Page 94 of Love Contract

Theo’s dimple peeks into view. She shifts in her seat, a movement that causes her skirt to ride a little higher up her thighs.Little minx…

She says, “This is one of my favorite drives.”

“Mine, too.”

I’m going the long way home so we can take the Pacific Coast Highway. There’s almost no difference at all between the moonlight glinting off the deep, indigo ocean and that sparkling dress against Theo’s creamy thighs.

Her hand lies on the seat between us, small, thin, and slightly battered—a clever-looking hand, one capable of all sorts of difficult and intricate tasks.

A hand that stole all over my body all night long, teasing against my chest, climbing up my thigh, twining in my hair, all maneuvers designed to distract and irritate Angus, but their real victim was me. My cock has been swelling and going soft for hours while Theo draped herself all over me.

I want to slip my hand into hers and link our fingers together.

Such a simple act but strangely significant.

In a way, it feels like it would be crossing a bigger line than when I put my face between her thighs.

Holding hands is intimate. It’s meaningful.

I could do it all night long while Angus was watching, but I’m not supposed to do it now.

I can’t stop looking at her hand. I can’t stop looking at her legs. I can’t stop taking deep breaths of Theo’s perfume, which smells a little bit like vanilla and cinnamon with an edge of something naughtier.

She’s supposed to go home in two days.

Just two more days.

Is she looking forward to the peace and privacy of her own apartment? Or will she miss our dinners, our early morning coffee when we’re both still puffy-faced and dreamy, our drives into work together?

I’m going to miss them.

In fact, how much I’ll miss them is concerning.

For the last ten years, I’ve worked my ass off to make sure I’m never again drowning in that feeling of loss, of emptiness, of helplessness…

And now, just a few weeks into this thing with Theo, I’m already cut loose. Where’s my discipline? Where’s my planning? Where’s my self-control?

Those are the anchors of my existence, and they’re evaporating like they were never solid iron at all but only flimsy soap bubbles.

I was barely paying attention to Angus during dinner. The whole damn point was to dig down and figure out what’s actually going to make him pull the trigger on a property. Instead, I lost myself in the game of jealousy and connection, taking all my pleasure from how good it felt on my side of the booth with Theo curled under my arm, proving that onlyIknow what really makes her tick.

I was sloppy at dinner. Nonstrategic. I could have done way more to stay on Angus’ good side, and I could have made an ally out of Jessica instead of an enemy.

I made mistakes because I was emotional and distracted.

Because of Theo.

“You looked stressed,” she says.

“I’m not stressed.”

Her eyebrow raises like a soot-black question mark. “I thought we promised not to lie to each other?”

Goddamnit.Why did I make that rule?

“Okay.” I let out a breath. “I’m a little stressed.”

“Why?” Theo sits up in her seat. “Angus hired you! He wants you to find a property.”

---