Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,43

- particularly at this time of night. She needed something to soothe and calm her, not something that would wire her up for the remainder of the night.

Vaughn reached across the table and grabbed one of her cold hands, rubbing it absently between his as he seemed to consider what to say. Remembering that he had promised to keep his hands to himself, she raised her eyebrow at him indicating their joined hands and he just shrugged, almost apologetically but made no move to sever the contact. Her initial reaction was to pull her hand away but the sensations running up her arm and through her body at even this slight touch were absolutely heady, so she decided to leave it where it was. Considering what others parts of her body he had touched, it seemed almost insignificant.

“Elise, look. I really am sorry about tonight. I didn’t plan this despite what you may think – it was a complete coincidence that we were both there.”

She looked at him in total disbelief. He seriously expected her to believe that? Focusing on their joined hands, she voiced her thoughts aloud.

“You seriously expect me to believe that? After all that you’ve said to me over the past few days? You must think I’m a complete idiot.” Her retort was sharper than she had meant it to be and she instantly regretted it as she registered the brief look of hurt crossing his face. Maybe he was telling the truth? How the hell would she know? Shit – she was tired, it had been a long week and everything had ceased to make sense a few days ago. Perhaps she should give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Sorry – that was uncalled for.” She relented. “It just freaks me out that every corner I seem to turn these days finds you standing on it. First you’re breaking up a fight in reception, then you’re at the hospital visiting my husband and now I find you on the dancefloor of a club that I have only ever visited tonight, for Christ’s sake. You have to forgive me for finding it slightly hard to comprehend that this whole – situation –wasn’t planned.” Although her words were harsh, she calmed her voice a little to take the edge off. It wasn’t all down to him.

Vaughn shrugged easily, “I understand why you would think that but I can assure you that it really was a coincidence that I was there tonight. I was out with Stephen to celebrate a friend’s birthday and I caught sight of you coming down the stairs to the dancefloor. You looked absolutely stunning and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. All I knew was that I had to hold you....had to feel your body pressed against me.” He paused and watched her cautiously as if waiting for a reaction.

“I got the DJ to change the track to the one that was playing the very first time I set eyes on you. I watched you that night you know. Totally and utterly caught up in the music, you were completely unaware of the effect you were having on several men - not just me. I remember thinking that I had never seen something so pure or so beautiful and I knew then that I had to get to know you.” He glanced across at her, still absently rubbing her hand between his.

“I wanted to recreate that tonight; watch you again, see you dance and be completely free. You really are incredibly beautiful. And then it got to be too much just watching, I had to feel you....touch you. I told myself that it would only be brief and then I would back off. Just one touch, just one kiss and then I would leave you be. Then you ground yourself into me and the small amount of control I was hanging onto was shredded. I’m sorry that I freaked you out Elise but I’m not sorry for touching you. I will never be sorry for that.”

Vaughn blew out a breath, leaning back as the waitress arrived with their drinks. His dark eyes had taken on a new intensity and Elise struggled to maintain any level of sanity under his gaze. What on earth did you say to a speech like that? He thought that he had freaked her out but he hadn’t – far from it. She was freaked out by the connection between them but not by him. She had bolted because she