Page 147 of Dirty Husband
"She was amazing as Ophelia in high school," I say.
"Your high school put onHamlet?" he asks.
She laughs. "It was an advanced school. We were very competitive."
"And you played Juliette the next year?" he asks, genuinely interested. Or pretending.
She smiles. "If only… I didn't make the cut. I was the nurse."
He nods knowingly.
But I haven't got a clue what he knows. And I don't care. I hate these assholes.
I can't let it show. I can't feel it, think it, see it.
There must be something else. Some way I can find a quarter of her charm.
That's it—
"She was better than the lead. But I am biased." I turn my body toward hers. Take her hand. Then the other. My next inhale is easier. Then I pull her closer and my exhale is effortless. "I can never take my eyes off you."
"Shep…" Her voice gets breathy. "This isn't the place—"
"I don't care." I pull her body into mine. Her pelvis, her stomach, her chest, her lips.
She tastes good, like tea and honey.
Her hands go to my shoulders. One curls around the back of my neck. Then it's her fingers in my hair.
Her touch is soft. Tender. Loving.
Fuck.
My body gets light.
She pulls back with a heavy sigh.
For a moment, it's just the two of us. The desire flowing between us.
And something more. A need for something deep inside her. Not just her admiration, respect, obedience.
Her love.
Then Marcus interrupts and I'm a lead weight again.
"We found something." He claps his hands together. "Is Earl Grey all right?" He says it like it's some sort of exotic tea, not the most popular scented black tea in existence.
"Yes, thanks." She smiles, takes my hand, turns to the main room. "Where does this tour start?"
"Of course." Marcus beams. "This is one of my favorite locations." He motionsfollow me.
Diablo stays behind us.
Jasmine stays glued to my side.
I let Marcus speak as he leads us down the hallway, around the corner. To the room where his staff melts cocoa.
A giant silver machine—like some kind of oversized mixing bowl—spins dark chocolate in slow spirals. The entire room smells like cocoa. Rich, sweet, a little floral.
