They were still in a public place, for all that the boisterous lounge crowd paid no attention to them. An unseen someone who controlled a light board picked her out of the crowd with a traveling spot. Inside the glowing circle, she was luminous for several unforgettable seconds. Parr was riveted.

The spotlight moved on.

He longed to trace her collarbone, then delve downward to the cleft between her breasts where they swelled above the strapless gown. Just to vary the fantasy, he imagined stroking upward to her shoulders with utmost gentleness. Like stroking a soft little cat until it purred with pleasure.

She sighed.

“I love the freckles too.” He wanted to kiss the copper-colored sprinkles, tease each and every one with his tongue. They were beautiful. Like all of her.

“Blatant flattery. But keep talking.”

Without hesitation he replied truthfully. “I’m not good at making pretty speeches. When I look at you, I say what I feel.”

“Oh.” Looking at him took her breath away. Unless it was the stuffy atmosphere of the crowded space that was doing that. But she knew it was him. The depth of emotion on his harshly handsome face rendered her pretty much speechless.

“I want us to get to know each other,” he said. “I want tonight to be only the beginning.”

Big, bold, romantic words. Sometimes you had to take a chance. She trembled just a little when he rested his hand on her shoulder. God, how he wanted to do more.

He wanted to kiss her but he couldn’t. Not here. Something very special was happening, though, and he wasn’t going to let her go until he was sure they could find each other again. If she wanted to. That was far from a sure thing.

“Yes. I mean no. Sooner or later, I have to go back to my”—she cleared her throat—“my fiancé. He has no idea where I am.”

“He doesn’t deserve to know.”

Mary Beth pressed her lips together for a few seconds. “I know he must be worried.” She didn’t want to face the two-timing rat, but she knew she had no choice.

“Do you really have to? Tonight?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. He probably has his whole family and my dad running around looking for me.”

Parr absorbed the information. If that was so, her father must have worked up quite a head of steam. The man had to be outraged by what had happened to his daughter.

“So go tell your dad that you found a better man and you’re going to run away with him tonight,” Parr said jokingly. In his heart he meant every word.

“Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?” She studied him, trying to suppress a wry smile. “Sounds like a plan.”

“With all due respect, you need one.”