Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,93

husky that it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Elise didn’t say anything, not trusting her voice to come out as anything other than a squeak.

Vaughn shifted even closer and placed his lips against her right ear. “Have you ever gone commando before, Elise?” he asked and she immediately looked around alarmed, terrified that a waiter may have somehow materialised again. Relief flooded through her as she realised that they were completely alone, tucked away into this little corner of the ballroom, which was now darkened in deference to the band and the dancefloor.

She looked up at Vaughn. “In all honesty, no – never. No one’s ever asked me to before.”

“What a total idiot your husband is. But in some ways I am grateful to him for inadvertently allowing me to be your first. A selfish part of me wishes I could be all of your firsts but we both have pasts...” A moment of pain flickered across his face and it wasn’t the first time she had noticed it whenever he mentioned his past. She made a mental note to talk to him about it – one day. “...so I know that that would be impossible,” he continued. “This however, is a first that I can claim, and I am going to enjoy every minute of it.”

Before she had time to assimilate any meaning from his words, his right hand had moved onto her lap, and eased lower underneath the table, beneath the snow white damask cover which he pulled at the same time, to completely obscure her lap from view.

She tensed a little and as if feeling it, Vaughn began to draw comforting circles on her shoulder with his left hand, which was still hugging her close. “Trust me, babe – trust me to look after you, please?” he whispered, his breath against her ear making her tingle all over.

She nodded her assent and decided to let go, allowing herself only to feel as his hand continued its journey across the top of her lap. When he moved lower and came into contact with the tops of her hold ups, he paused and once again dragged his hand backwards and forwards across the lace through the material of her dress.

“I can’t wait to see these,” he said, “You have no idea.”

Looking up, she caught the glint in his eye and smiled. Who would have thought a pair of hold ups could have this much effect on a man like Vaughn?

“Well, you’d better behave yourself then. I’d hate to have to disappoint you after you’ve made such a big deal about them.”

“Define ‘behave’.” Vaughn said but before she had time to answer he moved his hand down further, across and over her knee and onto the sensitive skin at the back.

“Would you consider this to be behaving?” he asked, the question largely rhetorical as his hand carried on its journey, following the back of her leg and down her calf. He lingered there for a moment and then leant down a little to take the hem of her dress. Elise’s breath hitched as she realised his intention and hastily looked around to see if anyone was watching. No one was but if they had been, Vaughn completed the manoeuvre in such a way that to anyone on the outside, it looked as if he was merely picking up something that he had dropped on the floor.

As soon as he had the hem in his hands, he began his journey back up her leg; this time with his hand underneath her dress and directly running up the sheer fabric of her hold ups. His upward journey to her knee was relatively quick and Elise drew in a sharp breath as his hand headed over the top of her knee and continued up to her thigh.

“You are so silky smooth, babe – you feel unbelievable.” Vaughn had his lips pressed right against her ear and had started to run his tongue along her earlobe, nibbling here and there at the same time. She was struggling with her control and had to clench her hands together to stop her from just grabbing hold of him and kissing the life out of him in full view of anyone who happened to walk by.

As his hand continued up her thigh and almost reached the lacy tops, he paused and began to whisper in her ear again.

“Have you ever been watched, Elise?” he asked, “In public like this, trying to