Page 78 of Taboo
I’m so proud of her it hurts.
I move through the crowd, shaking hands, nodding at compliments about her work.
“Her work is simply magical,” a gallery owner enthuses, his glass raised.
I grin, my heart swelling.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” a critic murmurs.
I grin, my heart swelling a little more.
Every now and again, my eyes keep finding Amelia. Across the room in her emerald dress, the same one from the gala, its silk hugging her curves, the slit at her thigh unbelievably sexy and provocative. Her hair is loose, framing her face, but I see the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers twist around her champagne flute. Her bewitching eyes dart to me. She’s nervous, but she’s happy.
I know she is—but the crowd, the pressure, it’s got her wound up tight.
I’m talking to a board member, his voice droning about investment portfolios, when I glance over, and she’s gone, slipped out like a shadow. My pulse quickens, a quiet worry flaring. I excuse myself quickly and weave through the crowd. I go past the glowing displays of her art. One of the dragon’s eyes seems to follow me.
The lobby’s quieter. And there I find her, leaning against a column, her eyes closed.
“Amelia,” I say, my voice low, crossing to her, my hand grazing her arm. Her eyes snap open, as green and as wide as a field of dewy grass. She exhales, a slow smile curving her lips.
“You’ve come.”
“Of course.”
“I just needed some air,” she says.
“Don’t be nervous. It’s going good, Amelia. Great, even.”
“I know. I’m just…” She trails off, her gaze flicking back to the ballroom doors, where laughter spills out.
I step closer, my hand settling on her waist, the silk, warm under my palm. “No one can stop staring at your drawings,” I say, my voice steady, warm. “They’re breathtaking. You’re breathtaking.” I tilt her chin up, my thumb brushing her jaw, and her eyes soften, but the nervous edge lingers.
She grasps my jacket, her fingers curling into the lapels. “It’s going so well,” she says, her voice dropping secretively. “So why am I so freaking nervous?” Her eyes lock on mine, intense, searching, a spark flaring in their depths. “Maybe I need something to fire me up.”
“Yeah?” I ask, my voice low, a grin tugging at my lips. “So the room full of people dying to talk to you, didn’t do it for you?”
She steps closer, her body brushing mine, the heat of her sparking through me. “All I need is fifteen minutes,” she murmurs, her voice husky, a playful glint in her eyes. “Maybe ten, if you do that thing with your tongue that should be illegal.”
My grin widens. “Ten minutes?”
“Do you think they have a room available?”
I stare at her, my heart thudding, the air between us electric. I pull a key card from my pocket, the plastic cool in my hand. “I got it just in case you needed something to fire you up.”
She squeals with delight, an unguarded sound, and snatches the key, her fingers brushing mine, sending a jolt through me. “You’re unbelievable and wonderful. Your fifteen minutes start now.” She pulls me toward the elevators, her heels clicking on the marble.
She looks at her watch cheekily and raises an eyebrow.
I only shrug.
Seconds later,the elevator dings, and its doors slide open. We dash out, giggling like teenagers sneaking around, Amelia’shand tight in mine. Her eyes are sparkling with mischief, and her cheeks are flushed.
We reach the room, and she fumbles with the lock, the plastic clicking until the door swings open, revealing a suite bathed in soft lamplight, white linen and dark wood. I don’t wait. I have fifteen minutes, and I plan to go for the ten-minute deadline. I push her gently against the door as it shuts, the wood cool against my palms, her body warm and yielding under mine.
“Max,” she breathes, her voice a husky whisper, but I’m already kneeling, my hands sliding up her thighs, pushing the silk dress higher, the slit baring her skin. Her scent—pussy heat—hits me, and I groan.
My lips brush the soft skin above her lace panties. I tug them down, her fingers tangle in my hair, as she melts against the door. My tongue finds her, wet and sweet, and I suck her whole sex into my mouth and do that thing that makes her come in three minutes flat.
