Page 28 of Never Fake Date the Financier
And I’m still finding it hard to concentrate. The lack of food and all. Not because a ridiculously handsome billionaire is eyeing me like a savage beast. I glance over my shoulder and sure enough, he’s staring. Sitting on the armrest of a chair, arms folded. Pantsquitetight in all the right places. I should write a thank you note to his tailor next—ugh.
“You look…”
Was his voice always that raspy? That resonant? I swear it’s an octave or so deeper than I remember. And the way he’s looking at me…gulp.It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone look at me like this. Fiery. Fierce. Primal. I don’t even know if anyone has ever looked at me like this before. I guess the complete makeover wasn’t such a bad idea after all, even if I had to endure Lillian. I hate to admit it, but I like Adrian’s attention on me.
He pushes away from the chair and moves towards me, each step reverberating in my chest.
“You look…” he repeats as he closes in on me. I’m having flashbacks from his office, his all-consuming presence surrounding me. Hisscent.
“Hungry.”
“That’s not the word I was looking for.”
I can only meet his gaze for a moment. It’s so intense this close. And my chest and stomach feel so tight and twisted because I can’t stop thinking about that near-kiss. Those lips. And how much I’d like for him to try again.
“Yeah? What were you looking for?”
He makes a throaty sound and reaches for me, my skin tingling in anticipation. But then he lets his hand fall back to his side, and I let out a short breath. I shouldn’t be pushing. I should be trying to redirect to safer grounds. Platonic grounds.Professional.Because that’s all this is: A professional arrangement.
But his smile hits me square in the chest, stunning me. I don’t have to wait as Adrian reaches for me, but this time he doesn’t pull away as his fingertips brush my cheek, and tingling erupts all over my body. It’s incredible how good a single palm against my skin can feel.
“Indescribable,” he says. “There’s not a single word that could capture how stunning you are.”
Gulp.He’s certainly amped it up since I left. Maybe there was more to that near-kiss. Maybe it wasn’t purely for show. Maybe…
“Oh?” is the only word I can muster as my throat seals up, emotions bubbling up in my chest.
“You look the way I feel watching moonlight shimmering on the Ligurian Sea at midnight from the beach in Cinque Terre.”
I snort. It’s hard not to. There are times Adrian is smooth and clearly in control. Other times… “I-I’m not sure what that means, but it doesn’t sound like something a fake boyfriend would tell his fake girlfriend.”
“You’re right,” he says, letting his words fill the air around us, thick and heavy. “A person faking a relationship wouldn’t say these things when no one’s around.” His thumb brushes my bottom lip as his eyes dart between my eyes and mouth. “He wouldn’t be touching you.”
My breathing quickens. I feel my pulse everywhere as I stare at Adrian’s eyes. Fiery. Hungry. Leveled straight at me. His free hand wraps around my waist, and I nearly buckle. It’s unexpected, both the touch and its effect on my body.
“And he definitely wouldn’t kiss you.”
Oh god.Ohmygod!I swallow, trying my best to focus on anything other than those lips. “Is-is that what you’re going to do?”
He makes a throaty noise. Low and gravelly. A primal sound that lights me up from the inside.
“I’d like to finish what you started earlier.” He twines a finger around a coiled strand of my hair.
“What I started? You were the one trying to kiss me.”
He makes a deep, growly sound in his chest. A primal sound that sends a sharp jolt through my core. “It would’ve played well to the audience. And you’re telling me you didn’t want it either?”
My mouth dries. Waters. Tastes bitter, sour, and sweet. My body doesn’t know what to do so it’s running the damn gamut. “And where’s the audience now? It doesn’t seem like it would be beneficial to your cause.”
I don’t know why I’m talking. This man. A very handsome man who’s flipping my world on its head wants to kiss me, and I’m resisting. Well… the bare minimum.
“I think it plays well for my cause,” he rasps, as my mind blanks, tingles radiating across my scalp.
I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing, but for some reason, I don’t mind right now. I don’t mind the way he’s touching me. Talking to me. Looking at me. His eyes are hazy as he stares at me, as though he’s in a trance. Mesmerized. And it’s making me feel a way I’ve never felt before. I don’t want this to stop. And as he cups my face, thumb brushing my lips, I don’t think he wants it to stop either.
“What better way to prevent an awkward kiss in public than to perfect it in private?”
My heart is hammering so hard that I can barely hear Adrian when he speaks. “You might be onto something.”
