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A warm glow touched Kitty’s cheeks. Even if Daniel wasn’t the man for her, he never failed to make her feel desirable. She’d miss his compliments and naughty jokes.

49

DANIEL

As the eveningwore on and the light faded, the party ramped up. Daniel had never had so much fun with a woman before. Usually content to conquer and then move on to the next, spending time with Kitty was different. She was smart and witty, and tonight she had a glow about her he’d not seen before.

Daniel had been far more attentive than he normally was with any woman. He’d made himself scarce when she chatted with her cousin, proudly introduced her to the rest of the Young Guns team and stifled several yawns during an awkward conversation with Patricia Gore.

There was no sign of Josh yet, but Kitty checked her phone every few minutes. When he’d asked her where Josh was, she’d breezily mentioned an emergency call out. So, she was waiting for him to arrive? It irritated him to think that her mind was on someone else while he was trailing her around the party like a puppy dog.

Daniel had spotted them after the cricket match, tucking themselves behind a tree. Unnoticed, he’d seen enough to convince him that he was dead in the water where Kitty was concerned. Seeing them in each other’s arms was a punch to his gut. Desperation grew within him. He wanted her so much. He needed to get her mind off Josh’s whereabouts, to give himself one last opportunity to win her.

The DJ hammered out pop hits from the 90s to a grateful crowd of dancers. Others would see a happy crowd of people having fun. But Daniel saw an opportunity to separate Kitty from her phone as he watched some of the more flamboyant movers.He seized a passing Julia and suggested that Kitty take her to dance. Julia, full of gin, grabbed a reluctant Kitty’s hand and led her to join the others already gyrating raucously on the dance floor.

“I’ll keep your bag safe,” Daniel said, relieving her of her clutch and waving her off wide-eyed behind a disappearing Julia.

Daniel turned away as soon as Kitty was out of view and opened the small bag to find her phone. There on the home screen was a message from Josh. He couldn’t have timed his interference better if he’d tried.

Josh:Just got back in the truck. Heading for the shower first, then straight to you. J x

The corners of Daniel’s mouth curled down when he read it.Fuck.Golden boy was on his way. He estimated he had about forty-five minutes to change Kitty’s mind. To convince her he was the right choice. To save himself from his first-ever heartbreak. He quickly stashed her bag, including her phone, behind a massive urn filled with hydrangeas.Out of sight, out of mind.

50

KITTY

Fuelled by gin and champagne,Julia kept Kitty busy on the dance floor. Any form of public dancing would typically be her worst nightmare. Still, tonight she was happy to see Julia having fun and was so excited at the prospect of seeing Josh that she didn’t care.

As her body fizzed with excitement, she bumped and ground with the best of them, hair flying wildly around her. The garden spun almost as much as she did, and the heat of the evening dulled her senses.

Daniel was never far away from her side. Like a protective older brother, he leaned against the wall next to the dance floor, a smile playing on his lips.

People assumed they were an item all night. She hadn’texactlyshut the idea down. He showed her off like a peacock, and she’d given in to the ego massage.

Josh was still nowhere to be seen. It’d been hours since the end of the cricket match. Was he even coming? He could have got a message to her somehow. She’d been checking her phone all evening, and nothing.

At that moment, it occurred to her that she hadn’t seen her phone or bag for a while. Daniel had put it somewhere safe.

The DJ put on a sexy, slow track, and from the side of the dancefloor, Daniel her the full high beam of his smile. He straightened up as she walked towards him.

“Hello gorgeous,” he said. It was his standard greeting, but the look on his face was anything but standard. Taking one of her hands, he drew Kitty in closer.

“Would you dance with me? One last hurrah before the clock strikes midnight?”

The look in his eyes flashed a warning, but he’d been so good all evening. There’d been no going back on their ‘friends’ deal. She’d rather dance with Josh, but he wasn’t there. Her brow furrowed. Why the hell not?

Kitty nodded. Daniel squeezed her hand and pulled her across the dimly lit dance floor to a quiet corner. Fairy lights twinkled around them, and the muggy cloy of the evening air clung to her skin. Many partygoers gravitated into Patricia’s house, and the dance floor was quiet. Now, as they swayed to the music, Daniel’s snaked his hands around her waist, the silk of her dress easing their path. Kitty’s eyes flitted around the garden as his hands rested above her buttocks.

“Who do you keep looking for?”he asked.

“Nobody,” she said, smiling at him, firming her grip on his shoulders.

“Good,” he said in a quiet, low tone. “I want you all to myself for this song. I have to give you up soon.” He took a breath. “You know, something funny happened earlier.” Daniel’s eyes shone.

“Don’t tell me you actually succumbed to the cream horns?”

His lips curled. “Not today, though I was sorely tempted. I was talking to Amber. Telling her all about our new status as friends. And do you know what she said?”