Page 59 of The Vow Thief
That earned me a look. The kind that starts as disbelief but softens into something else.“You don’t enjoy events like that? You seemed like you were born for it.”
“Not even close,” I said, laughing quietly.“I’m better at surviving them than enjoying them.”
She smiled.“That’s surprising. You’re a good conversationalist. Charming, even.”
I felt a small warmth spread in my chest, something calm and unfamiliar.“I liked watching you work the room. You were in your element. Confident. You made everyone there feel like they mattered.”
Julianne looked out the window, quiet for a beat.“That’s the trick,” she said softly.“Make people the center of the story for five minutes. That’s all anyone really wants.”
I kept my eyes on the road, but the words stuck.
That was exactly what she was doing to me, making me feel like I mattered, like I was the only one in the room worth seeing.
Maybe it was genuine. Maybe it was art.
Either way, it worked.
I made a mental note to remember that about her, the way she could give you attention so complete it felt like gravity.
The car fell quiet, the kind that fills the space between two people who both know something shifted.
My place was quiet and clean, the way it’s supposed to be when you live alone and try not to think about what that means. It was a bachelor pad with opulence. Clean lines, high-end finishes, and posh furnishings. I wasn’t going to live alone and hate my life anymore.
I poured two drinks. She set her clutch on the counter and wandered to the window, looking out at slate roofs and the line of the water beyond.
“You have good taste,” she said, her reflection clear in the window.“And an even better view.”
I took a sip of my drink.
“It helps.”
She turned slightly, her gaze catching mine.
“Helps with what?”
I let the silence stretch before answering.
“I like to surround myself with beautiful things, and the view is gorgeous.” I was talking about her. I didn’t want to chit-chat any longer. I wanted her in my bed. Beneath me.
She smiled at the view, then turned back to me.“Oh, a man who knows what he likes.”
“Yes,” I said.“And who knows what he wants.”
Her eyes didn’t waver.“Is that me?”
I nodded once.“It is, Julianne.”
She tilted her head, her heels barely making a sound on the hardwood as she started toward me.“Is that against the rules?”
“Probably,” I said.“But I’ve never been good at following them.”
Her smile deepened.“Good. Then tonight’s your chance to prove it,” she said, stepping close enough that I could feel her breath mix with mine.
When I finally kissed her, it was out of pure instinct. Her lips were soft but sure, meeting mine like she had been waiting for it. The kind of kiss that starts quietly and turns into something else before you realize it.
She pressed against me, fingers sliding up the back of my neck, pulling me closer. I caught the faint taste of wine as our tongues played, dancing in and out of each other’s mouths. My hands found the curve of her waist, then moved up the smooth line of her back until the zipper was beneath my thumb. As I eased the zipper down, she moaned into my mouth. I felt it all the way to my cock. I gently pushed her dress off her shoulders, then stepped back and watched it fall slowly down her body. Her skin was tan and smooth. Her nipples were taught and peeking through her midnight blue lace bra. The exact color of her dress and panties. She was fucking beautiful.
The only thought in my mind at that moment was what it would sound like when I made her come.
