Page 4 of Size Doesn't Matter

Struck by how graceful his gait was as he strode across the space, Sophie almost missed the way the moonlight caressed his face, highlighting his straight nose, strong jaw, and the flawless five-o’clock shadow that covered it.

Considering the shock she’d just experienced seeing Ethan with another woman—otherwomen—she would have thought it impossible to find another man so damn attractive so quickly, but apparently her lady parts didn’t give a crap about her emotional needs.

They saw, they wanted.

Simple as that.

As the handsome stranger drew closer, it was difficult to find fault with their reasoning. “And you are?”

“Jack,” he said, extending his hand in greeting.

“Sophie,” she replied. A tiny zing of electricity flickered along her fingers as she shook his proffered hand, and she almost yanked it away, but then he tightened his grip, preventing her retreat, and the warmth of his palm melted into hers. Melted her disquiet.

“Yes, I know who you are.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised by the tone of pleasure in her voice. She was used to people recognising her, so why did the thought of this man knowing who she was make her heart beat a little faster, a little wilder? Jack nodded, and the zing in her fingers faded, morphed into something else, something more enticing than electricity and heat. “I thought I was alone out here,” she added, suddenly breathless.

Jack’s palm was soft, no calloused skin or scars to indicate he worked with his hands. But his grip was strong and firm, his fingers curling around hers in a show of authority and command. Then he dropped her hand, and Sophie forced down a needy whimper at the loss of his touch.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Sorry about that,” he said, confusing her for a moment until she realised he was apologising for stealing her solitude, not for depriving her of his magic fingers. “I just needed a break from the noise inside.” He thumbed over his shoulder at the shadowy corner he’d emerged from. “Seemed like a good place to hide.”

Relaxing a little at his admission, she smiled and asked, “And who were you hiding from?”

“No one,” he said. Then his mouth kicked up in one corner. “And everyone.”

She laughed, unable to repress the flirty undertone. “I guess that makes two of us.”

“And what brings you here tonight, Sophie?” Jack asked, moving closer. “Was it a person or the promise of fireworks?”

Sophie liked the way he said her name, the way it slipped off his tongue like warmed honey. The whisper of a grin playing around the corners of his mouth made his suggestion of fireworks seem almost obscene, and when Jack rested his hand on the balcony railing right beside her waist, his thumb achingly close to her body, she was tempted to close the minuscule distance and lean into it just to see what he would do or say next.

Screw it. Closing the distance, she leaned against the railing, trapping his thumb between the warmth of her body and the cold steel. “I didn’t think they were having fireworks this year.”

Jack didn’t disappoint. He stroked his thumb against the soft flesh at her waist, the pressure of the digit against her body firm and sure. The heat of the gesture slowly burned a hole through her formfitting dress, adding another layer of suggestion to his words.

“I guess that depends on your definition of fireworks, doesn’t it?”

2

The light spilling from the party inside highlighted the blush colouring Sophie’s cheeks and the straight white teeth sinking into her plush bottom lip. Her body’s innocent reaction to Jack’s thinly veiled innuendo made his cock twitch, and his need to touch her more thoroughly had him sliding his hand more fully against her generous hip.

Her gaze dipped for a moment, and her ample chest heaved as she sucked in a breath. When her dark brown eyes met his again, he saw her hesitation.

“In truth,” she said, sighing softly, “Iwassupposed to meet someone tonight.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” She glanced away as though embarrassed. “But he ditched me for greener pastures.”

My brother is an idiot.“Greener pastures, huh?” Jack grinned, hiding his displeasure at Ethan’s callous stupidity. “That’s funny.”

Sophie’s brow scrunched, and a little crease appeared just above her nose, but she sounded more curious than offended when she asked, “How is that funny?”

“Greener pastures,” he repeated, his grin broadening. “It sounds like one of those wordplays. You know, tell me your ex’s new woman is a cow without telling me she’s a cow?”

Curiosity turned into delight as laughter exploded out of her, a throaty, sultry sound that coiled itself around him, drawing him closer. Or maybe that was him, slipping his free hand over her other hip and tugging her closer, gripping her tighter and sinking his fingers into all that softness and warmth.

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