Page 158 of Pandora's Pleasure
My smile widened. “You couldn’t stay away from me, could you?”
She batted her eyelashes at me and snagged a glass of orange juice off a passing tray.
“I think that might have alcohol in it,” I warned.
She pressed the rim of the glass to her bottom lip. “Oh.”
“I thought we agreed that I’d see you later?”
“You made a decision. I vetoed it.”
My lips quirked. “We’re not supposed to be seen together.”
“We’re just having a friendly chat. People can make of it what they will. As long as there’s no physical contact.”
“Right…if we stand too close it would contradict the party line.”
“How close is too close, I wonder?”
“If I was to step forward—” I closed the gap between us. “And, for example, put my arm around your waist…like this.” I pulled her against my chest.
“That’s forbidden,” she said softly, her lips hovering near mine.
“Exactly.” My grin widened. “It might even look as though I’m about to kiss you.”
“We’d be breaking the rules.”
“I hate rules.”
“But they’re so fun to break,” she said huskily.
“Come with me.” With my arm firmly around Pandora’s waist I led her through the crowd, aware we were being watched as we left the ballroom.
We made it to the elevator. “Want to tell me what happened between you and Helen?”
“Not right now, no.” She leaned against me.
“I insist, Ms. Bardot.”
“I might have shared how important Fairfield is to you.”
“I think my dad got to her.”
“Ahh.”
“We have a suite here. It’s my dad’s. They’re fully booked so we can’t get our own room.”
“Hope it’s empty.”
“You’re not suggesting?” I stared down at her.
“Goodness, no. That would be totally against the rules.”
We ascended with lightning speed.
Once out of the elevator, I took long strides to make it to the suite, pulling her behind me.
I nodded respectfully at the security guard standing as a sentry at the door.
