Page 14 of Beyond Friendship

My sweet friend nods.

“So how is your dating going?” I ask.

“Disastrous. So let’s not get into that, please.”

I chuckle. “Okay. What about your painting? How is that going?”

Straightaway her face lights up.

“Not bad. And I’m having a chat with Brian soon, as he wants to pimp the VIP lounge with fitting, unique art.”

“Oh, that’s great. You’ll no doubt make something stunning.”

Bella is an artist who makes paintings for a living. She’s modest about it herself, but she shouldn’t be because what she makes is mind-blowing. And I still wonder why her talent hasn’t been discovered yet. But then again, I’m not an art expert. Our heads turn sideways when we hear approaching footsteps, and for a second, I hope it’s Brian, but it’s not.

“Ah, here you are,” Steven says with a smile as he turns the corner. “Everything okay?”

I smile while rubbing my hand over my forearm.

“Oh yes, I’m fine. I needed fresh air. Bella accompanied me, and we lost track of time with girl talk.”

“You missed Cole and Alisha taking off in the limo. They’re on their way to their honeymoon,” he says.

“Oh, that’s fine. Those lovebirds only have eyes for each other.”

Bella stands and brushes over her dress. “I’m going inside. You have fun tonight,” she whispers as she hugs me. “And if you need to talk, you know where I am.”

“Thanks,” I whisper back.

As Bella strides away, I inch closer to Steven, my need for physical contact burning in my veins.

My fingertips caress the hard contours of his chest as I press myself against him. “That black suit looks incredible on you,” I purr, my digits grazing his biceps before seizing his lips in a passionate kiss. Our tongues tangle while our hands explore each other’s bodies.

A low, throaty moan slips from my throat as he presses into me and pleasure shoots through me like lightning. I crave this distraction more than anything now. His palms drift lower to cup my butt, trapping me against him. I react by nibbling at his earlobe, silently pleading for something special tonight. And thankfully, he catches on.

“How about us having some naughty fun out here in the open?”

I can barely contain my delight at the thought. My finger traces along his full lips before I tell him, “Well, there is something I’d love for you to do.”

His body tenses up with anticipation. “What do you want?”

“I want to feel your tongue against my clit.”

He stares into my eyes for what feels like an eternity before hesitantly removing his hands from my thighs and scratching the back of his neck. “Um, this might sound strange, but I don’t give oral sex.”

I take a step back. “What?”

“I don’t like it,” he says, scrunching his nose as if he had just smelled something sour. “During my internships at the gynecology ward, I saw women with some nasty issues down there.” His words come out like a shudder.

“Well, what about women giving you oral sex?” I ask, not wanting to know the details of what he has seen.

He grins, displaying a mouthful of perfect teeth. “Oh, now that’s different. I love it.”

His hands move from my shoulders to my hips as he closes the distance between us and descends his lips toward mine.

I freeze as the pang of reality hits me in my chest.Who am I kidding?Steven might have a perfect set of teeth and be a successful doctor, but he’s far from the right one for me.

I put firm pressure against his chest and shake my head. His hands fall to his sides as he takes a step backward. We stare at each other for a moment until he finally speaks.

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