Page 48 of Kissing Danger

Disappointed?

Tugging nervously at my clothing again, I stared at his chin rather than meet his eyes.

“So... How was it? Did you like it?”

My hands were restless and wouldn’t stay still.

Where had I put that fidget spinner?

I could use it now.

Nathan studied me for a moment, never letting go of my arm even as his expression remained frustratingly neutral.

“What do you think?”

Biting my lip, my gaze dropped down a few inches to look at the tattoo on his neck that peeked out from the collar of his shirt.

“Well, I certainly hope you liked it. I mean, logically, you should. You’ve seen all the outfits before. Nothing should be a surprise. But seeing something in the workshop isn’t always the same as seeing everything together on the runway.”

I was rambling. I knew this, but I couldn’t seem to stop. My words kept coming, making less and less sense, until the feeling of Nathan’s strong finger under my chin brought my word vomit tirade to an abrupt halt.

He tipped my head up, so I was looking directly into his eyes. For a moment, his expression was so intense it made me squirm, but then a small smile turned up the corners of his mouth.

“I loved it. It was... fantastic.”

Overcome with excitement, I jumped onto him and wrapped my arms around his neck in a tight hug. He didn’t even stumble, slipping his arms underneath my ass as he was suddenly burdened with my weight, and holding me close, so my feet dangled off the floor.

No words were needed. Every feeling coursing through me was expressed when I pressed my mouth to his, and he didn’t hesitate to kiss back.

CHAPTER 16

Deacon

After-parties were notmy favorite thing. Not my least favorite thing. That honorable title would always belong to cockroaches.

Seriously, fuck cockroaches.

They gave me goosebumps just thinking about them.

So, not as bad as cockroaches, but still not my favorite thing.

I was wiped out after putting in so much work to get the show together. Now that it was done, just wanted to go home and enjoy a long bubble bath to unwind. Instead, I was stuck socializing with a bunch of rich assholes simply because they were the “elite” of the fashion world, and I needed to impress them.

Although, an after-party was where I met Nathan, so maybe they weren’t so bad.

Remembering our fateful first encounter, I clung tight to my glass of champagne to avoid repeating history and took a long drink.

Luckily, Nathan and Kiki were happy to do most of the talking as we mingled among the crowd. A few people asked me about my designs and my artistic style, but I didn’t usually get more than a sentence or two out before they moved onto the next topic.

The only people who cared about the artistic process were other designers, and there were very few of those here.

They were all probably home, working on their next creation and relaxing in bubble baths, just like I would rather be.

The Bellagio’s Grand Ballroom could hold over four thousand people. So, although Nathan had invited enough guests to throw a lively after-party, it still wasn’t enough to fill the room to capacity. There was plenty of space for everyone. I had no excuse to feel claustrophobic, yet I did. Most of the time I stayed near either Kiki or Nathan, happy to let them lead the conversation and filling in my opinions only when asked.

That way, everything went smoothly, and my impulsive tongue didn’t get me in trouble.

At least Oliver and Ashes were there, accompanying D’Angelo. Whenever the social niceties and fake smiles got to be too much, I could step aside to discuss the show with them.

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