The By Request Collection. Kate Hardy

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       Thirteen

      She needed air desperately. The more guests that filled the house, the more Eve felt as though she was suffocating. She’d spent over an hour smiling, making small talk and wondering if anyone noticed how she kept her water glass full and ignored the wine.

      The Winchester mansion was vast, but still, the walls had been closing in on her.

      Escaping out the back patio doors, Eve slid off her gold sandals and padded barefoot around the pool. The stones were cool on her feet and for once she welcomed the brisk breeze. She’d started getting so warm inside, but then her body temperature had been off lately. Thank you, hormones.

      When an arm snaked around her waist, Eve gasped.

      “It’s me,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

      Her entire body tingled at the warm breath against the side of her face, the taut chest against her back. But as much as she relished the feel of Graham against her, fear gripped her. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

      “My invitation got lost in the mail.”

      Eve smiled, but quickly composed herself before turning in his arms. “You’re—”

      Words died on her lips when she realized he was wearing a mask...one of those Mardi Gras masks she’d seen a few of the guests wearing earlier. And a tux. Mercy sakes he had on a tuxedo and looked just as perfectly packaged as he had the night of the charity ball.

      Graham slid the mask over his head and took her hand. Without a word he pulled her toward the pool house. A thrill of excitement rushed through her as Graham tried the knob and it turned beneath his palm.

      He ushered her inside, closed the door and left the lights off. She waited for him to devour her, to run his hands over her heated body. But nothing. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness and she couldn’t see him.

      “Graham?”

      “I’m right here.”

      His voice was close. The heat from his body had her shifting, hoping to brush against him...waiting for him to make contact somehow.

      “What are you doing?” she asked.

      “I told you, my invitation got lost in the mail.”

      Eve rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her. “No. What are you doing in here?”

      Material rustled. Something, his sleeve maybe, brushed against the back of her hand then was instantly gone. Her body was wound so tight in anticipation of his touch. What was he waiting on?

      “I wanted to see you,” he said in that low tone that had shivers racing through her. “You sent me that picture and I knew I had to find a way to be at this party.”

      “Did anyone—”

      “No. Nobody saw me. I even talked to a few guests, but no one caught on.”

      Relief washed over her, but was quickly replaced once again by arousal. “Are you...why are we...”

      “Are you achy, Eve?”

      That sultry voice filled the darkness. Her eyes were finally starting to adjust somewhat, but there were no outside lights coming in because the entrance to the pool house faced the back of the property. Damn it. She wanted to see him better, to touch him. What game was he playing?

      “Have you thought of me these past few days?” he continued. “I know you have or you wouldn’t be sending me pictures of you in that sexy costume. Did you think I’d come begging for you? I told you, you’d be the one begging.”

      She was damn near ready to do just that. “Is that why you’re here? To get me to beg?” she asked, hoping her voice sounded stronger than she felt.

      “I’m here because I told you I wanted to be your date.”

      Eve eased away from the door, only to stop short when she ran into Graham’s hard chest. “So what are we doing in the pool house?” she asked, holding her hands up to steady herself. She couldn’t stop herself from gliding her palms up the tux jacket toward his broad shoulders.

      “Your call, Eve. I told you I won’t be the one to make a move.”

      Why did life have to be full of so many tempting choices? Why was her greatest need the exact opposite of what she should be doing? But the lengths he went to in order to be with her was rather...oh, fine. It was flat-out arousing and exciting.

      “You’re quite cocky to come into my family’s home,” she told him, roaming her hands up toward his neck, her fingertips teasing that smooth jawline.

      “Call it what you want, but there СКАЧАТЬ