Sabrina looked at her clipboard and realized that she didn’t have any excuse not to go. She’d already checked on the food preparations, the band had arrived and they were setting up in the ballroom, the decorations were put up and the strolling entertainers were already in the dressing rooms putting on their costumes.
With a deep sigh and a determination to tamp down her excitement at the thought of seeing Sid again, she turned toward the bank of elevators that would take her to his office.
Within moments, she was standing outside his door, smiling to Liz who winked at her and announced her over the phone. “Go on in. He’s been expecting you,” Liz explained as she hung up the phone.
Sabrina walked tentatively into Sid’s office, not sure what to expect. She was both excited and terrified that Sid would take her into his arms again. Each time she left him, she’d be aching with unfulfilled need. She couldn’t stay away, nor could she ask him to stop his exquisite torment. She was now craving it, needing his touch as much as she needed food and water each day.
“Good afternoon,” he said but stayed behind his desk as she walked across the wide expanse of carpeting. “Take your pick,” he said, indicating something behind her. “Excuse me?” she asked, stopping in the middle of the office as she looked at him, a sweet smile of anticipation on her face.
Sid smiled. “Are you always so polite?” he asked softly, walking around his desk to the bar in the corner.
Sabrina blinked. That definitely wasn’t what she’d been expecting him to ask. “I suppose so,” she said and her smile returned, wider this time. “Is that a bad thing?” she asked.
“Not at all,” he chuckled, mixing several liquors into a shaker. “You’d look lovely in the green,” he said.
Sabrina grimaced. “I look awful in green,” she laughed. “It makes my hair look bright red.
Sid handed her a martini glass with a red liquid in it. “You’ll have to explain how that would be a bad thing,” he said, his dark, intense eyes looking down into hers.
Sabrina was instantly aware of his height and the muscles under his suit. She licked her suddenly dry lips as she looked up into his handsome face. “Well, it isn’t something I generally like to enhance,” she said.
“Why not? You have lovely hair,” he said, his eyes moving over the fiery locks that were tightly controlled in her bun. “You should wear it down more often,” he said, his voice deepening and making her body hum.
Sabrina’s hand instantly went up to smooth the sides of her hair nervously. “That wouldn’t be very professional,” she said a little breathlessly.
Sid’s eyes looked down at hers again. “Then you’ll just have to wear it down for me when we’re alone next time,” he said.
Sabrina’s head was spinning with the knowledge that he wanted to be alone with her. She wanted that so much she was in pain. Her stomach tensed and her nipples tightened and she was extremely glad that she was wearing the stiff jacket so he couldn’t see how easily he could excite her. The other women he dated were probably more sophisticated and would have a witty reply to his comment. But all she could do is stare up at him, a small smile on her face as the excitement tore through her slender body.
“Are you going to pick out a dress?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Dress?” she asked, unaware of anything besides Sid as he continued to look down at her.
He raised one eyebrow at her response. “You’re an interesting female, Sabrina. Most women would barely have known that I was in the room with a wardrobe full of designer dresses over there. I’m flattered.”
Sabrina snapped out of her trance and looked around. There was indeed a wrack of dresses in a rainbow of colors standing off to the side of the sofa. “Oh my!” she said. “What are all of those for?” she asked.
“They are for you to choose your evening dress from,” he said and put a hand to the small of her back as he led her over to the dresses. “What would you like to wear tonight?” he asked.
She shook her head in denial. She’d spied one of the labels and knew that just one of the dresses probably had cost more than her salary for several months. “Sid, I can’t wear any of these dresses,” she said, glad that her voice sounded assertive.
He laughed loudly at her comment. “Of course you can choose one. In fact, you should pick out several. There will be other events that you might need a dress like this.”
Sabrina shook her head but her empty hand reached out to touch the delicate fabric of a bright blue dress. “No, I can’t accept these dresses. expensive,” she said.
Sid took down the blue dress and held it out in front of her. They are far too
He looked at her figure, then at her eyes. “No, this one won’t work for you,” he said and hung it back on the wrack.
“Why not?” she asked, ready to laugh at the way he quickly pulled it away.
“Not striking enough. Here, try this one on,” he said and handed her a green silk dress with a simple front that came all the way up to her neck. But when she turned it around, she realized that there was no back to it.
“I can’t wear that dress,” she said and shook her head.
“Why not?” he asked, his eyes looking at her, alight with a fire inside. “I think you’d look stunning in it.”
Sabrina shook her head, but at the same time wished she had the courage to wear something like that. “No, really. I’d be too self-conscious in it.” She bit her lower lip in regret as she stepped away from the dress reluctantly.
Sid turned her around and took the untouched martini out of her hand. “Go try it on. You don’t have much time left before the party starts. It’s almost eight o’clock now and the guests will start arriving in the ballroom soon.”
Wanting to just try it on and see what it would look like on her, Sabrina took the dress and allowed him to lead her to the bathroom which was a large black and white marble extravagance complete with a shower fixed with multiple shower heads and granite counter tops. She quickly pulled off her suit, eager to see what the glorious green dress would do to her skin and hair. She slipped the soft silk over her body and it felt like warm, smooth water gliding down over her skin. When she turned to face herself in the mirror, she was shocked to see her reflection. Was this sexy, stunning woman really the shy person who, until seven months ago had been living a quiet, almost boring life in Virginia?