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he reached out toward me and tilted my chin back up. “Look at me.”
    I took a deep breath and my eyes met his again. My skin was vibrating where he touched me and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to answer.
    “It was great actually. Really great. What about yours?” I needed him to do the talking. I needed to concentrate on breathing in and out.
    When he spoke, unlike me, he seemed to be able to form a full sentence without any difficulty at all. His eyes never left me . Even when I looked away, I could feel them on me, exploring me.
    “It has been going quite well, but it just got a whole lot better.” The corners of his mouth turned up again and I just sighed and relaxed back in my seat. Good god, I was a mess.
    When we arrived at our destination, Daniel’s driver opened my door, and as I got out of the car I turned my head to see where Daniel was. He was right there, and before I knew it, he had taken my hand in his and was leading me between two buildings down an unlit alley. Nervous, I instinctively reached my free hand across to our joined hands. It seemed natural that we were joined like this, even though we had only just met after so long. Daniel increased the pressure in his clasped hand reassuringly. No wedding ring. I was relieved and my stomach clenched—the guilt pushing through. Where was he taking me?
    After about 30 feet , we came to a heavy black Georgian door on the right hand side that opened as we approached it.
    “I wanted to bring you to my favorite place in London ,” he said, leaning into me, his mouth just an inch from my neck, his breath on my skin.
    We were met in the entrance hall by a hostess who should have been gracing the pages of Vogue , not showing people to their seats at ... wherever we were. She was tall, lithe, beautiful, and beaming at Daniel. A surge of jealousy coursed through me. Maybe this was his favorite place because of her.
    “ Mr. Armitage, so lovely to see you again.”
    Daniel didn’t seem to hear her. He was looking at me with that half-grin on his face.
    “Can I take your coat?” the goddess next to me asked. I shrugged off my coat and gave it to her. Daniel  grabbed my hand again and I exhaled in relief at his touch as we headed downstairs to what the discrete sign promised was the Coltrane Club.
    As we got to our table, I felt completely overwhelmed. Why had I never heard of this phenomenal place? It felt secretive and intimate. The room we were in had a bar at one end and a small stage at the other. The ceiling was tented in deep red silk and down each side; there were about four little booths, made up of oxblood leather semi-circular bench seats with high backs, each with its own little tented ceiling. There were also a smattering of tables in front of the stage , but we were ensconced in one of the booths. Someone was playing the piano, and there were other instruments on stage, which seemed to suggest there was more to come. Daniel sat almost at a right angle to me. We were no longer holding hands, but the air between us was thick and I realized I wanted—I needed—a part of his body to be touching mine.
    When the waiter came over, Daniel ordered for the both of us without any reference to me. We both knew he was entirely in control of this evening. I tried to make conversation.
    “So, this is—”
    “Intense?”
    I threw my head back and laughed. “Yes, intense, that’s exactly what it is. I’m not imagining it, then?”
    “No, it’s real.” He reached up and trailed the back of his index finger across my cheekbone.
    Our champagne arrived.
    “To a wonderful evening.” Daniel raised his glass. I smiled and, mirroring him, I raised my glass.
    The band came out on stage and started playing ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin.’ It was a welcome distraction; I was able to focus on something else. I could feel Daniel’s eyes on me and then I felt his hand rest on my thigh. I felt myself moisten and I slumped forward and put my head in my