Page 166 of Forbidden Lessons

And any minute now, someone’s going to figure it out.

I turn to look at the dresses hanging from the rack.

Fuck.

Wouldn’t it be nice if that never happened?

Chapter 48

Bastian

Haven steps out of the dressing room wearing the floor length Elie Saab in royal blue. She has a hand over the plunging neckline that closes just beneath her sternum, but hesitantly drops her arm to her side when I get to my feet.

I have to swallow twice before I can get words past my tight throat.

“You look fucking phenomenal,” I murmur.

She takes a hurried step back, and I sway on my feet as I lock my legs in place. I’d been stalking up to her like a fucking wolf about to devour a lamb caught in brambles.

I scrape my nails over my scalp and order my cock to stand the fuck down.

The silky, deep blue fabric sets off her eyes, her skin. Even her hair has become a deep bronze scattered with blonde highlights.

No wonder I stormed her like that.

She looks good enough to devour whole.

“It’s a bit…” She trails off, hands clenching at her side, hips swaying a little. When she bites the corner of her bottom lip, I’m fighting back a groan.

“No, you’re right,” I rasp, clearing my throat. “There’s no way in hell you’re showing up in that.”

I push past her, snatch the Monique Lhuilier off the rack. It’s an asymmetrical off the shoulder cut that might sit a bit tighter on Haven’s body, but definitely won’t show off as much skin.

“Here.” I hold it between us like a shield, my eyes averted.

“I kinda like this one. Feels so nice. Look how cool it looks when I’m dancing. Bastian, look.”

I give her a double take when she twirls around in front of the mirror outside the fitting room. The two halves of her bodice shift over her skin,barelycovering her breasts.

How the hell I just stand there, smiling faintly, when I so desperately want to force her to the floor, hike up that dress, and fuck her on the carpet will forever remain an unsolved mystery.

Why the hell am I suddenly—frantically—craving a line of coke?

That’s fucked.

I’mfucked.

Haven does another little twirl, grinning at me as our eyes lock.

My heart’s beating fast enough that it feels like I’ve already done a line.

I drag my hand down my face when she looks away to strike a pose in the mirror, and I can’t help but step up behind her.

She’s so much shorter than me, barely reaching my chin. When she sees me in the reflection, she tips her head back to look at me, her neck stretching. There’s a lot of makeup on there today, and I’m sure that’s why she’s feeling so much more confident.

The way her eyes sparkle.

The fall of her hair around her neck.

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