Deborah sat straighter in her plush auditorium box seat at the opera and listened to the aria, trying hard to stifle a yawn. Caroline was wrong. Comfortable clothing was not the way to go. She should have worn something to keep her awake, even if it meant uncomfortable shoes.
The performance of Tristan and Isolde enthralled Daniel. He’d even commented that it was one of his favorite operas. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the screen since the performance started. He seemed so happy, so at peace. The tension lines that normally creased his forehead were gone, as was the hardened chin and jaw he had during the day when dealing with the business. Right now, he looked comfortable.
She had to admit, she watched more of him that of the opera itself. Two people screaming in German. Not her thing, although, she could figure out the gist of the story.
The character Isolde pretended to be a handmaiden, won the heart of a brave warrior who believed her station to be beneath him, and then she married another man, whom she did care for. Two fantastic, heroic, and wealthy men fighting over one woman.
How unrealistic.
In her experience, many men still didn't want to be married. It didn’t matter if they had been dating you for years, or even after you told them there was a baby on the way.
Which explained why people enjoyed this story. It was fantasy, not real world.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Daniel leaned in and whispered. His hand gestured to the fruit and cheese platter they had ordered.
A glass of wine would complement it perfectly, and although she did enjoy a glass occasionally, she never drank in mixed company.
She shook her head. “No, thank you.” Her coffee cup was nearly empty so she reached down to pick it up. The engagement ring clanked against the porcelain mug. She was certain no one heard the noise, but she was aware of the ring every time she touched anything.
The dimness of the opera hall lights didn't allow the facets of the diamond to pick up any light and cast reflections, but she had noticed them while shopping earlier in the day, while getting ready for the evening, and in the car when the diamond had caught the last few rays of the setting sun.
She took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about the ring, or that it meant nothing between her and Daniel. She downed her remaining bit of coffee. The caffeine would keep her up all night, but she was sure this opera would have her out in no time.
“Are you drinking decaf?”
“What?” Deborah leaned in, her head mere inches from his, allowing her to smell his musky cologne even more. With this being the closest thing to a date she had been on in ages, she realized she missed going out. Perhaps the man Caroline had selected for the blind date, whoever he was, would stir her as much as Daniel did. At the very least, he could be a distraction.
Daniel nodded toward the coffee cup in her hands.
“I'm fine,” she finally said. Why the interest in what she drank? She glanced at her watch. It would soon be intermission. Now his concern made sense.
Deborah focused her attention to the opera, but she noticed Daniel oddly staring at her. His gaze sent shivers down her spine, and in all the right—or wrong depending on how you looked at it—ways, so she refocused on something else. The last thing she needed was to fantasize about her boss.
Although he did look amazing in his tux. His face held just enough scruff from the lack of a shave to drive any woman crazy, and his hair was perfectly tousled—perfect to run your hand through.
She placed the empty coffee cup down and decided to concentrate on something that would keep her attention. The boxed seat and the hall were a perfect choice.
She studied the area and took note of the height and how the layout of the room below looked from this perspective. Her latest book release was out, and she needed a fresh idea for novel number three.
Her lips curled upward in a big smile. Her first book was more of a novella and not a very good one at that. But book number two was her masterpiece. She had worked on it for five years, with many revisions and second–guessing of what the ending would be.
The sales were not impressive, but the book was only her second release. She’d initially called it Loving Him, but the title sounded like a Christian's relationship with God. She’d finally settled on the name, Of Course, Sir. The book cover's image held a secretary dressed in a red gown, placing her hand on the chest of a man wearing a tuxedo. His face wasn't in view of the image, allowing readers to mentally dream up what the hero of the story looked like.
In her mind, the hero looked exactly like Daniel. In particular, the way he looked tonight. She had already planned to buy a red dress for the evening, but it wasn't until Caroline had seen this one hanging in the store that she’d insisted Deborah buy it.
Novel number two didn't contain a sexy opera scene, but perhaps novel number three might. The red velvet curtains on the wall, and the gold trim accents exuded much elegance. She enjoyed the warm, romantic glow, which the sconces and chandeliers cast across the entire auditorium. The musicians, tightly packed into the musical pit below, created a rich sound that had the walls vibrating.
But the box seat felt more intimate. It held six chairs, but they weren't tethered to the ground, allowing you to arrange them any way you'd like.
She figured Daniel had bought out the small area to give them privacy. They wouldn't need to put on a show if they were the only people up this high.
Yawning once more, she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. She leaned back in the chair, opened her eyes wide, and stared at the performance below.
That's when she felt his arm around her bare shoulders.
“Are you cold?”
Before she could answer, Daniel removed his tux jacket. She leaned forward so he could drape it around her. The scent of his cologne enveloped her. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the sudden sensation of his body warmth from the jacket.
His hand lingered on the fabric and then finally made its way up to her cheek. He caressed her face and gazed into her eyes. “I can keep you warm.”
The music suddenly stopped, and the room grew darker, giving them perfect privacy. He stared at her lips and then glanced back up to her eyes.
“I've wanted you for a long time, Deborah.”
Leaning in, he kissed her. His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer to him. He lifted her effortlessly and put her in his lap. His one free hand knocked her chair down and it tumbled to the floor.
Glancing around, she figured no one had heard the noise. It was hard to tell since the box set railing now blocked her view from everything else in the hall. Everything that is except Daniel's piercing blue eyes. They were filled with desire.
Desire for her.
The fabric of the dress caught beneath her, but only for a minute. Daniel stood and moved the other chairs, giving them the center of the floor. He then placed his hand under her bottom and scooped her to the middle of the space, laying her on the carpet.
She felt the heat pooling in her core and dripping to her panties. She was going to make love to Daniel. After all these years, he wanted her.
Her heart pounded with excitement, and the need to have him grew, especially when he pulled up the skirt of her dress, grabbed her lace panties and ripped the fabric off her. She now lay open and revealed to him.
Placing her foot atop one of the chairs, she tilted her hips in anticipation. He barely undid his pants before he lay on top of her.
There was no hesitation.
His throbbing shaft dove into her wet folds, her body wanting him and hugging him intimately as he pumped into her.
It was dirty sex. Dirty on the floor sex.
Good dirty on the floor sex.
She hoisted her legs up higher, not caring if the people down below could see her foot moving in time with the rhythmic touch that was driving her crazy.
Just as she was about to cry out, a buzzing noise woke her. She then noticed the lights flickering above her.
“It's intermission,” Daniel said. “Let's stretch our legs and get more refreshments.”
She scanned the room. The remaining four chairs remained where they had been earlier in the evening, and Daniel still wore his tux jacket. It had all been a dream.
A dream she would never forget, especially since she planned to put an opera scene in her next novel.