Page 22 of The Woman

Everything about her makes me want a taste.

But that’s just a physical reaction. My body is attracted to her body. That’s normal. I won’t be ruled by my body, though. Last night was a slip-up that won’t be repeated.

Tonight, however, I have to try my best to behave as lust-driven as other men are with their women.

“What do you think?” she asks, looking at me through thick lashes.

With one final trail down and back up her body, I clear my throat. “You look beautiful. Come. There’s one more thing needed.”

I position her facing the mirror in front of me and then pull the black velvet box out of my pocket. Lifting the thin chain over her head, I unclasp the little latch.

“Lift your hair for me.”

She does, and I pull the necklace closed around her neck, brushing my fingers against her skin at the same time, which causes it to break out in goosebumps. A weird type of satisfaction settles over me at the sight of it.

Our eyes connect in the mirror as I brush my fingers over her shoulders one more time before reaching around to her front and adjusting the resting position of the long vine pendant with little diamonds and rubies in the flowers.

For a moment, I take in the sight of us in the mirror, my larger frame dressed in a tuxedo standing behind her smaller, curvy body wrapped in red satin. Even I admit that we make a striking pair.

After a beat, she turns in front of me and slowly reaches up to adjust my bow tie. I watch as her tongue peeks out to wet her lips while her cool fingers graze my neck.

I could kiss her right now if I wanted.

Just dip my head, press my lips to hers, feel her tongue with mine, and see what she tastes like.

I already know what her breasts and neck taste like.

The memory has my cock starting to swell, and my eyes drop to her chest. There is only a small amount of them showing, but it’s more than enough. With a speed as slow as honey, I drag my eyes back up to her face and arrive at those violet orbs staring back at me.

It’s a potent moment, filled with charged air and hot breaths between us. Her head tilts back ever so slightly as if tempting me to lean down.

Tempting me to take her supple mouth.

The sudden chime of my phone has me straightening up, though, the electricity in the air fizzling away as I pull my phone from my pocket and silence the call from my grandfather.

“Come on. We need to go.”

There is a group of men with cameras outside the Four Seasons, taking photos of all the guests arriving. I wrap my arm around Avery’s waist and keep it there as we make our way into the building and then the large room.

More people than I anticipated fill the ballroom, but what’s more surprising is the number of females that have been brought. They’re all dressed in elaborately detailed outfits, and although Avery’s is a little simpler, I’m grateful to George for leading us in the right direction for her dress.

This is the first time I’ve been to an event like this, a privilege only granted by my grandfather since being promoted. The other men here are all in various stages of power.

Looking around, I see a variation in how the women are being treated here. Some of the men are behaving like animals with their hands all over the female they’re with, like they can’t control themselves, while others have one trailing along behind them as they walk like they couldn’t care less.

A few appear to be lost in a heated kiss while trying to remain hidden in the shadows but not caring enough to seek more privacy. I find my eyes lingering on those people a little longer, finding it harder to look away.

Scanning the large room, I try to locate my father or grandfather, but there are too many people to see them through the crowd. A server walks past us, so I grab a couple of canapes off the tray and hand one to Avery as we walk further into the room.

A familiar face steps into my line of sight and then moves in our direction when he notices me. “Phoenix, is that you?” one of my grandfather’s friends asks. A man who, if I recall correctly, likes the sound of his own voice. “It’s been a few years since I’ve seen you.”

“Benson, hello,” I greet, shaking his hand and then flicking my eyes to the woman on his arm, whom I vaguely remember seeing before.

“I heard you got to pick one last week.” He bobs his head toward Avery. “Congratulations. Your grandfather must be proud. Have you seen him here yet?” At the shake of my head, he continues, “You remember my Victoria?” He glances at her and then smiles. “Forty years ago this year, I picked her. Still one of the happiest days of my life.” I can’t help but compare the sappy look on his face to the blank smile on hers. “There are a few other men closer to your age who just picked or received theirs. They’re around here somewhere, showing them off. You should introduce yourself.”

“I may do that.”

“Just watch out for those who either haven’t gotten their woman yet or ones whose sons haven’t. They tend to get bitter with jealousy.” He turns his attention back to Avery. “She’s dressed beautifully this evening. No doubt you’re enjoying the sex,” he says with an elbow to my ribs. “And it only seems to get better as time passes and you experiment a little. You’ll know what I’m talking about. Mine loves it on her hands and knees. Oh, look, there’s Jeffrey over there. Let’s go see your grandfather. I haven’t said hello yet.”

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