Page 79 of Angel Eyes

“Hey.”

God, I had missed her. I’d spent every minute since the dinner party worrying about her, and it wasn’t until she finally texted me back yesterday that I’d been able to inhale properly again.

She smiled, following my gaze to her dress. “Is it too much?”

I bit down on my knuckles, weighing my desire to impress her tonight against the sudden urge to cancel all our plans, carry her inside, and strip her right out of that dress.

“No,” I said, my throat raw. “You look exquisite.”

She nodded toward the roses. “Are those for me?”

“What? Oh yeah, they are.” I passed them to her, my eyes catching on a sapphire bracelet hanging from her wrist as she took them.

“Thank you. I’ll just put these in water.” She turned her back to me, and I nearly cursed a blue streak when I saw her dress dipped to the base of her spine, revealing a flawless expanse of bare skin. Looking over one shoulder, she said, “Do you want to come in?”

Fuck no. I didn’t trust myself to be alone with her. Because, given half the chance, there was no way we’d leave this apartment before I had explored every inch of her body twice over and a third time for quality assurance.

“I’ll just wait in the hallway.”

Or out on the sidewalk, possibly handcuffed to a light post.

“All right. I’ll be just a minute then.” She disappeared inside, and I let go of an exhale. I was going to need a will of steel to get through the evening without attempting to undress her in a coat closet or something. But it would be worth the wait if everything went according to plan.

My phone vibrated, and I fished it out, James’s name lighting up the screen. “Hey.”

“Hey, buddy. Are you in the queue? Nora and I just got here.” I heard an odd grunting noise, followed by a series of heated whispers. “Sorry, for whatever reason, Nora wants me to tell you Lily’s coming tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” I said absently, my eyes trailing back to the door at the sound of Juliet’s returning footsteps. “What for?” Not that she needed a reason to attend a charity event, but if memory served, she had never shown an interest.

“I don’t know, she didn’t say. But she seemed pretty keen on coming. Anyway, how long till you and the missus get here?” I caught Nora’s snort of laughter in the background and made a mental note to puncture her bike tires at the next available opportunity.

“We should be there in about twenty minutes if traffic is good.”

“Excellent. We’ll wait for you at the table then. And what about your special guests?”

Before I could answer, Juliet stepped into the hallway. “Ready?”

“Is that Juliet?” James said, evidently overhearing. “Tell her we look forward to seeing her again. Since our dinner party was cut short, I never had the chance to regale her with all my favorite stories about you. Like the time you got foxed and fancied a naked swim in the river—”

“Bye, asshole.” The sound of James’s chuckle cut out as I ended the call.

“Who was that?” She took my hand, and I brought it to my lips, pressing a kiss against it.

“James. He’s already waiting for us with Nora and Lily.”

A look of surprise that I didn’t quite understand flickered across her features, her lips tilting down. “Oh, Lily’s coming tonight?”

“Mm-hmm.” I glanced up the street as we exited the building, searching for a taxi. “Most likely she just wants to tag along with James. He’s a huge supporter of the foundation hosting tonight’s event. It’s a great cause. This particular charity supports children with disabilities by providing opportunities to increase their mobility. They even hosted a sporting tournament this past spring, sort of like a junior Paralympics.”

Juliet hummed without looking at me, her expression oddly blank.

She waited on the sidewalk while I secured a cab, seemingly lost in thought, and I wondered whether I had said something wrong. But before I could worry over it too much, she slid her hand into mine again, and we fell into a comfortable conversation about the charities her family supported in New York. In no time at all, we were pulling up to the gates of the historic mansion.

We headed up the stone pathway to the entrance, and Juliet’s expression brightened as she took in the marble foyer and sweeping grand staircase. Closing my fingers around hers, I led her up to the second floor, watching as she marveled at the neoclassical design and vintage fixtures.

Every damn day. That’s how often I wanted to wake up to this breathtaking woman, to see her face light up with wonder.

Her lips parted as we moved into the main hall, her gaze bouncing from the polished onyx fireplace nestled between two French doors to the nine-paneled mirror reflecting the light of a gilded candelabra. My eyes followed hers as they climbed up the center of the hall, which opened onto a third floor enclosed by a marble balustrade underneath a glass ceiling.

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