Page 27 of Claiming His Wife
For a woman who was always upfront about her emotions, Kalilah was already feeling defeated. Even as she listened to her sister’s plan, Kalilah wondered how moments of passion and indifference were going to get her the annulment papers in three months.
But did she voice even a single complaint? No, Kalilah was a sucker for her sister’s smile, and for the look on her face when she pulled out the shimmering floor-length gold sheath with a slit up to one thigh. She knew that she was going ahead with this plan, if for no reason than to appease her sister.
Her only input she had was on the makeup. She wanted it to be as simple as possible, and after a while Kaiya agreed. After Kaiya got dressed in a thigh-length, white, sequined dress, they went down to the lobby in an elevator where her big-headed, annoying, arrogant, over-the-moon sexy, soon-to-be-ex-husband was waiting for them.
Finn looked devilishly handsome in his back tux. It was molded to his muscled body. His dark hair was slicked back, and he looked like the man she fell in love with years ago. Finn’s reaction when he caught sight of her was satisfying and comical in equal bounds. Kalilah had never left a man speechless before. Many had commented on her beauty, at least Finn and Jonathan had, so had her girlfriends, but she had never had a man stare at her and swallow only to stare again. His heated stare overwhelmed her and made her feel vulnerable. She broke the silence when they neared.
“Hello, Finn.”
***
If he thought she was a hurricane in his office, he clearly didn’t know what he was thinking. She was an act of God the same way a rainbow or a volcanic eruption was a natural phenomenon, and there was no understanding its mysteries. One minute she was subdued, and the next she was a fire that dared a bold soul to reach for her flames.
The dress was pure sex, with the promise of hot passion and mystery. Sexy, erotic without being vulgar – but it made a lot of promises in between the lines. Such marvelous line too.
The gold material clung to her body, showcasing her subtle curves, long lines that were not marred by the presence of underwear (he knew that much, unless it was a thong and even that was much… more) before it flowed down in long lines to her feet. It was completely modest, subtle, and even mysterious until one caught sight of glistening flesh from a slit in the skirt that reached her thigh and was hidden in the long folds until she moved.
And what a move, a sinuous stretch of a toned body that held the eyes, stole the senses, and built a desire that he knew would be impossible to quench if he didn’t have her.
He had thought he had the upper hand, but he was quickly disabusing himself of that notion. He had never begged for a dinner invitation; worse still, he had never had his own invitations turned down. And, to add salt to the injury, he had invited himself by underhanded means, only to have his victory thrown in his face.
Judging from the glances in their direction, he wasn’t the only man tempted by the vision she presented. Men were casting subtle and obvious glances in their direction and Kalilah? The little minx was enjoying the show.
He scowled and he saw that she stared at him skeptically.
“You girls look beautiful. Ready to head in?”
“Let’s go.” Kaiya broke in. “I’m starving!”
The pleasure of leading two beautiful women to dinner was dimmed by the fact that none of them belonged to him.
Moments later the sisters each linked their arms into one of his, and they were led to their reserved table. Dinner passed in a flurry of chatter between him and Kaiya. They mostly discussed the best locations for her dance school. Kalilah remained silent at the table, sipping on cocktails, and only answered any questions in a monotone.
Finn and Kaiya had tried to pull her into their conversation, but she remained silent. She spoke more to the waiter than she did to him and Kaiya. Finn would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him. He wished she would say something – anything. They talked so much at brunch, and he was hoping that it would be the same tonight.
If Kalilah smiled at their personal waiter one more time, he wasn’t going to be responsible for his actions. He spied the young, overblown, dark-haired man approach, and he scraped his chair back with a force that had people from other tables looking their way. He was damned if he was going to sit back and allow another man to ask his wife to dance or even make her smile.
He had ignored the jazz band long enough, and the men who had eyes for his wife had taken it as permission to approach. Somewhere, in the recesses of his mind, a voice tried to remind him she was intent on becoming his ex. He wouldn’t be entertaining such thoughts. Not today. Not ever. He would woo his runaway wife if it was that last thing he did.
***
“Let’s dance.” She looked from Finn’s proffered hand to her sister’s smirking face and knew she wasn’t going to be any help.
She tried though.
“I can’t leave...”
“Please, don’t let me stop you. Enjoy yourselves!” Kaiya stalled her excuse with a flashy smile.
Gone was the innocent face and its place was a pixie, a mischievous imp. She would have enjoyed the transformation a whole lot more if wasn’t directed against her. With no more excuses available to her, she placed her hand in his offered one and allow him to lead her closer to the band.
He held her close and Kalilah allowed him. It had been a long time since she danced. His masterful hands led her, but still allowed her freedom to make her body move in all the ways it wanted to. She breathed in his scent and sighed. He smelled really good. She could almost get lost in the scent. He twirled her and she went willingly. The skirt of her dress twirled by the sudden motion and exposed a bit more flesh, but she didn’t notice. He did. A few eyes widened in appreciation at the show, and he pulled her body back to him as he silently vowed, no more twirls.
“I missed this.”
“This?”
“Dancing like this… with you.” Kalilah’s confession startled her and she decided that the alcohol she had earlier inebriated her. She remembered how they would dance like this when her parents threw soirees at the estate. They would sneak away, to another part of the house where they could still hear the music, and sway together.
