Page 82 of The Vow Thief
A smile crept in before I could stop it, the kind that comes when someone makes you feel chosen on purpose.
I didn’t know what this was with Eli, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Zoning out at work, fantasizing about him in bed at night. I wasn’t sure I was ready for this.
Is it Saturday yet?
Matt’s POV
Julianne laughed as she searched the room for her missing panties. Her hair was a mess, her skin still glowing from our morning sex. I watched from the bed, too lazy to move, content just to watch her move around my room like she already belonged there.
She froze mid-step and looked up.“Found them.”
They were hanging from the top of the door, exactly where I’d tossed them hours ago. She shook her head, grinning.“You have a terrible aim, Taylor.”
I smirked.“Worked out fine for me.”
She slipped them on, still smiling as she looked over at me.“I have to go shopping for a dress for the wedding Saturday.”
“Do you even know who’s getting married?” I asked.
“The daughter of one of my main donors,” she said easily.“Someone I’ve known for years.”
That caught my attention. A donor meant money, influence, connections. If this wedding gave me a chance to make a good impression, I’d be ready. I’d stay sharp and make her proud to have me on her arm.
I didn’t press for names. It didn’t seem important. Weddings weren’t about who was walking down the aisle, just who you were walking in with.
“Text me when you find one,” I said.“I leave for my flight to Chicago in two hours. Let me know when and where you want to meet on Saturday.”
She came back to the bed and gave me a long kiss. When she pulled away, her fingers lingered at my jaw.
“Try not to miss me too much,” she said.
“No promises.”
She laughed, grabbed her purse, and left. The door clicked shut, and the room went quiet.
Four nights with her had made the place feel different. Now it was just me and a cooling pillow.
I was going to miss her.
Julianne was great. Easy to be around, easy to want. The last thing I needed right now was another serious relationship, but maybe it was time to stop overthinking everything and just see where it went.
I needed Saturday to hurry up.
Elliott’s POV
The dark circles under my eyes betrayed me before I even looked in the mirror. I hadn’t slept properly since that night with Sarah. When Crow drove her home the next morning, he came back with a quiet observation.
“She called you Mr. Thompson.”
I wasn’t ready to tell her about Elliott Thompson. I needed a little more time as Eli.
I told her I’d be out of town all week, which wasn’t entirely untrue. I had meetings, but none far enough to justify silence. The lie gave me space. What I hadn’t expected was how empty that space would feel.
A final tug at my tie, a slow exhale, and I left the sanctuary of my suite.
Downstairs, Lily stood in the center of the living room like a porcelain queen, elevated on a pedestal while the seamstress adjusted the hem of her wedding gown. The fabric shimmered under the light, pure ivory, far too innocent for her.
“Lily,” I said, circling her like an appraiser at an auction,“you are stunning.”
