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“Colleen,” said one of the women, “you have a brand new place to decorate, and I know just the interior designer! Let me give you his number…” The two women distracted Colleen enough for me to make a smooth getaway.
Since the party was on the smaller side, it was hard to avoid Amelia. But I managed to do it for the first hour, and I thought I might just make it through the entire night without encountering her.
One more drink, one more hour, then I could head home.
I got in line at the small bar set up on the main patio. The couple in front of me suddenly had a change of heart and left the line, and I stepped forward–only to realize it was Amelia now standing in front of me.
Her vanilla perfume wafted off her tanned, toned skin, like an assault on my senses reminding me of that night in the car. Something inside me had been strained all evening; stretched thin and pulled tight, like a coil.
Now, the coil snapped.
I breathed her scent in deeply. Shamelessly. When she turned around, her sparkling eyes went wide and her cheeks blushed pink.
“Hello, Nathaniel,” she said.
“Hello, Amelia.” A long moment passed. Standing next to Amelia, my mind flashed with images of our night together.
“Are you having a nice time?”
“Yes, thank you,” I answered. “And how about you?”
“I’m pretty excited for the new house,” she said.
“It looks like a wonderful property. I’m sure you and your sisters will enjoy it, too.”
She was doing a decent job of pretending nothing had happened between us. Her tone was neutral, her questions standard small talk. Except I could see right through her; she was as affected by my presence as I was hers.
It was apparent in the slight flush that crept up her chest and neck. The way she leaned in and kept eye contact while I spoke. The subtle, nervous fidgeting movements she made–smoothing her skirt, tucking her loose hairs back, crossing and uncrossing her arms. All signs that she was flustered by me. Attracted to me.
I couldn’t deny the magnetism between us. Amelia’s body language confirmed it. That spark we shared, that raw, rare chemistry that happens so seldom in life, was only going to burn brighter if we tried to suppress it.
Something special had happened between Amelia and me. Something I couldn’t get out of my mind.
“It’s good to see you again, Nathaniel. Really, really good.” There it was. Her eagerness, her interest coming through the measured exterior. She bit her lip, as if she had said something wrong, but she hadn’t. Not to me.
“You too, Amelia.” All the trouble I had gone through to avoid her tonight was flying out the window the longer I stood next to her.
“I’ve thought a lot about the other night,” she said in a quiet voice, blinking up at me with her startling green eyes. “I… haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, actually.”
My collar suddenly felt tight.
I knew I shouldn’t give in to my desire for her–God, how I shouldn’t–but I needed to get her alone again.
“Would you like to talk somewhere more private?” I asked discreetly.
“Yes,” she said, without hesitation. Her eyes darted around my face, and she nodded, repeating, “yes I would.”
I leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Meet me in the basement. Ten minutes.” Her father had a workout room down there. Nobody would bother us.
Amelia nodded once more, a small smile forming on her face. I touched the back of her upper arm lightly before I left her standing in line and started walking toward the house. Before disappearing inside, I glanced back once to the sight of her lovely, smiling face.
No one seemed to notice me–everyone was busy eating, drinking, chatting. I headed down to the basement, checked my watch, and began counting down the minutes until I would have her in my arms again.
Chapter 9
Amelia
The party could wait. I had a better invitation.
