Mark your calendars! This releases next Tuesday!
Releasing from Samhain Publishing on July 17th
Excerpt after the jump
Show Me
(c) 2007 by Jaci Burton
He turned around. “Nobody’s even looking in our direction, not the slightest bit interested in you and I talking.”
“That’s because they wouldn’t expect anything to happen here.”
Del arched a brow. “Kind of gives one ideas, doesn’t it?”
Despite her irritation, she flushed with heat. “It doesn’t give me any ideas.”
“That’s okay. I have plenty for both of us. Come on. Let’s dance.”
“I told you I don’t…Del!”
Too late. He’d grabbed her hand and tugged her through the crowd and toward the dance floor. Short of causing a scene by digging in her heels and wrenching away from his grip, she was stuck having to go along with him. Dammit.
The dance floor was crowded, as well it should be. She’d hired a fabulous orchestra, the strains of violins playing a slow, seductive melody. Del pulled her to the middle of the floor and drew her against him.
“You look beautiful in gold,” he said, once again showing his prowess as a dancer, gliding her with no effort through the dance. “You dress to show off your body.”
She looked down at the dress, glittering, floor-length and hugging her curves. She loved this dress because it sparkled. She loved the slit in the middle because it showed off a little leg, her best feature, and hoped it would detract attention away from the fullness of her hips. Did she buy it to exhibit her body? Hardly. She’d never thought about that. This event was for the foundation, not to catch a man.
“I do not.”
“There’s nothing wrong with showing off your assets. You have a beautiful body.”
“You’re full of shit.”
“And you need to work on your self esteem. Maybe you need to spend more time looking in the mirror. Naked.”
“I don’t have body image issues. Nor do I spend my time staring at myself naked in the mirror.”
“Try it sometime,” he said, his gaze roaming toward her breasts. “You might enjoy it.”
She shook her head. “You and I are from completely different worlds, Del.”
“I don’t think so. I live in the same world you do. I run a successful business, am publicly involved in the community, but no one knows what I do for fun. I’m very discreet, but I enjoy my pleasures. I’ve spent several years as the owner of Sneak Peek while still maintaining Delacroix Motors, and guess what? No one has ever found out, because it’s none of their business and I make sure to keep it that way.”
“Lucky for you that you have that anonymity.”
“And I think you want what I have to offer. You’re just afraid to take that step.”
“I’m not afraid. I’m just not interested.”
The smile he cast wasn’t smug, exactly…more triumphant. “You’re worried. You think people watch you all the time. Look around. No one is paying attention to us.”
She did. As Del turned her, she gazed at the others on the dance floor. None of them looked at her. They were focused on their partners. And beyond the dance floor, people were talking amongst themselves or busying themselves at the back tables where the silent auction was going on.
Still, she felt eyes on her. Why? Why couldn’t she let go, as Del suggested?
“I could touch you intimately right here on the dance floor and no one would notice.”
Her breath caught and she shook her head, her traitorous body responding to his suggestion with a quiver of anticipation. “No.”
“The lights are low over the dance floor, the crowd noisy. People are packed in and enjoying each other. If I moved my hand like this…” His hand at her back traveled down, over her buttocks, gently caressing her. Janine sucked in her bottom lip as he palmed her ass and pulled her tighter into his embrace.
“It’s just a dance, Janine. Relax and enjoy it.”