Holt’s searing gaze sends a shiver down my spine and heat radiating to the space between my thighs. It’s as if every nerve ending has been awakened by his sudden appearance and closeness.
“Nice to see you again, Wallflower.” He smirks, the corner of his mouth curling. A chuckle rumbles from his chest before his grip tightens on the small of my back. “Are you ready?”
Then his mouth melts into mine.
FIVE
HOLT
You know that feeling you get when you’re told not to touch something, but you do it anyway, tossing all fucks out the window? Like staring at a flashing red button with a million signs hanging above it reading:Danger: Do not press.
You press it anyway, and the whole fucking building explodes.
That’s what I’ve done.
I was supposed to keep my mouth shut. I was supposed to stay hidden in the shadows, pretending Rome’s lawsuit isn’t hovering over me like an ominous dark cloud, fueling the gossip of tonight’s event.
But without a single thought or consideration, I pressed the button.
I’ve never been very good at following orders.
The crowd is eerily quiet for a ballroom filled with hundreds of auction attendees and media outlets. I can hear the constant clinking of flashing cameras, capturing the moment I decided to kiss Selene Walker.
Holy shit. I’m kissing Selene Walker.
Her chest is pressed against me, her back bowing under thepalm of my hand. It rests just above the top curve of her ass, her silk dress sliding against my touch. My other hand is gripping the back of her head. My fingers get lost in the threads of her shiny blonde hair.
I hold her against my mouth, not wanting this moment to end. I’ve caught her off guard, stolen her breath away. I wasn’t supposed to kiss her on the mouth. It was supposed to remain innocent—a show of cuteness for the public, a gentle peck to the cheek. But I couldn’t help myself. She’s insatiable with absolutely no effort. One look, and I’m caving, tossing all fucks out the window, reputation be damned.
See? I’m not very good when it comes to following orders.
The hushed whispers and gasps from the crowd grow increasingly louder with every passing second, but I still hear the moan that rumbles from Selene’s mouth. She melts under my touch, bending into me and pressing her mouth harder to mine. Then her hand wraps around my arm, clutching onto me for support. I dig my fingers into the small of her back, supporting her. My skin crackles at the thought of making her literally weak in the knees.
Kissing Selene Walker is something I’ve imagined for entirely too long, and now I’m actually fucking doing it. She tastes and feels like heaven. Utter perfection against me.
But even in this moment, when I will it to last forever, it doesn’t. Our kiss is fleeting.
I tilt my head, wanting to deepen our kiss, but Selene’s grip on me tightens. Then she’s pushing me back. Our mouths tear apart, and she distances herself. Her green eyes stare at me, wide-eyed, the golden flecks in them reflecting off the spotlight still shining down on us.
She shivers, her breath quivering between her now swollen lips. “What the hell?” She inhales, her chest caving in with a dramatic breath. Her wide-eyed gaze shifts to her right, out tothe gossip hungry crowd. With her cheeks enflamed, she presses her hand to her stomach.
Guilt crashes into me. Not for kissing her. But for kissing her this way in front of hundreds of people, knowing I’m the one who’s caused the panic that’s now clearly pouring out of her.
I squeeze her hand, hoping it will ease her reaction, but my confidence fractures when her wide eyes narrow and she winces.
She tears her hand from my grip and leaves me where I’m standing on the stage. She’s shaking her head as she walks but stops when she reaches the outer edge of the curtain backstage. I’m staring at her back when she lifts her hand to her forehead.
“Selene, wait.”
Her hand falls away, ignoring me, and she takes several more steps farther backstage.
I finally catch up to her. “Selene.”
“What the hell was that, Holt?” She spins on her heel, eyebrows slanted in anger.
“Not quite sure why you’re so upset.” I narrow my gaze. “You were clearly asking for my help out there. Pleading for it, in fact.”
I can’t forget the way she mouthed her plea to me with her gaze locked onto mine.
