Five Exotic Fantasies: Love in Reverse, Book 3 (21 page)

“Oh,” she said. Her eyes were filled with longing. But she swallowed and said, “It was a one-time deal, Felix. I think I made that quite clear.”

He hesitated. Her words were at odds with her emotions—he could see that much. But he didn’t want to pressure her.

He drew away reluctantly, dropping his arm so he could grasp her hand. “Of course, I’m sorry. Come on, we have a lovely evening planned. Are you ready?”

She nodded. “Frances is here. She’s staying the night so it doesn’t matter how late I am.”

His heart hammered as he thought of what he had planned. If things went the way he hoped, she was definitely going to be later than she thought. But as yet he wasn’t sure if she’d agree. Clearly her mind was at war with her heart, and he would just have to wait to see which won.

She picked up a small purse the same colour as her dress and pulled the door closed behind her. They walked to the taxi, and he opened the door for her to get in.

“Your carriage awaits you, madam.” He smiled as she slid into the seat. Then he walked around to the other side and got in, and the taxi slid into the waiting traffic.

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was only a short drive to the town centre, but Coco’s mind worked furiously every minute that passed as Felix’s words whirled around her head.
I wanted you again five minutes after I’d had you.
Oh dear God. What was she supposed to say to something like that? She’d never been wanted in her life the way Felix seemed to want her, and his words and his desire, and the heated look in his eyes, eroded away at her stalwart intention to stay aloof.

But she mustn’t sleep with him again. She knew that. Because although he was lovely, and sexy, and sweet, and…yes, okay, pretty much perfect, if she slept with him again she was in danger of falling for him, and that wouldn’t end well, not with the situation at work, and not with him returning to Auckland the following week.

She was just out for the evening, to watch a nice movie with a friend. That was all.

Then he stroked his thumb across her palm where he was holding her hand. The innocuous gesture nevertheless sent a frisson of desire through her. Her breath caught in her throat and her nipples tightened, and she cursed at herself for her foolishness. Why had she agreed to come out with him at all?

Still, she couldn’t scold herself too much because as the taxi neared the centre of town it became clear that they were going to have to park some distance away because of the crowds heading for the cinema. Felix paid the taxi driver and they got out and began to weave their way through the people milling about. She was amused at the number dressed up as characters from the movie.

“I feel positively underdressed,” she said as she passed someone in a full suit of armour.

He grinned. “Don’t you think we look the part?”

“Well, you do.” She’d nearly fainted when she opened the door and saw him standing there. She’d thought he’d looked good in a business suit, but in the black evening suit he really could have stepped out of a James Bond movie. As they walked, she was conscious of women glancing at him in approval, and she felt a swell of pride to think he was with
her
. Michael had been taller than her at six foot, but Felix topped him by several inches, and the smart lines of the suit emphasised his toned frame. Her gaze trailed down the pleats of his white shirt. Hold on a minute, was he wearing a waistcoat? Her mouth watered. A waistcoat
and
cufflinks. The man certainly knew how to dress.

He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and they joined the queue. She’d been to the Empire Theatre dozens of times before and secretly preferred it to the multiscreens in the town centre. The Empire had one huge screen, and its foyer consisted of sweeping staircases, marble and mirrors, with a bar decked out in flock wallpaper and mahogany furniture. It reminded her a little of McAllister Dell’s Wellington offices, and she wondered what Felix would think of it considering his comments about it.

“How much did the tickets cost?” she wondered, thinking that they must have been expensive when they first went on sale, and that was before he obviously had to buy them through a second party who would no doubt have charged the earth.

He smiled wryly. “Don’t worry about it.”

That meant they were expensive. She wondered how much. Hundreds? Thousands?

“You must really want to get in my panties,” she said.

In front of them, a couple glanced over their shoulders and started laughing. Coco apologised, glanced up at a very amused Felix and closed her eyes. “Jesus, did I say that out loud?”

“I honestly thought you’d enjoy the movie,” he said.

Now she’d insulted him. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” she murmured. “That sounded terribly ungrateful. I do really appreciate it.”

“I’m not upset, Coco. And anyway you’re right.” He bent lower to whisper in her ear. “I may not have bought the tickets to get in your panties, but I certainly wouldn’t say no if the offer was there.”

His warm breath on her skin sent a tingle through her and she shivered.

He put an arm around her and nuzzled her ear. “Do that again.”

“Felix. Stop it.” She pushed him away. “And please don’t tell me we’re sitting in the back row. I am
not
making out with you while this movie is on.”

He laughed and dropped his hand to hold hers, and they moved forward into the foyer and up the stairs.

“Have you been here before?” she asked, catching sight of their reflections in the mirrors opposite the staircases. She had to admit they made quite a handsome couple.

“No.”

“What do you think?”

He looked around as they reached the top of the stairs. To the right, the counter selling popcorn, ice creams and soft drinks stretched away from them. To their left were a couple of bars with comfortable chairs and tables, manned by waiters in grey waistcoats with folded white napkins over their arms.

“I love it,” he said, leading her over to one of the bars.

She raised her eyebrows. “You surprise me. I would have thought you’d have hated it considering how you feel about the Wellington office.”

He frowned. “I don’t hate the Wellington office—it’s beautifully decorated. I just think it projects the wrong image. A place like this can afford to look like it’s stepped out of the nineteen thirties, but a law office should reflect the world we live in, and that’s a world of tablets, smartphones and customers who know almost as much about the law as we do, or at least they think they do. They want to think we know everything there is to know about the law and that we’re completely up to date with current legislation and findings. But the Wellington branch is stuck in a previous century, and that’s not good for business.”

He stopped at the bar. “What can I get you—a glass of wine?”

She nodded and asked for a pinot gris, and he ordered himself a merlot, and they took their glasses over to the window as all the seats were taken. She thought about his words as they sipped their drinks. Was he right? Did the Wellington office project an air of archaic masculinity? She’d seen the data and knew that approximately forty percent of enquiries from their website were from women, but she was certain the percentage of female customers actually on their books was a lot smaller than that. Did that reflect the fact that they were projecting an outdated image and therefore putting off possible female clientele?

There wasn’t much time for her to dwell on the matter, though, as the doors to the screen opened and people began heading toward it. They took their glasses with them and liveried assistants showed them to their seats, two thirds of the way up and just off centre.

“They’re great seats,” she said as they made themselves comfortable. Still feeling guilty about her earlier gaffe, she leaned toward him and whispered, “I do really appreciate it, you know.”

His warm brown eyes lowered to her mouth, and she caught her breath as he brought up a hand to stroke her cheek. Then, to her surprise, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Just a light kiss, but it was enough to set her heart pounding at the nearness of him. Everything about him was perfect, from his brushed but just-ruffled-enough dark hair, to the five o’clock shadow on his jaw, to his sexy, obviously expensive and quality evening suit.

He lifted his head but didn’t say anything, and she sipped her wine, feeling the sexual tension between them as if it were threads of silk drawing them together.

Could he feel it too? She thought maybe he could, because he didn’t say much else as they waited for everyone to filter in and the film to start. He held her hand, though, and once the lights dimmed and the movie started, he laced his fingers through hers and kept them there, warming hers, a constant reminder of the predicament she would have to face when the evening ended.

It didn’t stop her enjoying the film, however, which was as wonderful as everyone had said it would be, and the two and a half hours passed quickly even though it was late. But she didn’t feel tired—the atmosphere in the cinema was too exciting, with people cheering at certain points in the movie when they recognised scenes or characters from the book.

Eventually it finished, though, and everyone began making their way to the exit. It took them fifteen minutes to get from their seats to the foyer, and by the time they walked out onto the pavement her watch read nearly three a.m.

“I’ve had such a wonderful time,” she said, slipping her arms around his waist. “Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, you’re very welcome.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I guess we’re going to have trouble getting a taxi now?”

He rested his lips on the top of her head for a moment. Then he said, “Um, no.”

“Oh?” She lifted her head to look at him.

He looked shifty. “I kind of arranged something.”

“A taxi?”

“No…” He looked over her shoulder and signalled to someone. “Something slightly better than that.”

She turned around, but couldn’t see past the black limo waiting by the curbside. “Who are you waving to?” Then the penny dropped. A
limo?
The memory of their conversation in the bar rushed into her head. She’d told him
I’d like to have sex in a limo.

“I’m not expecting anything,” he said, somewhat hastily. “I just thought it would be fun after such a nice evening.” He cupped her face, apparently mistaking her speechlessness for anger. “Please don’t be cross with me.”

Cross? Her heart melted at the earnestness on his face, at his obvious wish to please her. She’d tried all evening to remain detached from him, to keep herself emotionally separate, but it had proved impossible. He was too nice, too gentlemanly, too damn sexy. He looked fantastic in his suit, and even though it was the middle of the night and she should really in bed, suddenly she wanted him more than anything in the world. “I’m not cross, sweetie.”

He brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Really?”

“Of course not. Look what you’ve done for me. Organised a whole night out for a girl you hardly know with no real promise of her coming across. That’s got to earn you some brownie points.”

That made him smile. “I really don’t expect anything…”

Could he really not see how much she wanted him? The warmth from his hand spread through her, firing her desire. She glanced at the limo. Was it possible to have sex in there? What about the driver, would he be able to see what they were doing?

Eager to find out, she grasped Felix’s hand and led him toward the waiting car. “Come on, I’ve always wanted to see inside one of these.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Felix had a quick word with the driver, confirming what he’d requested when he rang to book the limo, and then the driver opened the door and gestured for Coco to enter.

Felix followed her. He’d had a quick look on the internet at pictures of the inside, but nothing could prepare him for the reality.

“Oh my God.” Coco moved across to one of the seats, then sat and stared around her. “This is…” She shook her head. “Words fail me.”

Felix had to agree with her as he sat opposite. The inside of the limo was nothing like he’d ever seen before.

The car stretched away from them, and could easily have accommodated twelve people on the curving fawn leather seats. His shoes sank into the plush chocolate-brown carpet. A mixture of carefully placed spotlights and fairy lights set into the ceiling and a narrow fluorescent yellow strip that ran along the edge of all the seats gave the interior a gentle glow. Folksy jazz played softly out of the speakers to the side. On one side, a bar half-filled the wall, lined with a dozen wine glasses and a dozen tumblers with a couple of decanters full of spirits. A bottle of champagne sat cooling in a bucket of ice.

The driver closed the door behind them.

Felix and Coco stared at each other and then started laughing.

“This must have cost you an absolute fortune,” she said, looking up at the lights and fingering the smooth seats.

“Actually it wasn’t as bad as you might think. They had a special on.” He grinned and gestured at the ice bucket. “I know we’ve got to be at work in about five hours. But would you like a glass of champagne?”

“I’d love one.” She smiled as he raised an eyebrow. “Oh come on, this is like a dream. I don’t care that I’ve got to work tomorrow—I’m not going to waste a second of this.” She sighed. “It’s a shame it’s only five minutes to my house!”