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I step closer to Stella, letting my hand settle back on her hip, my eyes focused on her delicate neck. “Afraid not,” I say dismissively, as if I’m already done with the conversation. I reach my hand toward her, my finger running softly over her collarbone, making her shiver and distracting her from Eleanor who is watching us from across the room.
“What are you doing?”
I glance up at her heavy eyes. “Admiring,” I say softly, twirling one of her curls around my finger. “Since everyone else in the room gets to.” I run the pad of my thumb back and forth over her hip as I keep us just in view of the room.
“What do you mean?”
I circle her slowly, inching my way around her body until my chest is at her back. “I’ve watched every man in here tonight stare at you.” She turns her head to look back at me. “I don’t blame them; you are by far the most stunning woman in the room. But I’d be wrong if I said I didn’t want to remind them who you’re going home with.”
“To my own bedroom,” she adds.
I run my fingers over her shoulder, circling my fingers and dragging them over her skin before brushing against the material of the off-the-shoulder strap. “True, but still, it would be a shame to let a perfectly good opportunity to show everyone how in love we are go to waste. Lean back,” I tell her, pulling against her hip slightly. She complies. I stretch my hand out, covering her entire right side as I lean in and drag my lips softly against her neck.
“Ohhh.” She doesn’t realize she audibly moans; it’s just above a whisper but loud enough it sends a shock straight to my dick. I know she feels my hard length twitch against her ass but she doesn’t stop me from pulling her back against me even harder.
I plant a featherlight kiss on her neck, goosebumps breaking across her skin. “Perhaps we should dance?” I step back, breaking our physical contact. She stares up at me when I walk in front of her, a look of desire on her face that has me wanting to fall to my knees and devour her. I move her around the dance floor, her body against mine, her lips parted, a pink flush creeping over her breasts and up her neck. I watch the men around us, each one having to pry their gaze away from her.
“I lied,” I say finally, breaking the silence.
“What do you mean?”
“About the dress.” I slide my hand down the back of the dress, past her waist till I reach her ass. I grab a handful, the silk material feeling practically nonexistent between me and her warm skin. I don’t know what comes over me, the realization perhaps that I can use moments like this to excuse touching her, holding her, kissing her. Or maybe it’s the white-hot rage I feel when I see every man in this room eye fucking her right now. “You look fucking fantastic.”
“She’s staring at us again.”
“What?” I release my hand, pulling back to look at Stella.
“Eleanor. She’s just staring at us.”
I don’t dare look over my shoulder to where she’s standing. Instead, I continue to dance. “I’m sure she’s just admiring the dress too.”
“It’s you.” She looks back at me. “She’s staring at you.”
“And yet, I only have eyes for you.” I pull her attention back to me with a dramatic dip, hoping it shakes loose any remaining thoughts of Eleanor. It does the trick because the second I bend her back, a smile burst across her face.
“That’s right, sir.” She giggles as I pull her back up. “I’m about to be your wife, after all. You know what they say. Happy wife, happy life.”
“I hesitate to ask what would make you happy,” I tease, spinning her out of my arms and back in. Her eyes shift from mine to behind me again.
“I think it’s time everyone knows exactly who you belong to.” Her expression grows more serious as she turns her attention back to me. She points her finger seductively in my chest, then slowly she begins to slide her hand up my chest, around my neck, and into my hair as she rises up onto her tippy-toes. Her fingers tangle with my hair as she pulls me closer, our bodies pressed against each other.
Within seconds the energy between us goes from fun and playful to heated and charged. The smile has fallen from her lips that are parted, glistening, begging to be bitten and sucked.
I can’t do this. I can’t taste her. I’ll want more. I’ll need more.
So I don’t. I tilt my head to the side just enough that she ends up in a hug in my arms. I try to play it off, nuzzling her neck. “I think they got the hint when I grabbed your ass.”
I’ve embarrassed her. It’s written all over her face. I feel like a piece of shit. I should have kissed her. She just smiles and laughs at my comment, neither of us addressing it for the rest of the night.
When we arrive back home, she stretches, stifling a yawn as she grabs her overnight bag Oliver brought in from the car. “I’m going to head to bed. Good night.”
“Stella.” I slide my hands into my pockets, unsure what I’m going to say. I know what I want to say, that I can’t stop thinking about kissing her. “Thank you for tonight. It meant a lot how engaging you were with people.”
“No need to thank me.” She smiles. “Just doing my job.”
“Good night.” I nod and head to my office where I promptly rehash tonight over and over again in my head. The way her ass felt in my hands, her breasts pressed against me, her lips so close to mine. Then I think of the almost kiss. The way she looked at me in my arms, if I had wanted to drag her into a closet, she would have let me.
By the time I’ve finished another glass of scotch, I’ve walked up the stairs and down the hallway toward Stella’s room. I stand there, telling myself it’s a bad idea. My heart thuds in my ears as I take the last few steps to her door. I look down, a warm glow coming from beneath the door. I rest my hand on it for a moment, curling my fingers into a fist and walking away.
