Books

No One But You

As Althea reached for her margarita, she felt a light, prickling awareness ripple across the surface of her skin. As if guided by an invisible force, she turned her head and homed in on the sexy stranger she and her friends had been ogling earlier.

He was already watching Althea, a silent, focused observation that made her pulse go haywire. He seemed oblivious to the rowdy antics of his friends and the addition of three scantily-clad women to their party, one of whom was openly vying for his attention. He was only interested in Althea, gazing at her as if he could see through the stretchy fabric of her form-fitting dress, through her silk thigh-high stockings and lace underwear, right down to the shivering flesh beneath.

As Althea returned his hot, bold gaze, she, too, lost track of her surroundings—the loud music, the flashing strobe lights, the sea of writhing bodies on the dance floor, the buzz of laughter and conversation. Everything faded into a distant blur as her world narrowed to focus solely on him.

Dark, handsome, virile. Utterly mesmerizing…

At that moment he glanced away, bending his head toward the beautiful woman at his side as she murmured something in his ear. He listened briefly, then nodded. With a smile full of seductive promise, the woman rose from the table and sashayed toward the restrooms near the back of the club.

Without a second thought Althea downed the rest of her margarita and stood, drawing curious looks from her friends.

“Where are you going?” they asked in unison.

Althea smoothed her silver jersey dress over her thighs. “To dance with the birthday boy.”

She moved swiftly and purposefully through the crowd, like a woman on a mission. Which she was. She’d seen something she wanted, and now she was going after it.

You only live once.

When Althea reached the noisy table across the room, several pairs of eyes swung in her direction. But she only had eyes for the birthday boy, who stared at her with an expression of surprise mingled with unmistakable pleasure.

Althea gave him her most beguiling smile. “Would you like to dance?”

“Absolutely,” he said, his voice a deep, husky growl that made her belly quiver. He unfolded his lean body from the chair and stood with a fluid grace that reminded Althea of the leashed power of a panther prowling through the jungle.

He was tall, towering over her five feet six inches. She’d thought he was good-looking the moment she laid eyes on him, but seeing him from across the crowded room was nothing compared to the up-close-and-personal view. But even as gorgeous as he was, it was his eyes that ensnared Althea. They were black as midnight, heavy-lidded and penetrating. They stared down at her with a searing intensity that scorched her nerve endings and left her feeling a little weak.

Swallowing hard, Althea slipped her palm into the warmth of his big hand and steered him away from the table, not missing the knowing looks and grins his friends gave him. Normally she would have minded the lewd innuendo reflected in their gazes, but tonight was different. Tonight she didn’t care about anything but having a good time, and she’d found just the right man to help her achieve that all-important goal.

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