be something else. A something else that Sev had never come across before: a woman who looked for nothing from him other than himself. She had made such a fuss about accepting that one stupid dress and she was forever asking him about the kind of stuff he never discussed with anyone, hungry for him though, not hungry for what he could give her...except in bed. And between the sheets Amy had been even more of a revelation. Innocent but sensual, an untaught but absolutely instinctive lover.
He still could not quite credit that a virgin had given him the best sex of his life, and discovering that he was the only lover she had ever had had proved surprisingly arousing as well. He had gone from guilty unease over that unexpected bombshell to the acceptance that they were both adults who had relished the encounter. Dio...he had enjoyed that night and her over and over again and staying away from her all week had been a serious challenge for his libido. Thankfully, however, common sense had kicked in and restrained him from giving way to temptation. First of all, he had had to prove to his own satisfaction that he could stay away from her if he chose to do so. And of course, he didn’t want to give Amy the wrong message either. He didn’t want her to start thinking that their little fling had a future, because of course it didn’t, he reasoned wryly. Inevitably he would, eventually, get bored and move on.
Amy stepped out onto the street and moved towards the limousine with an uncertain smile. For several disturbing seconds Sev couldn’t take his eyes off her. He had specified violet for the dress, described exactly what he wanted and paid a premium price for that luxury and the reward was the reality that Amy looked as ravishing as a fairy princess, the subdued glitter of the gown enhancing the natural glow of her porcelain-fine skin and her brilliant eyes, the delicate drape of the fine fabric shaping her tiny slender frame, framing an impossibly small waist and the soft pale swell of her breasts rising from the lace-edged bodice. He went instantly hard as she climbed into the limo, a waft of subtle fragrance accompanying her as she settled onto the seat beside him.
She met eyes set beneath black brows and it was as if a shot of live electricity sizzled through her body. Her palms went damp and her tummy lurched, a giddy exhilaration momentarily gripping her. With difficulty she clasped her trembling hands together on her lap while she told herself to calm down.
‘I have a gift for you,’ Sev murmured, sliding an oblong shallow case off the seat and laying it on her lap.
Amy frowned. ‘But why? I mean, it’s not my birthday or anything.’
‘No, it’s not your birthday until next month,’ Sev told her, startling her with his knowledge of that date, because she could not recall either him asking or her telling him when her birthday was. ‘But I thought you might like to wear this tonight.’
Her heart sank at the suggestion that what looked like a jewellery box was truly one because accepting the dress and accessories had been a big enough stretch of what she thought was right and decent in a relationship. Her fingers flipped open the case and a river of diamonds shone as the streetlights outside illuminated the jewels with rainbow fire. ‘Oh, my goodness, I couldn’t accept something like this!’ she gasped in dismay.
‘Let me...’ Long brown fingers deftly detached the necklace from the case and touched her shoulder to turn her round. ‘Try it on.’
‘But I don’t want to,’ she told him uncomfortably. ‘I can’t possibly let you give me something so valuable.’
Cool metal rested against her skin and she shivered, recalling his hands gliding over her sensitive skin that night. ‘Sev...’
‘Maybe it’s fake?’
She pressed cool fingers to the item. ‘Is it?’ she asked hopefully.
‘No, it’s not. Make use of it this evening, see how you feel then,’ Sev suggested coolly. ‘You don’t own any jewels. I simply thought you would feel less bare wearing something.’
Unnerved by that cool tone and afraid that she had offended him, Amy paled, mentally scrabbling for something soothing to say. ‘It’s not that I’m not grateful...it’s just too much. We haven’t known each other very long.’
‘I was worried that you would feel self-conscious tonight without jewellery.’
Amy swallowed hard. ‘Look, I’ll wear it for the evening and then return