Page 117 of Undeniable

And suddenly everything made sense as the pieces fell into place. Juliana was my mystery woman from the wedding expo. And Landon had been with her at the bar when we met. His eyes were currently ping-ponging between Juliana, Olivia, and me.

Olivia extended her hand to Juliana. “Olivia. So nice to meet you. Thank you for squeezing us in.”

“Of course.” Juliana smiled, though her gaze was questioning when she focused on me.

I wrapped my hand around hers, encasing her delicate fingers with my callused hand. The sight of her skin against mine sparked a wave of fresh memories. Her hand around my cock, pumping. My palm sliding down her spine as she released a shaky exhale.

My lips curled into a smile, and without thinking, I stroked my thumb over her skin. Again, I felt that spark. That…pull. “Harrison.”

She frowned down at our hands, quickly pulling hers away. I didn’t understand her reaction. Was she embarrassed about the other night? I studied her expression for clues, but she quickly turned for the door, putting her back to me.

Maybe she was mad that I’d vanished? But she’d been sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t bear to wake her. Besides, what had she really expected? We both knew it was nothing more than a one-time thing, even if I did want a repeat. And I hadn’t been a complete ass—I’d left a note.

After Landon excused himself, Juliana closed the door, her palm pressed against the surface for a moment longer than necessary. When she faced us again, she wore a mask of professionalism. She took a seat at the table, composed, calm.

“First of all, congratulations.” She smiled. “So—” She glanced down at her tablet. “I see we’re on a tight schedule.”

Olivia nodded. “Yes. My fiancé and I would like to get married this fall, preferably in September.”

“Okay.” She shifted, returning her attention to her tablet, where I presumed a calendar was displayed. “It looks like I have some availability—at least, the third, maybe the fourth, weekend.”

Out of the corner of my eye, Olivia nodded. But my attention remained focused on the blonde sitting across from me. I knew what she looked like when she came, and I couldn’t get the image out of my head. And now I finally knew her name.

I missed the next part of the conversation. Something about dates and venues and pricing. All the while, Juliana kept her attention focused on Olivia, only glancing to me when absolutely necessary.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why the rush?” Juliana asked.

“We’ve been together for almost a year. When you know, you know. Right?” Olivia laughed, but Juliana didn’t.

“A—” She swallowed. “Year.” Her face blanched.

I frowned, the tension in the room rising. “I’m sorry, but why is this information necessary?”

“I, um…” She stared at her tablet. “I like to know the backstory of a couple. It helps me get a better picture of their personalities and style.” When she met my eyes again, hers blazed with anger. A challenge. “Though, really, how well can you ever know someone?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, enjoying the way her eyes darted to my biceps. “I don’t know. I think you can know someone pretty well, even after just one night.”

Juliana’s breath caught, but Olivia was so busy looking through the notes on her phone, she missed it. Juliana’s skin flushed with color, creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks. I smirked.

“One night can makeor breaka relationship,” she ground out, and I wondered if she was referring to an ex. Clearly, he’d done a number on her.

Olivia’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

She held the phone to her ear, talking in a hushed voice as she darted toward the door. Juliana stood and tried to escape, but I was faster. I placed my hand on the door, stopping her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, skin flushed. Her chest rose and fell, her breasts nearly brushing against me.

“Stopping you from running away.” I was so tempted to reach out and touch her, to place my hands on her hips. To physically restrain her from running away from me, even though she was completely and emotionally unavailable.

She swallowed, her eyes darting everywhere but at me. “I-I—” she stammered. “You shouldn’t be here.”

I furrowed my brow. This woman perplexed me. “Why? Because we slept together?”

“Yes,” she hissed, her eyes darting toward the door, toward Olivia.

I leaned in, getting a whiff of her floral scent. She looked polished, just as she had that night in the bar. And just like that night, I wanted to muss her up. I wanted to get her to let her hair down, live a little.

“Last time I checked, picking up a stranger in a bar isn’t a crime.”

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