Page 72 of Frayed Bonds

“Yes, I just don't know what to do,” she admits, and my heart clenches.

“Well for one–relax, you're making it look like we never even touch.”

“We don't.” I stare at her and she rolls her eyes. “Fine, I’m sorry,” she says.

I place my hands on either side of her waist and gently pull her further into my lap. “Is this okay?” I whisper.

Goosebumps run across her skin and she shifts a bit and only then do I realise that my earlier problem still hasn't subsided, and my dick is still hard.

“Sorry,” I say sheepishly.

She chuckles. “It’s okay, this is fine.”

Once Valerie is more comfortable, I notice Horatio staring at us. I notice he’s staring at Valerie, and now I’m less than impressed that she decided to wear this dress. Reaching forward, I grab the other side of her thigh and turn her so that she’s facing me more and not directly facing Horatio.

A waitress stops and hands Valerie a glass of champagne, and I presume Horatio took care of the order since my whiskey glass has filled itself.

Horatio starts another conversation about the way the global economy has been taking a knock and a few members of my team indulge in the discussion.

I couldn't be bothered, because Valerie is all my mind can comprehend right now. How warm she is, the way she fits perfectly in my lap, and the fact that there are so few layers separating us.

“Where is Natalia?” I ask, trying to make conversation.

She moves her head to the dance floor where the girl along with a few others, Diego's new fiance included, are dancing.

She shifts in my lap and I groan. “Sorry,” she squeaks, looking down at me. Her eyes innocently meet mine, and all I want to do is corrupt them. I want to know what they look like scrunched up while she comes around my cock.

“Ambrose,” Diego calls as he joins us. “Good to see you again, Valerie.” He offers her a smile that runs through me and has me pulling her closer as I sit up to see what he wants.

She strokes her fingers over my arm in small patterns, presumably following the shapes of my tattoos she can see through my shirt.

He starts mumbling off about numbers and digits and not even seconds later, I’m zoned out and focused on Val's actions. I swear all these finance guys are the same, all they can do is talk about numbers in some weird attempts to brag about their knowledge and how big their pockets are.

That’s how the next hour goes, them bragging, Val and I drinking while having our own small conversations, she continues to watch her friends while drawing her little patterns on my arms.

Fully focused on her I smirk, I watch how she focuses on her actions. “That feels good,” I whisper and she smirks, still focusing. “You know what would make it feel better?” I ask, and she shakes her head.

“What?”

“If it was your nails digging into my back, instead of drawing these patterns.”

She freezes, staring at me in disbelief and at the same time I spot Antonio talking to Natalia again.

“Baby brother alert, time to cut this short, sweetheart. Go dance with your friend.”

“What if I don't want to?”

Her eyes are full of mischief as she places a hand high up on my thigh. I can’t help but smirk and tilt my head to the side.

“Be a good girl and listen, I’ll reward you later.”

A very faint thumping on my thigh makes me want to swallow my words and take Valerie to the nearest bathroom and fuck the shit out of her, because it confirms the effect my words are having on her.

As Antonio turns to face us, Natalia tries her best to distract him–she’s my new favourite. Valerie is on her feet handing her empty glass to a passing waitress seconds later.

“I’ll see you later?” she asks. She’s unsure—unsure of this, of us—of what I said, and I wanna wipe that look off her face with a kiss.

I smile, a genuine smile, at her and nod before winking. “Of course, sweetheart.”

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