Page 29 of Kisses and Paperclips

Now I knew it too.

His eyes locked onto mine.

That smile curved his lips like he could read every desperate thought racing through my head. As if he was daring me to remember the way his hands had gripped my hips, how I’d arched into him without hesitation, how he’d made me forget my own damn name.

Hot blood pounded through me. Too hot. Too much. Especially here, in this room, with her watching.

Ms. Brooks’s smile never slipped. But her gaze, sharp as a blade, cut between us.

She’d seen something. That single, silent beat said enough.

With a blink, she straightened her blouse, lifted her chin, and called the meeting to order.

But the damage was done.

The storm wasn’t coming.

It was already here.

And I was standing right in its Path.

Shit.

Chapter 6

Julien

I wasn’t ready to see her.

Not here.

Not like this.

Not standing in my mother’s boardroom with last night hanging between us like a live wire.

The air crackled the moment our eyes met.

Serena.

She blinked once, too fast, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. That sharp inhale.

I knew that look.

She hadn’t expected me to walk through that door.

Funny.

I hadn’t expected her to be the one holding it open.

My gaze lingered a second too long, the memory of tangled sheets and pants and moans threatening to pull me under. The scent of her perfume, vanilla with a hint of brown sugar with an edge of spice, hit me like a physical touch.

I forced myself to look away before I did something stupidly outed us in front of everyone here. Judging by the look on her face it was the last thing she wanted.

My mother’s expectant smile gave me the distraction I needed. I turned toward her, dragging in a steadying breath.

The bouquet sat between us like a memory I wasn’t sure still belonged to her.

Peonies.

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