December Heat (13 page)

His
deep husky voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Thanks
for the vote of confidence,” she replied, still a little shaken by her discovery. “Oh there’s Terry.” Nicolette smiled as she saw him heading their way. “Come on. Let’s party.”

* * *

Every now and then, Jake caught a glimpse of Nic circulating amongst the guests, a flash of sapphire blue dress, her hair, folded somehow, and kept in place with tiny colored butterflies. She was radiant, poised, and beautiful.

I
f he wasn’t so dead set against it, he’d think he was falling in love with her. He noticed how the men’s gazes followed her, and how some of the women shot her an envious glance. She seemed to flit, like an exquisite butterfly, testing her wings.

Techno
music filled the room and soon Nic, surrounded by young men, was dancing in rhythm to the beat. His stomach tightened. And an all too familiar feeling of heat and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on, shot through him. Spending Christmas with her may not be such a good idea.

She’d
surprised him. She was more caring and gracious than he’d ever imagined her to be on their first meeting. Now he understood her, had got to know her, he was able to judge her on more than the reaction of his hormones and the resulting rejection and that slap on the cheek that now seemed so long ago.

And
that was what worried him—she’d let him into her life, was willing to share part of herself with him and deep down, he entertained the idea of what it would be like to have her permanently in his life. The thought terrified him and he comforted himself with the knowledge that they were too different for a permanent relationship to work.

And
Nic wouldn’t be interested in anything else.

He
told himself he’d misread her kindness, that her friendship stemmed from any obligations she might have felt because of his friendship with Mark, that her sharing and caring wasn’t something deeper.

Jake
returned his empty glass to the tray and shook his head when the waiter offered more.

The
music suddenly quieted. He glanced around but Nic was nowhere to be seen. “Your lady will be back in a minute.” Magenta came up beside him. “She’s doing a little favor for me,” she said, before disappearing into the crowd.

Jake
couldn’t imagine what kind of favor that could be. Perhaps something to do with Kylie, or the things in the back bedroom that were still a mystery to him.

Most
of the guests had drifted outside onto the huge patio by the pool and Jake found himself out amongst the party lights slung around the poles surrounding the patio.

One
look at the set-up, let alone the number of guests, led him to believe that Magenta and Terry were no strangers to entertaining, or at least, made the most of living outdoors in the summer weather. Comfortable chairs were scattered around and what looked to be an ornamental grape vine covered the pergola above, its long trailers dangling over the side, providing a measure of coolness and shade on a hot summer day. Large potted plants sat around the side of the patio, softening the setting and giving it a cozy effect. A brick barbeque stood in the far corner, its chimney uncovered by the vine-clad pergola. There was no barbeque this evening though. Instead of that tantalizing smell of meat cooking, a hint of sweet perfume from the garden filled the air.

The
air had cooled a little, but not enough to make a difference to his body heat. He thought briefly about all those icy northern winters where he’d spent so much of his life in recent years and found himself wishing he could transport back to that climate momentarily. How a roll in the snow would bring his body temperature down.

The
noise of the guests lowered a level and gradually died away. The music changed to a Middle Eastern sound, reminding Jake of the posts he’d held in Egypt and Turkey...the nightclubs, the beautiful local women. One in particular who’d stolen his heart for a time. He hadn’t thought about her in a while.

But
now he realized with a shock, his heart belonged to someone else, whether he wanted it or not. Whether she wanted it or not. His thoughts were arrested by a tinkling sound and a feminine presence skimming through the door and onto the patio. The guests moved to make room. She was barefooted, a sheer, gold veil covering her face. Gold coins on her forehead caught the reflection of the party lights and seemed to wink at him. With her air of exotic mystery, the hushed murmurs of the crowd suggested she’d mesmerized them.

Another
similarly dressed dancer joined her, their long dark hair glistening under the lights, their costumes sparkling, reminding Jake of the belly dancers he’d seen on his travels. The first dancer spun around and dropped her veil so that he could get a good look at her face.

Jake
got the shock of his life.

Nic!

No wonder he hadn’t recognized her. She wore a long dark wig. His gaze flicked to the other dancer. Magenta. He might have known the pair of them had cooked this up between them.

Nic’s
long, full skirt of dark purple satin sat seductively on her hips, baring an expanse of toned, tanned middle all the way up to the gold bra top that hugged her breasts. The tip of an Egyptian style necklace, triangular in shape, nestled in the neckline of her top. A silk scarf of deep rose pink and with several layers of gold, tinkling coins and colored beads fastened around her hips.

His
gaze sought Nic’s and she winked at him.

He
couldn’t drag his attention away from her. She shimmied, the coins and beads bounced and jingled furiously. A hip lifted seductively, the circular movements accentuating her lithe shapely body.

Nic’s
gaze remained focused on his, and stole his breath. Heat fused with heat. She smiled knowingly at him before turning her attentions to the other partygoers who lapped up the performance, clapping to the beat of the music.

The
baubles on her hips tinkled invitingly as her hips swayed, arms extended above her head. She lowered them, shimmying to the pulse of the drums, the gold coins and beads jingling furiously in rhythm to the accelerated movement of her body. The beat changed and again she raised her arms above her head, each hip lifting in turn, more slowly now, her body making tiny circular movements.

One
man who’d had a little too much to drink made a grab for her, but before Jake could step in to yank him back, Nic deftly and seductively maneuvered herself out of his reach. Jake breathed a sigh of relief. No man would put his hands on Nic, not while he was around anyway.

He
shot a glance at Magenta who was thoroughly enjoying herself. His gaze came back to Nic. She stood facing him, a sensuous smile on her mouth. She leaned forward then back, all the time her shoulders shimmied, enticing him. It seemed she danced only for him and Jake could not drag his gaze away from her.

He
almost gave into the temptation in his thoughts. What he wanted to do to her would only embarrass them both. Caught up in the magic of the music and the supple movements of Nic’s body, Jake felt mesmerized until suddenly she stopped in front of him, her hip dropped, her arm in the air, and he realized the pose meant the end of the dance. The crowd clapped and Magenta and Nic, giggling like a pair of school girls, quickly shimmied and jingled into the depths of the house.

The
music changed again to the techno number that had played earlier and the party resumed.

Shortly
afterwards Nic made an appearance, dressed again in that indecent blue dress. Jake watched as she circulated amongst the crowd, chatting and laughing. She looked radiant tonight, ready for romance. If he’d thought she was beautiful the first time he’d laid eyes on her, she was more stunning now. Certainly some of the men in the room looked like they were ready to place themselves at her beck and call. Jake smiled to himself. What would Mark say if he could see her now?

She
made her way over to him, stepping into the circle of his arms when he reached for her.

“That
was some performance.” The music changed to something much less techno.

“What
a surprise package you are, Nic.” His lips grazed her cheek as he inhaled her fragrance. “I’ve never known anyone to be so popular.”

“Did
you enjoy that little interlude?” Mischief filled her eyes.

“Very
much.” The music softened and slowed and he pulled her closer. “You have all the men in the room lusting after your body.”

“Oh,
Jake. You’re making that up.”

“You
know I’m not.” She felt warm and light in his arms, like she belonged there...forever.

“There’s
only one man I’m interested in.”

Jake
stiffened momentarily. Surely he’d misheard her soft voice. But there was no mistaking the desire in her eyes.

“You
know he won’t make promises he can’t deliver.”

“Yeah,
I know. That’s what makes him so appealing.”

“And
I thought it was his charm and good looks.”

“That
too. All up, he’s a pretty potent package.”

Jake
held her more firmly against him, thigh to thigh, hip to hip. He could feel her heart beat in rhythm with his own. Something was happening between them. Something that shouldn’t have been. Just how was he going to handle it?

Silently
she looked up at him, invitation in her eyes. It was only a dance, he told himself. Only a dance.

His
arms held her firmly in place and she nestled into his embrace, their bodies touching softly. Nic felt good in his arms and he sensed his body’s response to her. She must have felt it too as she eased away from him a fraction, though not enough to cool his reaction.

Thanks
to her revealing dress, he had nowhere to put his hands but on the warm bare skin of her back. He thought about letting his fingers wander lower, slipping beneath the fabric that scooped below her waist. Wondered what it would be like to explore further, possess her. The images filling his mind caused his breath to exhale, but it did little to cool him down. For now, he’d have to be content with all that propriety allowed.

A
fragrant hint of exotic fruits and flowers wafted around him, soft against the intense heat of the summer night. The storms were there, intermittent in the distance, but there was a more dangerous storm, the one that waged within him, wreaking untold damage to his equilibrium and common sense.

Nic’s
fingers caressed the back of his neck and toyed with the ends of his hair. She eased a little closer to him, sending his temperature hiking a notch or two.

“If
you don’t stop that, I won’t be responsible for the consequences,” he groaned, aware of the soft friction of her body, the light though firm pressure of her thighs against his.

Hazel
eyes trained on him. For a few moments, she didn’t respond except to momentarily cease the stroking of his neck. With an impish smile she asked, “Stop what? This?” Her fingers continued their stirring caress.

“Or
this?” She eased closer and moved against him intimately, like striking a match to dry tinder. His slow burn ignited into a roaring flame, the heat consuming him. He shuddered against her.

“Or
maybe this,” she said, and rose to her toes. The kiss took him by surprise, but it wasn’t the kiss itself, more the sheer audacity of her action. Her open-mouthed warmth as it brushed against his own mouth shook him. His arm slid down until his hand splayed against her bottom, holding her in place.

Were
they the only two people in the room?

“You
ought to be arrested,” he said.

She
looked up into his eyes. “So arrest me,” she whispered.

“There’s
only one thing I’d like to do to you,” he said, moving against her. “But it’s better done in private.”

The
gold flecks in her eyes glinted as she raised her head a little, her lips parting sensuously. “Well, then...?”

He
almost dragged her from the party, but she did manage to offer a hurried goodbye and seasons greetings to their hosts.

Reaching
the car, he turned her around, leaning her back against the metal, slipping an arm around her when she complained of the cool hardness on her bare skin. He took her mouth in a greedy kiss but instead of alleviating his discomfort, the feel and taste of her spurred him on. His hands roamed over her and she arched against him. He pressed her body against the car.

“I
hope you know what you’re doing,” he said gruffly. “I can’t take much more of this.”

She
kissed him harder, as if in silent confirmation. “Then don’t,” she whispered.

He
could have taken her there, in the car, but Jake held back, difficult as it was. That’s not how he wanted their first time to be, some quick convenience.