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Michael
Y esterday, it took the elevator ride and the car ride to the restaurant for my hard-on to fade completely, but it pissed me off that I’d had to will it to go away. I wanted to act on it. I wanted to yank Brianna into my arms back at the apartment, and kiss her until she was whimpering. Then I’d take her to my room and undress her nice and slow before spreading her legs and fucking her with my tongue.
She wanted me. I’d seen it in her eyes. But she’d still backed off.
So I’d take my time. I’d woo her, I’d make her see I wasn’t her asshole ex-fiancé, and then maybe she’d start to trust me.
The charity ball is tonight. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Mostly for Brianna. I know it’s going to be a lot for her to handle. Most of my colleagues will be there, my sister will be there, and there are going to be lots of cameras. And questions.
She’ll have to be on her game. I’m not worried about her sticking to the script—I’m worried she won’t be convincing about how much she loves me. Or how much she’s supposed to love me.
After all, we still don’t know each other all that well.
I’m putting on my cuff links when she appears in the living room. All the blood in my head shoots to my groin. Holy hell.
“You…” I clear my throat and try again. “You look beautiful.”
The dress is red satin, pooling on the floor at her feet. There’s a long slit up the side, and the amount of leg it shows makes my dick throb with need. Her hair is piled up high on her head, exposing her long neck, inviting me to drop kisses there. Everywhere.
“Thank you,” she says. “You look handsome.”
“Thanks.”
“Ready to go?”
“Not quite yet—besides, I’m always fashionably late.” I grin at her and turn to the counter, where I’ve set a gift box. “I have something for you.”
Her eyes widen. “What is it?”
“Open it.”
She dives in, making me smile. Her fingers trace the bow on top before she pulls it loose and drops it to the counter. When she opens the box, her breath catches.
Her eyes flash up to mine. “You didn’t.”
“It’s the one you wanted, right? In the store?”
When we’d gone shopping, I’d caught her eyeing a new laptop, one that’s far better suited to the work she plans on doing. I’d called the store clerk later in the evening and made sure I got her the top of the line model.
“It is,” she breathes. “But you didn’t have to. You already got me all those clothes—”
“And we discussed that, right? In fact…” I reach for my wallet and pull out a credit card. “Here’s yours so you can use it when you need to.”
Her mouth drops open. “No, I can’t.”
I release a low growl, making her jump. “We already talked about this.”
“But—”
“Take it. What’s mine is yours. For now, you get what you need or want. No arguments. If you won’t get it yourself, I’m going to get it for you so you might as well not argue.”
She takes the card but abruptly sets it aside and tosses her arms around me. “Okay. No arguments.”
I’m caught off guard, my body rocking backward at the contact. God, she smells good. Like flowers. Soft. Subtle. I run my hand down her back and listen to her breathing.
No one’s ever thanked me like this before. Not with such sincerity.
“Maybe…” I choose my words carefully. I don’t want to ruin the moment. “It’s hard for you to believe there really are good people in the world, but I promise you there are. We all make mistakes and hurt each other sometimes, but there’s good at the heart of it.”
Her arms loosen on my neck and she eases back to meet my eyes. “Believe it or not, with you…I’m starting to believe that’s true.”
She leans in and brushes her lips on my mouth, just a whisper, but enough to shake me. To leave me wild with wanting her. Part of me wonders if I want her so badly because she’s off-limits. Because she’s keeping her distance. But the other part knows it’s more than that. Brianna isn’t like any woman I’ve ever met.
I groan at the contact. It takes everything in me not to snap.
Her body slides against mine, the satin of her dress running along every surface. My dick gets hard as a rock, pressing against the slacks of my tuxedo.
Careful…
I can’t let myself lose control. I’m getting closer and closer to gaining her trust. I can’t ruin it all now.
“Thank you for the computer,” she murmurs.
Her breath touches my lips, tickling them. She steps back with a smile. I let her. It takes everything I have but I let her.
“You up for this?” I ask, my voice husky.
She nods and takes my hand. “I am.”
For the second time this week, I ride down the elevator with an erection so hard it’s painful. I can’t even congratulate myself for not losing control because I want her so fucking bad. Her scent surrounds me, beckons me. Just one kiss…
But one kiss will lead to one touch and before I can stop myself, I’ll have her dress off and our bodies will come together like we’ve been joined before. Like we’re supposed to be together.
By the time we reach the charity ball, things have calmed down. I can step from the limo without worrying about my pants or my composure. I keep Brianna’s hand in mine, and it’s clear how nervous she is by how hard she squeezes my fingers.
“You did fine with my parents,” I tell her. “This is the same thing.”
She flashes a smile at me. “But with cameras.”
“That. And Liv. She’s been dying to meet you.”
“Wait—you didn’t tell me your sister was going to be here.”
I squeeze her hand. “She heard about the engagement while she was overseas otherwise she would have come with my parents. She’s happy—well, mostly.”
“Mostly?” Her voice rises.
“She not happy with me because I didn’t tell her about us.” I grin. “Oops. But she’s happy with us.”
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
I can’t help but laugh. It’s ridiculous, someone not liking Brianna. I pull her down the red carpet, tucking my arm around the waist when we reach the end. “Not going to happen.”
I kiss her on the lips, playing the part but wishing it wasn’t pretend. “Ready for this?”
Brianna’s face brightens with a smile. I’d swear she’s not pretending—or maybe she truly isn’t. We’ve had a few really good days. She seems happy. I feel like I might be a part of that. Changing things around for the better in her life.
A photographer calls our names and we swivel in that direction. Brianna tucks her hand in the crook of my elbow, giving my arm a squeeze. It makes me smile, and when I look down at her and her up at me, the cameras go off.
Nobody’s going to doubt there’s something there. Not with the chemistry we have tonight.
Then she leans up close to my ear. At first, I think she’s going to kiss me, but then she whispers something.
“I hope after this we can pick up where we left off back at the apartment.”
Shit. The last thing I need is a hard-on on the red carpet. But right now I don’t care.
I lock eyes with her. “You’re a bad girl, tempting me like that.”
“Not tempting,” she whispers. “Promising.”
Damn it. I’m completely turned on right now, and there’s nowhere to go but inside the banquet hall, where there are hundreds of other people. Where I’m expected to say hello and make small talk when all I really want to do is find a quiet room and fuck her until she can’t stand.
“No backing out,” I say. I couldn’t stand another elevator ride with my pants tented, evidence of my arousal for her. Not unless I know where it’s going to end.
She nods. “No backing out. You know I make good on my word. I have so far.”
I think about the contract and how she’s done such a great job pretending to be my fiancée. How she even convinced my parents. Right now, she’s almost convincing me.
I duck my head to kiss her hard. “I’ll hold you to that. Now, stop teasing me. I see my sister.”
Brianna straightens and squeezes my arm again. “I’m nervous.”
“Don’t worry, she’ll love you.”
And it’s the truth. So far she’s made everyone in my life fall in love with her. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she’s trying to work the same magic on me.