I wrap my little pinkie around hers, and whisper over and over that I promise it will be okay.
I just hope that it will be, and I’m not making a promise I can’t keep.
9
Kara - Present
“Greatspeech,Owen.”Julesstands up and gives Owen a hug. He reaches forward and embraces her warmly, but his eyes meet mine. There is no hiding the emotion on my face—I’m pissed. He may not have seen me for years, but he knows me well enough to know that.
“Lucy.” His gaze flickers downward for a second before lifting, hesitation clouding his eyes.
I plaster on a fake smile.
“Yes, it was a wonderful speech.” There’s an edge to my tone, which Jules obviously senses because she excuses herself, looking behind as she makes a hasty retreat. Owen stands, looking down at me. I take a sip of water, hoping the moment will douse my annoyance.
“I can’t decide what I’m more disappointed about,” I respond, letting out a sigh. “The fact that you have become one of the very people I dislike more than anything in the world, or that you have used our shitty childhood to help propel your political career. Do I really mean nothing to you? They are going to bedesperate to look up our history. This is going to make things even more complicated.”
He smirks. “I don’t think you have any idea how complicated this situation is,” he says, dropping his voice. I shift as he pulls out a chair and sits next to me. “Things were left out of that file for a reason. Whoever was going to be assigned to me would get told in person, after I had a read of them.” He leans closer, his voice low so that no one can hear. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, taking on this assignment.”
“And you have no idea the target you have just put on your back by making the announcement you have just made.” His hand rests on my thigh, his other arm coming around my waist as he starts to pull me closer. His legs widen so they are either side of my chair. He glances at my lips and back into my eyes.
“But you’ll protect me,” he says confidently as he starts to lean in closer, the warmth from his body making my pulse beat rapidly. “Andrews said he would give me his best. I had no idea it would be you.”
“It makes perfect sense for it to be me. Now shut up and kiss me whilst everyone is still entranced with your every move.”
He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and closes the distance between us. His tongue wets his bottom lip as his green eyes drop to my mouth. My pulse is fast, my body heating as I wait for him to close the distance. To have his lips on mine, something as a sixteen-year-old girl I had felt many times.
His mouth touches mine, a coaxing, exploratory kiss. My lips part and a deep moan comes from the back of his throat as his tongue entwines with mine softly. His hand wraps around my neck in a possessive way as he holds me to him, all the while our mouths and tongue move in an erotic dance.
I am so fucked.
This man’s mouth is devilish. I’ve completely forgotten that I’m in a room full of people and this is a bloody mission, becausemy hands have fallen onto his thick thighs and my nails grip hold. I want to crawl onto him and continue this exploration with other parts of his body. To see the changes.
He shifts and suddenly his lips are gone. When I open my eyes, I’m staring into wide, green pools.
“Fuck,” he breathes, touching his forehead to mine. “I need a minute.”
I let out a chuckle and stand, holding my hand to his. “We need to leave,” I announce.
“Why?”
“Because that got too heated, and now people are going to expect us to go. So that’s what we are going to do. We are making the papers tomorrow, regardless. May as well give them more to talk about.” I grab my clutch bag off the table and he stands, taking my hand in his.
“I need to be here a bit longer. There are people I need to talk to.”
“You can do it on the way out.”
I start to navigate him slowly towards the exit. People do their usual and stop him on the way.
“You’re going?” Jules calls, surprised.
“Yes, I’ll see you on Monday.” Owen leans forward and kisses both her cheeks. “Give the kids a squishy kiss and tickle from their Uncle Owen.”
She rolls her eyes and looks at me. “Owen riles them up without fail just before bedtime. Drives me fucking insane.”
I grin and squeeze his hand. He used to do the same to me and then would lie with me until I fell asleep. Which would sometimes take hours.
The little glow in the dark stars that were on my ceiling would twinkle down on us. We would lie there and stare at them together, talking about our futures. Dreaming of a better life.
