Page 23 of King of Justice

I hadn’t packed anything suitable for a Christmas party, but I did have a red dress in my suitcase that could do the trick. I paired it with a matching shade of lipstick and my dangly jade earrings.

“That’s what you get for surprising a gal, Nate.” Honestly, I never liked the name ‘Nate’.

Backing up a couple of steps, I turned to the side in front of the mirror and scanned myself from the head up. Gathering my hair up with both hands, I looked at my neck and couldn’t decide. Should I wear my hair up or down?

“Up. Definitely up.” Travis’ voice startled me, so I quickly turned around to see him standing at the door. He jingled his keys and took off his hat. “Lookin’ good, Jones.”

Downstairs, and as I held my casserole, I found a white limo waiting for me. The young driver resembled a gorgeous runway model with golden hair and light hazel eyes, donning an impeccable suit. It made me wonder if everyone Nathan Wright knew looked like they could star in a box office motion picture.

And then we got to his apartment building, and it took a lot of effort for me to hide how intimidated I was. I never knew anyone who lived in a two-story penthouse overlooking Central Park. Again, it was as though I had stepped onto a film set.

“So, what made you change your mind?” Nathan asked as I watched his magazine-worthy hands pour my wine.

“Your case-winning argument?”

“You don’t need to flatter me.”

“Oh, no. Your ego must be just fine.” I pulled my gaze away from his hands with superhuman power. “I figured, after Mother Nature ruined my Paris plans… I owed it to myself. I’m spending the holidays volunteering, so, why not? Right?”

God, if only his piercing eyes would get off me for a minute.

Soon, the food was served. It was delicious, followed by those Swedish treats that smelled heavenly.

“They’re not made to be watched, Sophie,” he said.

I licked my lips and said nothing. Something was drawing me to him, and I pictured him feeding me one of these rolls with his hands. Shaking away the thought, I took a deep breath and picked up the knife and fork.

Upon the first bite, I felt my senses come alive. The look on my face must have betrayed me, because Nathan slowly stood up and approached me, leaning over dangerously close. I whispered, “What are you doing?”

“Hitting on you.”

“You should do it right, then.” I cut a little piece of dessert and took his hand, making him pick it up from the plate.

Slowly, Nathan bridged the gap between us, so his hand was inches away from my lips. I parted them and took the pastry into my mouth. He watched me, his dark eyes flickering and shining with hunger, causing the knots in my stomach to tighten. Suddenly, Nathan placed one arm on either side of me and blew out a breath.

“How am I doing?”

I blinked and tilted my head back to look up at him. “With what?”

“Hitting on you,” Nathan replied with a slow, sultry smile. “Should I cut my losses?”

I shook my head. “Not at all.”

Without warning, my tongue darted out, and I licked his fingers one by one. Surprise flickered across his features before I leaned back and ignored the pounding in my ears.

I had no idea what possessed me to do that.

Normally, it takes a while for me to warm up to people, especially with guys like Nathan, who are used to getting everything they want in life, and women falling at their feet. But, in spite of the fact that I felt out of my element, and my stomach being a bundle of nerves, I knew one thing was for certain.

I wanted Nathan, more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time.

Nathan’s smile stretched from ear to ear, making the blood roar in my veins. He cupped the back of my neck and then pressed his lips to mine. A low, guttural noise released from the back of his throat, reverberating straight to my core as he pressed himself against me. A warm breeze wafted in through the open window behind me, caressing my bare back before Nathan's arms moved from the back of my neck to my waist, rubbing me over the dress.

Every inch of me was on fire.

He nipped on my bottom lip and my mouth automatically parted, his tongue darting in. He tasted like wine and cinnamon and sugar, and I couldn’t help moaning into his mouth, pressing myself flush against him.

Nathan maneuvered us backwards, so my back became pressed against the kitchen counter. Wordlessly, he picked me up with ease and set me down on the edge, my feet dangling off of the floor. His eyes stayed on my face, his hands rolling up the sleeves of my dress. With a smile, he pushed up the folds of my red dress and ran his fingers over my exposed skin, causing goosebumps to sprout.

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