Page 33 of Beauty Of Her

I took the call off speaker and slammed the phone to my ear. “I’ll text you when I’m back in New York. Goodbye.” Hanging up on Peter didn’t ease my nerves. It only prepared them for how he might try to get back at me. “You shouldn’t have done that.” My defeated gaze found Brett’s calm face.

“He shouldn’t speak to you that way. What right does he have to do that?” Brett pointed to the phone in my hand.

“Peter is an asshole.” I rolled my eyes.

“But why is he so mean to you? He cheated on you. He lied to you.” Brett’s finger nudged my chest, but gently.

I shrugged. “Maybe all men become jerks when they don’t have to be nice anymore.”

“Fuck that,” Brett spat, glaring at the phone. “I couldn’t be more different from your ex if I tried.” He paused. “Aside from him being attracted to men. I’d never berate you or any woman I was with.”

“I thought you didn’t date.” A small grin played across my face when Brett’s eyes bore into my soul with his jaw ticking.

“Maybe that’s about to change.” Brett scooted closer to me until his body shielded me from the crowded restaurant’s patrons, running his hands up my thighs.

I let a soft chuckle slip from between my lips but halted the second he palmed my sex. “Brett, I…”

“Shhh…I like you. I like kissing you, touching you, fucking you. I can’t stop thinking about you. But there’s so much more I wonder about you.” His lips danced along my jawline as my breath hitched and liquid heat flooded my core. “When you think of me, what comes to mind?”

I attempted to gulp down my breath. “Your smile.” My mind wanted to go into a steamy place, but I sipped my drink instead.

Brett smiled at me and ran his thumb along the blue-filtered rim of my martini glass. “You think I have a good smile?” He grinned so big it couldn’t be contained, causing me to laugh. It didn’t faze him. He pressed his thumb against my bottom lip before I could reply. My body jerked, our hips bumping into each other as I gripped Brett’s arms and let his gentle touch slip under the hem of my blouse. The waiter chose that moment to drop off a small plate topped with palm-sized truffles. I laughed, tripping over myself when Brett tried to sneak a finger under my bra strap, attempting to pinch a very hard nipple.

“Easy there.” My hand stopped Brett’s fingers from intruding. I had to remind myself just how public of a place we were in, and anyone from my company or industry could catch us any second. “We haven’t even had dinner yet.” I planted a featherlight kiss on Brett’s jaw, hearing him breathe. My own PDA was shocking, but I also had some liquid courage in me. “And I’m very hungry,” I whispered.

“I bet you are.” Brett bit his bottom lip, holding the skin between his teeth for an extra second. “Fine. We’ll eat, but after that, I choose what we do. Deal?” He cocked an eyebrow and signaled over the bartender to place our order. Two burgers with ample French fries would soak up any liquid courage we had downed over the last few hours.

“Deal,” I said, giggling as his hand crept under my shirt. The contact of his warm fingers against my abdomen oozed through my thin panties, freaking me out a little. Brett squeezed my thigh playfully. “Stop.” I pushed his hand away, and it still lingered on my leg. “Brett. Stop. People are going to start staring at us.”

Brett smirked and was about to advance when the burgers interrupted a dangerous moment. “Ah, saved by the food.” He winked, sending my mind into a spiral. I watched him take the first mouthful of the medium rare burger and studied the square form of his jaw as it moved. Brett peered over at me, smiling. “Eat up. You’re going to need the energy for later.”

Fuck. I was so done.

I couldn’t eat my burger fast enough while I watched Julia chew each of her bites meticulously. While it drove me crazy, the fact she was savoring her food was adorable. I didn’t notice the difference for an older woman. I was prepared to strongly argue to Julia that this age gap meant nothing. That was if she brought it up again. So far, she hadn’t mentioned it, and I was relieved.

“Did anyone ever tell you you’re a slow eater?” I leaned over, stealing a crispy, golden brown fry off her plate. Julia scowled at the lost potato and pulled her plate closer to her chest.

“Hey, those are mine,” Julia pouted, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I placed my hand on top of hers and smiled. “I’ll buy you a new plate of fries if you forgive me.”

Julia rolled her eyes and let out a soft chuckle. “Fine, but only if you promise to stop stealing food from me.”

“I promise.” I grinned and took the final bite of my burger before pushing my empty plate away.

“Oh wow. I really am a slow eater.” Julia frowned at the half-eaten burger in her hand.

“Don’t worry about it. There’s no rush.” I stole another fry, but Julia didn’t fight me this time. Instead, she pushed her plate between us as I indulged in another crispy potato. The mix of salt and perfect crunch sent my taste buds into overdrive. As I finished the last fry, Julia dabbed her mouth with a napkin before looking up at me. There was a glint in her eye that made my heart race. I knew what was coming next.

“You know, I’m having a really great time tonight.” Julia scooted closer.

“Me too,” I said without hesitation.

Julia’s fingers danced along the bar's edge, and she took a deep breath before speaking again. “I was thinking, maybe we can go back to the room so I can get to know you better?” she said, her voice low and sultry.

“If this is our new code for saying let’s fuck, then yes. Let’s get to know each other.”

With heavy protests from Julia, I paid the bill. We held hands as we walked out of the restaurant toward the elevator bank in comfortable silence. Once we stepped into the elevator, Julia pressed the button for the top floor and leaned against the wall. She grinned at me and lifted her hand to trace my jawline. A shiver ran down my spine as she moved in, capturing my lips in a kiss, leaving me breathless. Her hands roamed freely over my body, pulling me closer until there was no space between us.

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