“Yes, you know, don’t you?” he breathed, standing a little too close. He rubbed his thumb against her lips, hard enough to make her gasp and shiver with delight. His black eyes narrowed. “It’s too soon. You know that, too.”

She ground her teeth together as she looked at him. He was the most perfect thing in her life. He was preaching caution when all she wanted to do was push him down on the floor and spread her body over him and...

She didn’t know what would come next. She’d read books, but they were horribly lacking in preliminaries.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” he asked.

“About pushing you down on the floor,” she blurted out, and flushed. “But I don’t know what comes next, exactly...”

He burst out laughing.

“You stop that,” she muttered. “I’ll bet you weren’t born knowing what to do, either.”

“I wasn’t,” he confessed. He touched her nose with the tip of his finger. “It’s just as well that you don’t know. Yet. And we aren’t going to be alone. Yet.”

She drew in a long sigh and smiled. “Okay.”

He chuckled.

“I’ve never been to the ballet,” she confessed.

“High time you went,” he replied, and he laughed. “Go on.”

Sara had laid out the most beautiful black velvet dress Michelle had ever seen. It had a discreet rounded neckline and long sleeves, and it fell to the ankles, with only a slight tuck where the waistline was.

“It’s gorgeous!” Michelle enthused.

“And you’ll look gorgeous in it,” Sara replied. She hugged Michelle. “It’s yours. I have shoes and a purse to match it.”

“But, I have a dress,” Michelle began.

“A summer dress,” Sara said patiently, and smiled. “This one is more suitable for winter. I have one similar to it that I’m wearing. We’ll look like twins.” She grinned.

“Okay, then. And thank you!” Michelle said heartily.

“You’re very welcome.”

Chapter 10

Gabriel wore a dress jacket with dark slacks and a black turtleneck sweater. He looked classy and elegant. Sara wore a simple sheath of navy blue velvet with an expensive gold necklace and earrings and looked exquisite, with her silky black hair loose almost to her waist and her big, dark eyes soft in her beautiful face.

Michelle in her black velvet dress felt like royalty. The trio drew eyes as they filed into the auditorium where the ballet was being performed.

Up front, in the orchestra pit, the musicians were tuning up their instruments. Gabriel found their seats and let the women go in first before he took his place on the aisle.

“There’s quite a crowd,” Michelle remarked as more people filed in.

“Oh, dear.” Sara’s voice was full of consternation.