Page 33 of Illicit Temptation

I step in between them. “It’s okay.”

“Um, sorry, ma’am.” Ben scampers away, his tray of dishes clanging.

“Are you all right?” Trace’s hands hover over my coffee-stained shirt, my breasts feeling the heat of his touch. More than the coffee. “Aww fuck. That coffee was hot, wasn’t it?”

“I’d be in more trouble if it wasn’t hot.”

“Did you not see that dosser, princess?” He lifts my chin. “Youdidrun right into him.”

Fury consumes me as I stand here, shaking, covered in coffee. “Did it look like I saw him?” I grit out and meet his eyes.

He tears his gaze away and snaps his fingers. “Larke, get two coffees over to Table 6.”

“You...” I swallow. “You knew where I was taking these coffees?”

“I’ve been watching you all day.” He takes the half-empty cups from me.

“I saw you chatting happily with one of the servers.” My hands shake, embarrassment flooding me from the gigantic stain. “I had to pick up her slack.”

“Sorry. Just being polite. My focus was entirely on you, I promise. I saw the vacant look in your eyes. I’ve been watching you enough to know when you’re lost in thought.” He lifts my gaze to his. “You were heading straight for that guy.”

I was lost in thought. About him. Talking to anotherwoman.

“I didn’t eat much today,” I make an excuse, tugging my jacket closed.

I wore a dark blue suit and a white collared shirt. I’m supposed to be threading through the guests to make sure everything is perfect without being noticed.

As much as I try, Trace can’t seem tonotnotice me.

“Looks like we have several things to rectify.” Trace takes my hand. “Do you have an extra shirt in the car?”

“No. This never happened before.” I let him lead me away from the party, thankful for the few moments I don’t have to think. And I’ll be packing extra clothes from now on if this wall of a man is going to cause me further spilling disasters.

We pass a waiter, and Trace snags his arm. “I need a plate of food for Ms. O’Rourke.Right now.”

The waiter shoots a concerned gaze at me “Oh... Okay. Which meal?”

“Steak,” Trace says before I can weigh in, and spins me down a corridor. “If you tell me you don’t eat red meat...”

“I eat meat. And the steak tips on the menu were delicious when we did a tasting. Where are you taking me?”

“To a place where I can take care of you.”

A vision of him going down on me makes me stumble, but he catches me.

“Why?” I blurt.

“Because you take care of everyone else.” He grips my chin. “Do you think I haven’t noticed that you’re the one your brothers call when they need something for their new wives? And how you can’t get to Astoria fast enough to be there for them?”

Here, I thought no one noticed what I did. Just expected it. The way I expect my brothers to protect me. It goes both ways. But Trace isn’t my brother. He’s my...husband.

“The private lounge is that way.” I tip my head, motioning further down the corridor.

Private.

I slip from his grasp and walk ahead of him, although I have no idea what I’ll do to fix this.

At the doorway to the lounge, Trace steps in front of me and looks inside. “Clear.”

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