Innocent Cinderella: His Untamed Innocent / Penniless and Purchased / Her Last Night of Innocence. Julia James

her arms aching, she gave up the fight. She walked over to the bed and lay down on top of it, first carefully smoothing the taffeta skirt to avoid undue creasing. Then she switched off her lamp and resolutely closed her eyes.

      She was almost dozing when she heard the sound of a door shutting. She sat up, staring at the thin thread of light visible from the next room, then slid off the bed, trod barefoot across the carpet and knocked.

      There was a brief pause, then the door opened and Jake confronted her. She realised she must have heard him returning from the bathroom, because he was wearing a towelling robe and his hair was damp, indicating that in spite of the lateness of the hour he’d taken a shower.

      He looked her over, unsmiling. ‘You gave the impression downstairs that you were worn out,’ he said. ‘So why aren’t you in bed and fast asleep?’

      She lifted her chin. ‘Because I can’t get my dress off. The zip’s stuck.’

      Jake shrugged, his mouth hard. ‘Then ring the bell for Mrs Martin. Get her to bring some scissors and cut you out of it.’

      ‘At this time of night?’ Marin stared at him. ‘When we’re supposed to be lovers on terms of total intimacy? Wouldn’t you be the one I’d naturally turn to first? The only one?’ She shook her head. ‘Unless, of course, you want to confirm to Diana that there really is nothing between us. Because that’s what she’ll think when she hears about it—and it will probably be served up with her morning tea.’

      She paused. ‘Besides, I don’t want it simply—hacked off me. Do you know what it cost?’

      ‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s not that important.’

      ‘Well, it is to me. It’s far too beautiful a dress to damage.’ And for the first time in my life I felt beautiful, wearing it. And desirable.

      She added, her voice uneven, ‘Couldn’t you at least try to free the zip for me before the whole thing has to be ruined?’

      ‘Slight problem there,’ he said curtly. ‘It would mean I’d have to touch you.’

      ‘That doesn’t matter…’

      ‘It bloody well mattered when I wanted to dance with you a while ago,’ he retorted. ‘Or did you think I wouldn’t know?’

      Her throat tightened. She made herself shrug lightly. ‘You seemed to be having such a good time, I was merely trying to be tactful.’

      His brows rose. ‘You mean, the lovely Vanessa?’ he asked sardonically. ‘Divorced, available and a last-minute addition to the guest list, as she artlessly revealed over the soup? Who’d arrived by taxi but was so hoping for a lift home? That Vanessa?’

      He gave an impatient sigh. ‘For God’s sake, Marin, it was Diana trying to set me up. Couldn’t you see that? God help me, I was sending out Mayday signals to you from the middle of dinner, but you were clearly too busy to notice, so I was stuck with her.’

      ‘Not many men would have found her company a hardship,’ she said defiantly.

      ‘I’m sure that’s true,’ Jake agreed politely. ‘She was certainly easy on the eye, and eager to please. Unfortunately, she was also drenched in my least favourite scent. I was still reeking of it when I came upstairs, which is why I took a shower.’ He paused. ‘In case you were wondering.’

      ‘I wasn’t,’ Marin said. It was her turn to hesitate. ‘But why would Mrs Halsay do such a thing?’

      He shrugged again. ‘I presume in order to demonstrate to her husband that I’m still an unreliable, womanising bastard not safe to be allowed near any good-looking woman,’ he returned caustically. ‘And your sudden retired—hurt departure wouldn’t have helped matters, either,’ he added with a touch of grimness. ‘You’d certainly get the sympathy vote from a lot of people.’

      ‘I wasn’t looking for that.’ She gestured helplessly. ‘I don’t expect you to understand, but I’d just had enough.’

      His mouth tightened. ‘I know the feeling.’ He paused. ‘Now turn round and I’ll see what I can do with that zip.’ As she obeyed, he added curtly, ‘I suggest you breathe in very deeply. And keep still.’

      Easier said than done, she thought, when her whole being seemed to be shivering, anticipating the first brush of his hand against her skin. But maybe by dint of tensing every muscle and holding her breath at the same time she might be able to hide the deep inner trembling she could neither deny nor control—at least for a moment or two.

      She felt his warm breath stir the soft tendrils of hair on the nape of her neck as he hooked his fingers into the back of her dress, easing it carefully away from her body.

      He gave a quiet whistle. ‘You seem to have caught half the lining,’ he commented. ‘Maybe we should admit defeat and send for those scissors.’ He waited for a moment, then added. ‘Unless you really want me to try.’

      She said, dry-mouthed, ‘Yes.’ And then, ‘Please.’

      Realising for the first time, as she did so, exactly what she was inviting. And knowing with mingled shame and excitement that she would not change a thing.

      It was sheer torment, she soon realised, to stand there feeling his cool fingers moving against her naked spine.

      Although, admittedly, there was nothing remotely sexual in his touch. He was simply doing what he’d been asked, no more.

      But the aching, quivering sensations inside her that seemed to be spreading to every nerve-ending she possessed told her that it was enough. Even—too much.

      Hidden in the folds of her skirt, her hands were curling into fists, the nails scoring the soft palms as she fought to maintain the semblance of outward control.

      Jake said, ‘Let’s see…’ Then, ‘Ah,’ on a note of quiet triumph as the zip moved down a little.

      He added, ‘Can you hold your breath for me once more?’

      She said, ‘No problem.’

      Nor was it, she thought, because it gave her the perfect excuse to be breathless afterwards, for her voice to sound husky.

      ‘Right.’ He paused. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

      His hand was right inside her dress now, tugging at the imprisoned fabric, and she stood, braced and motionless, feeling the zip edging down little by little as he freed it.

      He said, ‘That’s it,’ and the zip slid down unhampered to its fullest extent and Marin grabbed at the front of her dress to prevent that slipping too.

      She should step away, she told herself. Thank him politely for his help, say goodnight and—part, closing the door between them.

      Jake’s hands lifted, lightly clasping her bare shoulders, his thumbs smoothing her skin, tracing the delicate bone structure. He’d moved closer too, making her suddenly, startlingly conscious of the heat of his body against her exposed back.

      Now was the moment to speak, she thought with a kind of desperation. To end this while it was still possible for her to do so. Before all that she was feeling—wanting—overwhelmed her.

      Because she did not do things like this. It was a principle, a cornerstone of how she lived. Or was it simply that she had never before known real temptation? Real desire?

      And now that she knew, her whole being was crying out for fulfilment by the man who had awakened her to fulfilment’s possibilities. Because this might be her only chance for it to happen.

      One night, she thought, her mind suddenly reeling. One night. Oh God, is that really so much to ask?

      His fingers brushed her hair away from her neck, and she felt his lips touch its tender nape, moving slowly—easily, on her skin. It was the lightest of pressures, like the brush of a butterfly’s wing, but it made her whole being shiver with instinctive, uncontrollable longing.