Page 41 of Miss Understood

Our lips separate but linger a breath apart. Her eyes read my face, but I don’t see the regret I fear. Instead, her hooded eyes trace my mouth and then flick up to meet mine.

“That was…” she breathes.

I grin and give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Hello, my wife.”

Her cheeks flush as she straightens up and looks at the people staring at us. When she runs her fingers over her blonde hair to pull it over one shoulder, I catch sight of her bare collarbone and try not to imagine peppering it with kisses as I fuck the sanity out of her.

Swallowing the thought, I pin a hard stare on Troy.

“Jesse.” He reaches out and shakes my hand, and I can’t help but grip a little tight. I feel like I’m coming together and breaking apart all at the same time. I’m taller than he is, but not by much. And he’s the kind of man with enough money and power to match me in every other way.

“Good to see you,” I lie.

Troy nods, and his cold blue eyes narrow as they dart from me to Luce. He gives Luce that heated gaze again, and it makes me squeeze his hand harder, because if he’s seen her naked, I might have to kill him.

Luce’s hands land on my elbow and wrap around my arm, finally breaking my grip.

“I didn’t realize you two were dating.” Troy straightens up, and I know he worded it that way just to piss me off.

“Dating? No,” I say, shooting him a wide grin. “Troy, meet my lovely wife.”

His face pales slightly, even if his expression doesn’t falter. And though the words are meant to tell him to back off, saying them out loud feels a lot like claiming her, and there’s nothing in me that wants to take them back.

15

Luce

Menandtheirpissingcontests. My eyes can’t physically roll far enough back in my head at the sight of Jesse and Troy’s silent standoff. They might as well be measuring each other’s dicks with rulers.

Not that I’m going to complain about that hot-as-fuck kiss Jesse just gave me. I know he and I agreed no touching unless absolutely necessary, but my head is still spinning.

It might have been all for show, but it felt like a whole lot more. I’m pretty sure I lost a part of myself in him that I don’t know I’ll be able to recover once we are finished.

Finished.

Why does my stomach somersault at the thought? Even if there’s still a good amount of time left in this fake relationship, the idea of its end sends me spinning. I’m not the kind of woman who catches feelings, and this arrangement is messing with my head.

Jesse and Troy manage to move on to irritated banter, but I don’t miss that Troy’s eyes pin me every few minutes. Each time they do, Jesse pulls me a fraction closer, like he’s claiming me.

He doesn’t realize it’s unnecessary. There’s never been anything between Troy and me. Sure, Troy has tried a few times, sprinkling me with compliments in the courtroom, offering downright filthy propositions outside of it. But I didn’t take him up on it, even if the man is built like a Greek god.

Troy runs one of our biggest competing firms, and even if those baby blues are downright sinful, I don’t fuck the competition—a rule I’m thankful I’ve never broken now that I’m standing here with Jesse.

“I hear you’ve taken on the Marchetto case,” Troy says with a devious smile. “Guess we’ll get to play in court.”

“You’re representing Tony,” I say flatly. It’s not a question, since the dirty smirk on his stupidly handsome face answers it.

“Sorry to bring more bad luck your way; I hear there’s been a string of losses.” His darkening blue eyes fix on Jesse.

“It’s cute you think you’ll win,” Jesse says. That arrogant confidence in his tone that used to piss me off now sends a shiver through my whole body.

“We’ll see.” Troy tips up his glass and takes a drink.

I squeeze Jesse’s arm. “I’m going to find the ladies’ room.”

He nods, giving me a once-over before letting go of my hand. The heat of his stare strips me free of this not-so-subtle dress. I’d originally planned on something a bit more conservative. After all, this is somewhat of a work event. But after Jesse basically pinned me against the window and clouded my head with thoughts of him fucking me, I felt like being a little more playful.

Unfortunately, while this dress is easy on the eyes, it’s a nightmare to maneuver in the cramped bathroom stalls. It takes me five minutes of careful folding and tucking to keep the fabric out of the toilet.

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