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It was just the way it had been before. Jess could ward off all manner of bad spirits and all of his fears for the future. There was no past, no future, just the present. He led their slow dance, circling her in front of the fire.
‘Nice.’ The music has finished but they were still dancing, bodies pressed together. No friction, just moving in p
erfect synchronisation. ‘This is nice, Greg.’
‘Just nice?’
‘Lovely.’ She rested her head on his chest and he caught the clean scent of her hair. ‘Scary.’
‘Stick with me. You said I was very resourceful.’
She laughed quietly, snuggling closer to him. She wanted this as much as he did. A break from reality, where they could just follow their own instincts. Right now his instinct was to kiss her.
She didn’t stop him. Let him press his lips against her cheek, taste the warmth of her skin. When he ran one thumb over her lips, she shivered slightly against him. And when he kissed her mouth she gave a sigh, as if she’d been holding her breath, waiting for this.
‘What are we doing, Greg?’
‘Dancing.’ He brushed his lips against her cheek. ‘Kissing.’
‘Is it a good idea?’
‘Yeah. It’s a very good idea. Last Christmas… it wasn’t just a mistake that’s better off forgotten.’
‘It was a long time ago.’
‘It was just yesterday. Nothing’s changed.’ Everything had changed, but Greg could find his way back. Pretend that tonight was a loop in time, and they could simply pick up where they’d left off.
‘You sure about that?’
‘I’m not very sure about a lot of things at the moment.’ He took her hand and laid it over his heart. ‘This, I’m sure of.’
‘Yeah.’ She managed a watery smile. ‘Tachycardia. You might think about making an appointment with Gerry.’
‘I’d rather you dealt with it.’ He laid his hand over hers, sliding it inside his shirt, feeling his skin react to the heat of her touch. Electricity buzzed in the air around them.
Her hands slid to his neck and then up, to cup his face. ‘Does this mean… ?’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t even know what it means.’
He laid a finger to her lips. ‘It means just you and me, for tonight. Every moment until the sun rises. Everything else will wait.’
‘Yes. I think it will.’ She pulled his head down towards her, and kissed him. Drew back slightly, confident that if she gave him one taste, he’d take a second.
One hand moved to the tie of her bathrobe and he caught her wrist. ‘I’ll do it.’ He’d fantasised about undressing her for too many months to miss it now.
‘Hmm. Not exactly silk and lace.’
He laughed against her lips. ‘Warmer. Nicer.’
‘You’re such a charmer, Greg.’ That friendly, one-quarter mocking tone that she used whenever he tried to dress things up with pretty words. Jess was about the only woman he knew who talked about his charm, the rest of them just lapped it up and fell victim to it.
‘So it’s not working?’
‘It’s working.’ She planted a kiss on his lips and charm suddenly felt as if it was a private joke, just between the two of them. Something that made her smile but didn’t touch the honest, down-to-earth fire that he wanted more than anything else that he could think of.
Actions now. He was trembling like a teenager, afraid of not doing this right. It was crazy. He knew how to please a woman. But, then, Jess wasn’t just any woman.
Carefully, he tugged at the knot at her waist, fumbling with it. It came loose and he slipped the bathrobe down her shoulders, tightening his grip when it reached her elbows and pulling her against him. She gasped with delight.
‘Do you think I’m going to put up a struggle?’
