For the first time in years, Chandra just danced and didn’t think about anything. She was able to simply enjoy the moment. Nikkita was encouraging her to go along with the music, twisting and twirling her this way and that. Dara and Soriya were also having a blast, dancing their hearts out energetically. Georgina and Isabella were doing the same, while Alexandra and Ruby were sitting on the sidelines, watching them.
It was a little later when Chan just couldn’t take it anymore. Gosh, she really needed some fresh air.
She shouted to her friends and sisters, “I need to go.”
Nikkita made a sign she couldn’t hear through the loud noise. “What?”
“Bathroom,” Chan shouted again, pointing toward the door.
“Oh.” Nikkita understood. “Want me to come?”
Chan shook her head. “I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she said and waved at them to tell them she was going.
Soriya shouted, “Don’t be too long.”
Chan nodded in agreement and then excused herself through the many dancing bodies before her.
“Sorry… Excuse me… Shit!” she mumbled as she squeezed herself between some clingy couple. “Ah, so sorry.”
The couple had to separate themselves for a bit, allowing her to burrow through them. Once she passed, they were back into each other’s arms like magnets.
Chan sighed and wondered how many more people she had to go through. She was excusing herself through another couple when the disco light changed. The whole place was now blinking and flashing between bright colorful lights and complete darkness.
“Great,” she murmured under her breath. “Just what I need.”
The flashing disco lights were making it harder for her to find her way through the thick crowd. She surely hoped she wasn’t going to barge through yet another clingy couple dancing and kissing.
She was making more excuses and trying to squeeze herself through a group of young people when there was a massive wave, and she got pushed to the side. In shocked surprise, she found herself staggering back, crashed against the wall, and then landing on the hard floor with a thud!
“Ahh!” she cried out in pain. Her body was sore all over. She was pretty sure she’d sprained her ankle. “No…” she groaned. Damn these heels, she thought and wondered if she should take off the shoes.
She sighed and glanced around. The good news was at least she was out of the crowd and closer to the exit. The bad news was she wasn’t sure if she was able to walk properly.
She returned her attention to her ankle, touching the tender spot, wondering if she really should take off her heels. That might help make it easier for her to walk. She was about to do that when she was enveloped with this lovely warmness of a male body.
Her body reacted instantly, and she raised her eyes just a little. There she stared at the light-gray shirt that shrouded an astoundingly masculine, toned body. Through the flicking of the disco lights, she could make out a muscular neck and hard chest.
Instantly, her core started burning with this beautiful sensation. Her whole body sparked with delight at the sight she beheld.
Shit! What is going on with me? she thought contritely.
“Are you all right?” The deep timbre came her way.
Her blood sang delightfully at that voice, which had an undertone of an American accent.
Chan licked her lips. In her guts, she knew she shouldn’t lift her eyes to look at the man presenting himself before her any farther than his chest. She knew she’d be screwed. But she was stupid. She ignored the alarm bells in her head.
She went ahead and lifted her face.
The moment her eyes met his, her heart skipped a beat, and Chan knew she was in deep shit.
A gasp escaped her lips, and she wanted to cry out so badly that it pained her deep within her heart.
It’s him. It was Lilly’s father. The man she couldn’t stop thinking about. The man she badly wanted. The man who was already taken.
If only… If only she didn’t lift her eyes… If only she didn’t fall… If only he didn’t come to her aid… If only…
He touched her arm, and she jumped. Electricity sparked through her whole body deliciously, and Chan groaned.
“Sorry, did that hurt?” he asked.
Oh God! He was so kind and full of concern. But she wanted him to go away. She wanted him to ignore her. She wanted him to stop being nice to her. Now!
She licked her lip again and managed to say, “I’m fine, I think…”
Sam, who was staring at her, knew she wasn’t fine. In fact, the moment he’d seen her leaving her friends and making her way through the hyperactive crowd, he felt sick. He had no doubt she’d have trouble. She was so tiny, she was in danger of getting trampled. He was so worried about her welfare that he rushed from his spot and headed her way. When the crowd swayed, he knew she was in real trouble. Sure enough, he saw her being pushed out by a brutal force and landing on the concrete floor against the wall.
He’d nearly stopped breathing completely when he saw her make a face as if she were about to cry. Shit! He’d known he had to get to her fast. When he did, he wanted to scoop her into his arms and take her out of this shithole.
Now she was staring at him, her eyes teary and large. Oh shit! She looked so beautiful and fragile that it both excited and worried him. All he wanted to do was comfort her.
Sam slowly moved his hand over her ankle, and Chan winced at the touch.
“I think it’s sprained,” he said softly.
“No, I’m fine,” she insisted. She put her hand down on the cool stone floor and pushed herself up. She managed to support herself somehow and was half standing when the pain shot through her like a raging volcano.
“Ahh…” she cried out and found herself falling back again.
Sam caught her about the waist in the nick of time. He pulled her body close to his as they collapsed against the wall together. In reaction and fright, Chan grabbed his tie to pull herself back up. That yanked Sam forward, and his face collided with hers.
Suspended there in Sam’s arms, Chan’s body flared with sexual heat. She didn’t know what she was thinking or doing. All she knew was she suddenly wanted to kiss this man.
Oh God! She was going to do it, wasn’t she? She wasn’t going to care if he thought her daft or not. She wasn’t going to care whether he thought her drunk or not. Oh, she just didn’t care. All she knew was she was just going to do it.
Sam slowly moved back and was about to arrange her properly so he could scoop her into his arms and take her out of there when he felt the force. He found himself being pulled forward, and then…
Chan tightened her hand about Sam’s tie, and with one forceful tug, she pulled him to her. At the same time, she lifted her head just that little bit more and her lips met his.
She was kissing him. For the first time in her grown-up life, she was kissing another man of her own free will. With all the need and the desire she’d never felt for any man before in her life.
He was warm and firm, and she felt so wonderful. He was like the tender sun that enveloped himself around her with love and affection, kissing her slowly and passionately, caressing his way deep into her soul.
Oh, she felt so good in his arms, and she wanted to cry out in joy at that, her sprained ankle forgotten.
Then Sam responded, kissing her back, full of experience and passion, and Chan whimpered deliciously in her throat. She tightened her grip on his tie, drawing him closer to her, wanting so badly to give herself to him and let him ravish her in every which way he wanted.
Then he slipped his tongue between her lips into her mouth, and Chan felt as though she could melt onto him. Her whole body squirmed beneath him as he wildly and slowly stroked his tongue against her and explored her innocence, caressing and licking her every groove and lining.
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! She’d really gone to heaven and beyond. This man was so awesomely wonderful she didn’t know any word in the English vocabulary to de
scribe him. He was simply like the sun—so delightful, shining on her and warming her cold, dark self. She wanted more of him.
Suddenly, reality returned, and Chan shook uncontrollably. At lightning speed, she terminated the kiss and drew herself back.
What had she done? Kissing someone else’s husband. Kissing a taken man.
She was mad. Just plain mad. If she continued any further, she’d ruin someone else’s relationship. She’d ruin a beautiful family. She’d ruin Lilly’s family, and she didn’t want that.
Disgusted with herself, she pushed Sam away from her. Then without even looking him in the eyes, she managed to stand. Ignoring the intense pain of her ankle, she hurriedly limped toward the door. She didn’t stop there, either, and hastily made her way along the corridor, her heart pounding within her chest and her breathing heavy.
She collapsed against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. She stared long and hard at the soft carpet beneath her, tears blinding her.
Have I gone mad? Was she no different from Dave now? Forcing herself onto and molesting another person. No. Not just any other person, but Lilly’s dad. A man with a wife and child. Was she sick in the head?
Yes, she was a disgusting woman.
Oh, Chan, are you so fragile that you’re breaking now?
In her heart, she knew she was slowly breaking, aching for Lilly’s dad, for a man already taken. And she knew she couldn’t do anything about that.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 23