Page 66 of Captivated

Yeah, that was pretty good, too.

Taking a deep breath, and trying to regain her bearings, Liliana leaned back on her heels, and used her hands to hold onto the barre as she stared up at Joe. “About tomorrow—you did say we could do something Monday, right?”

Joe cleared his throat, but a huskiness still remained when he replied, “Depends on what it is, really.”

Liliana tried not to take that personally.

It was a little hard when his cock was still semi-hard, and this close to her face. It was even more difficult because she could still taste his cum on her tongue.

“There’s a charity event—I was hoping you’d come with me,” she whispered.

Joe glanced down at her.

Liliana knew his answer before he even said it.

It still fucking sucked.

“I can’t, Liliana.”

Not, I would, but …

Not even, It’s not my scene, sorry.

No.

Just an, I can’t.

It shouldn’t have felt like a rejection, but it still kind of did. Mostly because she didn’t know what in the hell the deal was with this man, or what he was trying to do with her. But she didn’t like the way this left her feeling a little too used.

No woman wanted to feel used.

“So, is this all we’re doing, then?” she asked him. “We fuck, and meet up at night, or whatever. Nothing else, though?”

Joe’s brow knotted together. “I didn’t say—”

No, she got it.

“Thanks for letting me know, Joe.”

NINE

JOE FELT LIKE a jackass, and that was probably the worst thing about this whole fucking night next to the scowl Liliana couldn’t seem to drop. He had no doubt that he was the cause of her bad mood, and he wished he could fix it.

Shit.

More than anything, he wished he could fix it.

Even as he moved around the women dressed in ballgowns, and the men in their three-piece suits at the charity event, he knew this kind of thing wouldn’t have been his scene to begin with. But … Joe would have come for Liliana, and put a fucking smile on because he was there with her, and nothing else.

Except he couldn’t do that at all.

This event was quite public. Media outside, and the whole fucking shebang. Being pictured and seen with Liliana would have defeated the whole purpose of staying under the radar in New York. And it most definitely would have defeated the purpose of being her bodyguard of sorts that no one was supposed to know about.

Problem was, Joe couldn’t even explain all of that to Liliana. He gave his word that he wouldn’t tell her—he was nothing if not a man of his word.

To everyone else but her, apparently.

Damn.