[i]“Are you sure about this?”[/i]

Claire nodded, her insides trembling with a want she hadn’t felt before. “I’m the one that suggested it, Nick,” she said, forgetting their pretend labels and falling back into their real names. “I’m positive.” Her insecurities made her want to hesitate, to ask again if he [i]really[/i] wanted to sleep with her and not just some woman named Elizabeth. But that was the last thing men wanted in bed, someone asking for reassurance every few minutes. No, if they were finally this close and he was taking such a big step forward, then she was doing nothing but stepping right along with him.

[i]“Tell me if I’ve gone too far.”[/i]

The blush on her cheeks wouldn’t be going away anytime soon with the way he kept touching at her, looking at her with . Claire was so lost in his touch it took her a moment to move or even breathe. The waist of her dress loosened as he untied the back of her dress, her arms getting goosebumps from the sleeves being pushed down a few inches.

“I don’t think that’s possible tonight,” Claire replied, rising to her toes to kiss him again. Her hands moved down to the buttons of his jacket, slowly unbuttoning them one by one. She then slid them up to the shoulders, slipping his jacket off and letting it fall to the floor. Next came his vest, but not being used to undressing a man Claire had to look down to get him out of the rest of his clothing. The music below them was barely heard as she started to expose his chest one button at a time.

Claire licked her bottom lip and glanced up for his reaction as she brushed her fingers along the few inches she could see, a chill going down her own back. She felt her own dress fall and she couldn’t help but grin in excitement, despite still being so covered up by her chemise.