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making her shiver. He tugged on the coin, and she came again, feeling as if she could melt right on the spot.
    It took her a few moments to realize he was standing now, watching her intently.
    “You"re very beautiful.” She dropped her skirt and wrapped her arms around her chest.
    “Right. I know better.” What was wrong with her? She never felt this way after sex, never allowed this close contact. Of course they hadn"t really had sex, had they? He still had his clothes on, and he"d seen her half-naked.
    “We"ll work on that.” He winked at her, and she smiled back.
    “We will?”
    “Oh yes. That and much more.” Their gazes locked, breaking only when the door to the room opened.
    “There you are. What are you doing in here?”
    “Henry, go away.” Heat flooded her as she realized what he would have seen if he"d opened the door just one minute earlier. “What are you doing here anyway?”
    “I told your father I"d see you safely home. When you didn"t come back from the restroom, I got worried. Stuart said he saw you come in here.”
    “Wonderful.”
    Henry crossed the room, stuck out his hand. “Henry Isaacs. Clarissa"s fiancé.”
    “Wrong.” She pushed Henry"s hand away before Maddox could take it. “You are not my fiancé.”
    “I will be.”

    Desert Surrender

    17
    “Wrong again.” She cleared her throat, then stepped away from them. “I"m leaving. Maddox, would you escort me home?”
    “That"s my intention, Clarissa.” Henry put his hand on her arm, and she shrugged him off.
    “Go away, Henry. I"m not interested in you seeing me home, no matter what you said to my father. I"m a grown woman and can do as I please.”
    She looped her arm through Maddox"s, and they started for the door. She wasn"t surprised when Henry didn"t say anything or call out for them to stop. If anything, he was as conscious of appearances as her parents and wouldn"t want to make a scene.
    They stopped at the front to pick up her wrap, then stepped up to the taxi queue outside. Maddox opened the door to the first one, then helped her inside. He bent down to lean in when she was seated.
    She stared at the card he produced. “What is that?”
    “My phone number. Call me tomorrow.”
    “What? You"re not coming home with me?”
    “No, not tonight. I want you to—”
    She shook her head violently. “Are you kidding me? You get me all worked up and then it"s good-bye? I don"t give a crap what you want. I want some sex. Now.”
    “You just had an orgasm, if you remember. Tomorrow we can—”
    “You know what, screw you.” She gave the driver her address. “It was fun. Good-bye.”
    “Clarissa, listen to me—”
    “No. You listen to me, you big ass.” She pulled on the door handle. “You"ve got about ten seconds to get away from this door before I slam it, and any body part of yours that is nearby gets caught in the action.”
    He moved his fingers from the car door. “As you wish. We"ll talk later.”
    She sneered at him. “Doubtful.”
    He moved, and she pulled the door shut. Tears stung her eyes as the driver eased into the traffic. Damn men. She hated them. Hated them all and their overwhelming urge to try and tell her what to do. Even one she"d just met. She"d be damned if she"d be bossed around by him or anyone else.
    “Maybe I should go back to being a lesbian.” She snorted. “With my luck, though, I"d find another woman who wanted to tell me what to do all the time.”
    “What?” The driver glanced back at her.
    “Nothing. Just drive.” She"d had such high hopes for tonight. At least she got two good orgasms out of him before she figured out Maddox Perry was a huge jerk. She shifted in her seat, then moaned when she realized the coin key chain was still attached to her clit ring.
    “Great. A Las Vegas souvenir, and I didn"t have to make a trip there. Lucky me.”

    18
    Melinda Barron
    Chapter Three

    Clarissa slid the key ring over her index finger and let the coin drop down. It twirled slightly,