Page 111 of Modern Romance Collection May 2024 Books 1-4

Her mind slammed to a halt.

“Your date?”

Strange that the thought of going on a date frightened her more than going to bed with him. A date demanded more than a joining of bodies, more than a simple affair. It involved emotions and expectations. Was she prepared for something like this? Or would it cause old wounds to open, to lose the grip she had on her newfound confidence?

Before she could grasp onto a rational thought and think things through, he closed the distance between them, stopping inches away from her chair. His hand came up, his fingers gliding over her cheek, smoothing back a stray curl.

“We’ve been at odds since we met. Or at least since I first met you,” he said with a small smirk. “Neither of us are denying the attraction between us. An attraction I suspect has been there for a long time.”

She didn’t deny, didn’t look away. Not this time.

“But there’s always something in the way. The past. Our roles.” He leaned down, his eyes heating as his hand slid into her hair. “Tonight, we’re just going to be us.”

Her chest rose and fell as she breathed deeply, tried to force herself to think past the desire humming inside her.

“And after tonight?”

God, she sounded wanton. Breathless. Husky.

“After tonight, the choice is yours.”

She hesitated. “I believe that tonight it will actually become your choice.”

A frown furrowed his brow. “Oh?”

“I want to talk...to tell you what happened between us. Before I left.”

His face cleared. “I would like that, too.”

“We could talk now—”

“One night, Esmerelda.” He moved, brushed his lips across hers in a kiss so light it might have been the graze of butterfly wings. “One night of enjoyment, of just being two people on a date. Just us.” Another kiss had her rising up to deepen the kiss, only to be thwarted when he released her and stepped back. “Then we’ll talk.”

“Okay.” She released a pent-up breath and nodded. “Okay. I’d like that.” She glanced down at her T-shirt and shorts. “I’ve got a sundress or two that might work. Maybe Aroldo could recommend a store that has a shawl...” Her voice trailed off as she looked up to see Julius’s smug expression. “What?”

“I got you something.”

She followed him down the hall to her room, anticipation building despite her best efforts to keep calm. It had been ages since she’d received anything more than a card wishing her a happy birthday.

He opened the door and stepped back. With a curious glance at him, she crossed the threshold.

And stepped into a dream.

Beautiful dresses were draped over the bed, hanging from the chandelier, laid out over a chair. Dresses in colors her mother had always warned her off from because it would be “too much” with her hair, her freckles. Gowns bedecked with jewels, garments fashioned from silk, dresses with yards of tulle that made her think of a princess from her favorite childhood fairy tale.

She had never cared much for clothes as a child. Barefoot had been her preferred shoe, shirts and pants she could get dirty her favored clothing. Her mother had foisted pretty dresses on her with warnings to sit still. For the longest time, Esme had associated quality clothing with being bored. By the time she had graduated college and started showing an interest in wearing something other than casual wear, she had been entering the academy, where her options had been limited to the three uniforms they wore during training, followed by black suits with white shirts once she’d landed her job.

Right now, though, as her fingers reached out and brushed over satin the color of a spring morning sky, she realized she liked pretty dresses very much.

“Julius...they’re lovely.”

He moved behind her, his hands settling on her shoulders. Her eyes grew hot as she looked down at her feet.

“But?”

“They’re not...me.” She swallowed hard and forced out a chuckle. “I can run two miles in just over thirteen minutes and ranked first in marksmanship. Can you really picture me in one of these?”

“In and out.”

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