Bought: One Bride

This was her chance to tell him, to bring the issue out into the open. But if she told him she knew about his connection with Wives Wanted, she would be breaking the promise she’d made to Alanna.

Holly did not break promises.

“No,” she said. “No, I’m not upset over that. I guess I just feel a little out of my league here, Richard. Everyone is so sophisticated and I’m…” She broke off with a shrug.

“You are not out of your league,” Richard insisted. “You are beautiful and intelligent and as good as any person here.”

She stiffened. “Don’t flatter me, Richard. I had enough false flattery from Dave to last me a lifetime.”

“I’m not flattering you. I mean every single word. You’re a very special girl, Holly.”

She stared into his eyes, trying to see what he saw when he looked at her. Was he sizing her up as a potential wife, or buttering her up for his bed later tonight?

Thinking about actually going to bed with Richard after this party was over brought Holly up with a jolt. Oh, Lord, now that was where she would be way out of her league!

Yet she knew that was what Richard wanted. What she wanted, too. She’d thought about little else all week.

But if he was expecting an accomplished lover, then he was in for a shock. She supposed she wasn’t utterly hopeless in bed. But she did feel a failure, the way she couldn’t seem to lose herself in sex like some people seemed to. There’d never been any bells ringing for Holly, or stars exploding in her head, or whatever happened when you had an orgasm.

Still, maybe things would be different with Richard. It had certainly been different each time he’d kissed her. Very different when he’d touched her bare breast earlier on.

A shudder of remembered pleasure ricocheted through her.

“It’s a little fresh out here,” she said. “Perhaps we should go back inside. I can hear dancing music.”

“Do you like dancing?” Richard asked as they turned and headed back up to the house.

“Yes, I do. What about you?”

“I’m no Fred Astaire but I can hold my own.”

“I’ll bet you can. I’ll bet you’re good at everything.”

He laughed. “Now who’s using flattery?”

“But you are good at everything, aren’t you?”

Their eyes met, and his were extremely confident. “I always do my best.”

Richard didn’t drive her home after the party. He drove straight to his nearby apartment block, using his key-card to gain entrance to the private car park in the basement. He slid the BMW into one of his three allotted parking bays, turned off the engine and withdrew his car keys before glancing over at Holly, who hadn’t said a single word since Reece and Alanna had waved them off.

He understood why. The time for small talk was over.

Any momentary worry earlier on that the evening would not end as he’d hoped had long disappeared. She hadn’t been able to hide her own desire when they’d danced together. She’d pressed herself against him, her body language much more telling than her eyes ever were.

“We’ll be more comfortable here than your place,” he told her, his own tension on the rise.

Her head turned slowly towards him. If she was shocked by his presumption, she didn’t show it. She did, however, seem somewhat dazed, or drugged, like someone about to go in for a major operation. Possibly she was a little drunk. She’d consumed the majority of that bottle of champagne over the evening. He’d restricted his intake, since he was driving. Still, he’d made sure she ate as well, not wanting her plagued by feeling sick tonight, or having a hangover in the morning.

“Stay where you are,” he commanded. “I’ll come round and help you out.”

“All right,” she replied, then sighed a deep sigh.

Richard frowned as he hurried around to the passenger door. He hoped she wasn’t exhausted. They’d danced quite a bit. When he yanked open the car door and bent to release her seat-belt, their eyes connected.

“Don’t kiss me down here,” she warned him huskily.

Richard smothered a sigh of relief. She wasn’t drunk. Or exhausted. Just turned on.

He knew exactly how she felt.

Straightening, he took her nearest hand and helped her out, slamming the door behind them and zapping the car locked.

“My…my purse,” she said shakily when he started guiding her towards the lift well. “It’s on the back seat.”

“Leave it.”

“But…”

“Leave it, Holly.”

Holly left it, her mouth drying appreciably as Richard led her over to a lift door, which quickly opened when he pressed the up button. As he ushered her inside she felt his fingers tighten on her flesh a little.