Page 42 of VOGUEish

“You’re driving me crazy,” she whispered.

“I love that you’re still wearing those damn red heels.” He nibbled kisses across each shoulder.

She shivered slightly. “They’re my lucky heels.”

He made his way back up her throat, over her jaw and to her lips. “One broke and caused you to fall earlier. How lucky can they be?”

“They’re the reason you pulled me into your arms in the restaurant. The reason I started thinking about the occasional trifecta.”

“Occasional Trifecta?” She had put a lot of emphasis on the word occasional. “What—”

“I’ll explain later. Right now, I want you to kiss me,” she murmured.

“Fuck, yes.” He kissed her the way he had wanted to kiss her all night. The way he had wanted to kiss her at work after helping her up when he’d discovered Amanda had knocked her down.

She opened her mouth, and her tongue stroked his.

He groaned and pulled back. “Your mouth was made for a man’s pleasure.”

She laughed and pressed into his body, cushioning his cock against her. “Did I ever thank you for advising me not to send a dick pic that horrible night?”

“Then you heeded my advice?”

“No. I sent one. A clothed one. In fact, it sort of looked like you tonight, right before you took your boxers off. And now, while your brain is rattled, it might be a good time to tell you I sort of insinuated that you were my date that night and you just showed up late, and thus the dick pic was of your package.” She bit her tongue to keep from rattling.

A tormented groan escaped his throat. “Fuck that night. This night is the one worth remembering. And I can promise you it isn’t going to be nearly long enough to do all the things I want to do to you.” He trailed one hand down her spine before letting it rest on the soft swell of her bottom.

She slid her hands up his chest and palmed his pecs, digging her nails in ever so slightly. “I’m pretty darn sure a year wouldn’t be long enough for you to do all the things I want you to do to me.”

His brain got a word in despite his dick telling it not to fuck things up. “Unfortunately, we only have tonight.” He punctuated his words with a fiery kiss. She was Nonna’s project. He would not break her heart. Would not break her spirit. Which meant he couldn’t pursue her in any way. Even the best of intentions could lead to another getting hurt. To pursue Isabella was to risk hurting her. That wasn’t happening.

Call him a big softy, but the idea of causing even a twinge of sadness in one of Birdie’s projects—in Isabella—gave him heartburn. “I’m serious. One night,” he emphasized again.

She tore away from him and took a step back, her breathing heavy. “Ms. Birdie said we’re to go on one date. This does not count as our date.”

Hell. She had an excellent point. A game winning point. “Two nights. Just two. No hearts involved.”

“Two occasional trifectas it is,” she said with a grin. “That works for me.”

He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her head. “Isabella, if I forget to tell you later…tonight is the best worst decision I’ve ever made.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Isabella laid exposed in the center of her bed and watched Chandler grab the box of condoms from her nightstand. Her thoughts were spiraling so much they were in danger of becoming a tornado. Which, in and of itself, wasn’t extraordinary. After all, spiraling thoughts were something of a specialty of hers. But these were more intense than she’d ever experienced. All what ifs and maybes and why the hell nots and I want him.

And what woman wouldn’t want a man whose dreamy eyes looked at her like she had the looks and body of a Vogue model instead of a slightly plump knockoff? At best, she was Vogue-ish.

He leaned over and kissed her, his tongue doing to her mouth what she wanted him to do to the rest of her body.

A small whimper escaped her lips when he pulled back. “You stopped.”

He grinned. “Don’t worry. It gets even better.”

She gripped the sheets, heat flooding her body. Holy annual Bergdorf sale. “Talk is cheap.”

He moved his hand a bit higher and stroked his thumb along the underside of her breast.

Her eyes drifted shut. “I like you in action.”

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