turning to face him, she murmured, “Not for me.”

“Pick you up at four?”

“All right. Where are we going?”

“I’m not sure yet. Dress casual.”

She nodded, wishing the night would never end. Being with him was exhilarating. Riding in his car, dancing, sharing a meal ... They were all mundane things, yet sharing them with Thorne was like experiencing each one for the first time. Why didn’t he kiss her? What if she kissed him?

Thorne gazed into Skylynn’s eyes, eyes as blue and clear as sapphires, and before he had time to talk himself out of it, he drew her into his arms and kissed her. He was prepared for outrage, maybe a well-deserved slap. He wasn’t prepared for the way she melted into his embrace, or the way her eyelids fluttered down as she locked her hands behind his neck, went up on her tiptoes, and kissed him back.

His tongue plundered her mouth. She tasted of melted butter and wild rice, of red wine and warm, willing woman and he wondered what she would do if he swung her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to break the kiss, to loosen his hold on her, to put a respectable distance between them.

She blinked up at him, her lips parted, her eyes wide. “Wow.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he remarked with a grin.

“Please do.”

He rocked back on his heels. “I might be able to do better.”

“I doubt it,” she murmured.

Muttering, “I could never resist a challenge,” he folded his hands over her shoulders, drew her body against his, and claimed her lips once more.