Page 80 of Angel Eyes

“Sometimes,” she said quietly, “I have this inescapable feeling that some things aren’t meant for this world.”

My eyes returned to her, roaming from the soft arch of her cheek to her hair that was pulled away from her face, exposing her elegant neck that I desperately wanted to explore with my mouth.

“On that, angel, we agree entirely.”

Placing a hand at the base of her spine, I led her through to the adjacent salon, soaking in the heat of her skin beneath my rough fingertips. My hand twitched with the urge to haul her against me. Just a few more hours. Then she would be mine.

A waiter passed with a tray of champagne and I grabbed two flutes, handing one to Juliet.

“What should we toast to?”

“To getting everything our hearts desire,” I whispered against her ear. My pulse kicked up a notch when I felt her shiver against me.

“And what does your heart desire, Gabriel?” Her lips hovered so close I could almost taste them. One tiny movement and her mouth would be mine. I brushed her cheek with my knuckles, letting my fingers unfold over the angle of her jaw.

“I think you already know.”

Did I imagine her pupils dilating? No, that wasn’t my imagination. I tilted her chin up as her breath quickened, moving my thumb beneath the curve of her mouth, bringing our lips level.

Mine …

“Oh, there you are.”

A voice dragged us from our intimate bubble, and I grunted in protest as Juliet pulled away from me, taking all the warmth with her.

“Lily,” she said under her breath.

“Lily?”

A second later, Lily herself appeared, planting a kiss on Juliet’s cheek before turning to me. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She tossed one auburn curl over her shoulder as she beamed up at me, and I forced a hard swallow, trying to restart my smile.

Calm down. She doesn’t mean any harm.

But as I watched her loop an arm through Juliet’s and drag her away, I wondered whether that was true.

Juliet

We pressed through a sea of people in tuxedos and evening gowns, and my nose twitched as I breathed in a potent mixture of colognes and perfumes.

Goodness, hadn’t anyone heard that less is more?

Warding off a sneeze, I craned my neck to look for Gabriel, but a woman draped in a fur stole, a cigarette poised between her plum-colored lips, blocked my view.

“Lily.” I strained against her iron grip. “Shouldn’t we wait for Gabriel?”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’ll find us in no time.” She led me past tables covered with white linen tablecloths, glass centerpieces, and intricate floral arrangements.

I followed her reluctantly, taking in the champagne gown clinging to her slender frame, its satin straps crossing over the porcelain skin of her exposed back.

Of course, she looked like a fairy-tale princess tonight. Had Gabriel noticed?

Before I could follow that train of thought all the way to crazy town, we arrived at a table near the center of the room, half of its seats already occupied.

I spotted James and Nora.

“Juliet.” Nora rose from her seat, wrapping me in an embrace that nearly cut off my flow of oxygen. “I’m glad you could make it tonight. Gabe has spoken of little else for days.”

I blinked, my heart tripping at this new information. Days? Gabriel seemed so casual when he invited me to the gala earlier this afternoon. Had he really been planning this for days?

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