Tied to You by Bibi Paterson Page B

just happened.
    “Okay,” I whisper, feeling like I have just been scolded.
    Seeing my face, Alex‘s expression softens slightly and he suggests we make our way to our table for dinner. I nod my head and let him lead the way. It is only moments before I hear an announcement to sit down and soon people are following in our wake.
    Our table is filled with the usual wine industry colleagues that Alex deals with, so I keep smiling and try to join in the conversation, but most of it goes over my head. After a while, I simply zone out as I try to puzzle through the incident with Sofia. The mention of ‘club’ is tickling my subconscious, but I just can’t figure out why it is bothering me so much. I am lost in my inner musings when, suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck prickles, and when I glance around I see Sofia glaring daggers in my direction. The moment that she notices that I see her, her expression instantly smoothes into a neutral mask, and I start to wonder if I imagined it.
    I barely manage to eat any of my dinner, delicious as it is, due to my stomach being full of nerves. Alex notices and I see the frown crossing his face. Not wanting to add to whatever is stressing him out, I deliberately pick up a forkful of chicken and stuff it in my mouth. I see his relief and I resolve to get through this evening with minimal fuss.
    After dinner, there are a number of speeches and then a band comes on. The mixture of pop and rock has my feet tapping, and seeing this, Alex stands and asks me if I want to dance. I accept gratefully, anything to get away from Sofia’s daggers, which continue to be sent my way when I am not looking directly at her. We spend the next few hours dancing away and I am grateful to see the tension no longer in Alex’s face. We laugh as Alex tries to spin me to some fast fifties rockabilly number and it all goes horribly wrong when my feet get tangled in the long skirt of my dress. But fortunately he saves me before I hit the ground.
    At last, some slower songs come on and Alex wraps me up in his arms and rests his chin on my head. As we sway, I listen to his heart thumping in his chest, trying to figure out the enigma that is Alex Davenport. Before I know it, the countdown to midnight begins and I grin as we shout along with everyone else.
    As the clock strikes I turn to Alex, my breath catching in my throat. I know what is expected; we are husband and wife and everyone will expect a kiss. What I don’t expect is for our kiss to spiral out of control as Alex is consumed by some unknown hunger, the same hunger I experienced briefly on our wedding day. He bites down on my bottom lip, causing me to yelp slightly, but all that does is give him access to explore my mouth. As his tongue clashes with mine, I find my whole body responding as I melt into Alex’s hard frame. Alex’s hands move down to cup my bum, kneading and grabbing hard enough to leave bruises, before one hand returns to grip the back of my neck tightly. Finally, Alex breaks away and we are both left breathless, staring at each other. My heart is pounding so hard in my chest that I am sure it must be audible to everyone around us.
    “We’re leaving , ” Alex states in a tone that brooks no argument. I merely nod in reply and let him lead me to the cloakroom to fetch my wrap, and then we are sitting in the car, being driven home. The tension between us is thick, yet neither of us has said a word. I glance up at Alex under my eyelashes and see his jaw clenched and an expression that I can’t fathom in his eyes. Every fibre of my being is hyper-aware of Alex’s masculinity, and a dull throb sits between my legs. I squirm in my seat, trying to find a little relief, when suddenly I am aware of Alex’s scrutiny. His eyes bore through me, yet the expression on his face remains a neutral mask. A smirk appears as he runs his eyes over my body and I find my nipples hardening under my dress.
    We have no sooner pulled up in front of the