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Clare sed 'No, thank you… I told you I could hold ly, when it appeared that she was safe, he wasn't going to lunge

'You said you weren't a child, too But when you ser and touched her cheek very lightly 'You dimple like a chubby baby, all sweet powdered innocence'

For some reason that offended her, and she latched on to the only acceptable line of objection 'I'm not chubby Thin people can have dimples too, you know'

'Mrinned 'You're just chubby where it counts And you have the s I have ever seen…like fluid muscle sheathed in cream satin, smooth and hard What a waste to hide them in trousers'

Instead of bristling at his chauvinism, Clare's inner warlass, taking the opportunity to ease back a few discreet inches, so that her leg no longer brushed his 'I don't usually,' she ad skirts, but when you have a son, jeans are soestion's uncertain!'

'It was the first thing I noticed about you' David wasn't really listening The finger that had explored her di the outer seam of her jeans where it curved over her very unbaby-like hip 'Your legs, wrapped around that ageing spiv'

'I don't think Ray would appreciate being called either ageing or a spiv'

David ignored her second atte hs It excitedht then and there that you weren't going to get aith it Of course, I told h s…'

She was staring at hirey depths, and he smiled 'Do I sound like a fetishist? I never was before, but then you s I never felt before'

'Like what?' Clare whispered, tree of discovery She felt his hand slide back and forth along her thigh

'Like the agony of self-denial Here we are, having an inti fire, filled with food, wine and desire, and yet I can't make love to you'

Clare's eyes widened further still 'W… why not?'

His hand tightened on her hip 'While you're vulnerable orry over Tim? While you're a little drunk and a lot weary? When your son may interrupt us at any moment? That's not what I want'

'What do you want?' Clare asked huskily

'That's the hell of it—I don't know' He drank, recklessly, then discarded his glass on the hearth, not taking his eyes off her flushed arousal 'Yes, I do I want to see what you're wearing under those clothes Ever since I saw that lacy thing you wear to bed, I've ached to knohat other sexy secrets your cool modesty conceals'