A second before he can corner me, we hear footfalls and low voices coming down the hallway. The lustful light on Nathan’s face vanishes. His tall body goes rigid. I watch his indifferent mask fall over his angular features with my heart stuck in my throat.
The male voices become louder and closer.
Nathan steps away from me and quietly orders, “Go back to the room, Ari.”
Something in his tone has me obeying him without any argument. It isn’t like the last time. There’s a hint of protectiveness when he commands me.
Does he know the people walking in our direction?
The auction is still going strong as I journey back to the table and sit down in my chair without making eye contact with Mr. and Mrs. Roshan. I frown, finding Samaira’s seat empty. Even her tiny purse isn’t here.
Did she leave?
Fuck! How long were Nathan and I gone?
Could she know he was with me?
How terrible a person am I for liking her departure?Suddenly, all the insecurities I felt when I compared myself to her disappear.
I take a swig of my wine when I feel the small hairs on my neck rise. A knot of desire and shyness forms in my belly when the chair next to me shifts backward. Hyperawareness slithers down my spine as Nathan sits down gracefully.
Did he forget he’s supposed to be seated across from me? There’s no indication on his stoic face.
My heartbeat goes boom when our thighs touch under the table.
A zap of current jolts me from top to bottom.
Leaning forward with my elbows on the table, I move to crisscross my legs. Nathan’s hand bands around just above my knees, keeping them pressed together. When his finger tickles the soft skin beneath, my toes curl in my heels.
I fight to keep my composure.
What is happening between us?
He’s looking at the stage when I peek at him as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world.
The height of the round table and tablecloth conceals the intimacy of our position. It’s the burning face that might give us away. Clutching my drink like a lifeline, I try to concentrate on the auction and the bidding war.
In my peripheral vision, I see Nathan pull out his phone and unlock it.
A few seconds later, my phone vibrates. My excitement is palpable as I reach for it, knowing it’s a text from him.
MR. GENTLEMAN: Do you often skip wearing panties?
The question makes me squirm and almost drop the wineglass.
ME: Of course not.
MR. GENTLEMAN: Good. Because I can barely stand the thought of you sitting bare in a room full of men.
ME: What if my answer was yes?
MR. GENTLEMAN: Then I’d have you blacklisted from every event across the country so you wouldn’t need to.
My jaw hits the floor at his insane answer.
ME: I have no words.
MR. GENTLEMAN: The alternative is me knocking out the man who accidentally looks at your cunt and dreams of fucking it.
