I barely even register the look on John’s beautiful face. It’s somewhere between ravenous and awe-inspired, and I suddenly feel self-conscious.Me. He walks toward me slowly, his head slightly lowered, eyes wide, like he’s approaching a wild horse. I would move toward him too, but I don’t trust myself to walk just yet.
He holds his hands out over my dress, hovering about two inches away from my body, his palms following my curves without touching them. I swear I can feel him touching me, even though I see the space between us.
“Can I touch?” he whispers.
“Yes.”
He trails his fingers down and back up the front of my dress. I shudder, and he lingers around my cleavage for a few seconds before gently stroking my straight hair, and then he pushes it all to one side over my shoulder. As he steps behind me, it tickles when his fingers travel down the exposed side of my neck and across my bare upper back. I release a loud sigh.
“You smell incredible,” he says. “What is it?”
“Chanel.” My voice is husky as usual but weak. “I wear it on special occasions.”
He lowers his face into the back of my neck and inhales. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through the night.”
When John steps in front of me again, I place my hand flat on his chest, slipping it between his jacket and shirt. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re so handsome, I think I’ve forgotten how to walk.”
He smiles and holds out his arm for me to take it. “Come sit on the bed. I have something for you.” He leads me to the bed, and I sit down very carefully. He smooths the palm of his hand down my left arm and then slides his hand into his pocket,pulling out a slender and delicate diamond bangle bracelet. He takes a seat next to me.
“John, it’s so pretty.”Prettyis almost a ridiculous word for it. It probably cost thousands. But it is. It’s so pretty. I’m not a big jewelry person, but I have no qualms about wearing this dainty thing.
He kisses the inside of my wrist, where my pulse races, before joining the clasp of the bracelet there.
“Thank you.” I try to suppress my joke reflex and just show my gratitude for this gift. Buuuut I can’t. “It’s not an engagement ring, but thisdoesgrant you access to butt-adjacent activities.” I force a laugh, and it comes out like a weird cough. Now I know how John felt when we were at Merrick’s.
“Achievement unlocked” is all he says. He looks at his watch. “We need to go. The driver will be downstairs in two minutes.” His voice is no longer a seductive whisper; it’s a school principal’s sharp order. “I don’t want to be late.”
So, we go.
The Museum of Natural History is about a twenty-five-minute drive from John’s building.
Even I can smell my heady perfume filling the back of this stretch limo, and I see that John is struggling to moderate his thoughts so he can avoid getting a pre-gala erection.
I try to help him out by bringing up a non-sexy subject. “My mom asked if we want to stay with them when we’re in Cleveland. I know Sanjay made reservations?—”
“Yes.”
“Yes, he made reservations?”
“Yes, we should stay with your parents. I’d love that. If you want to.”
“I do. But I should warn you—they just got a puppy. He sounds very…puppy-like.”
John screws up his face. “I like puppies. I think. I haven’t been around very many.”
“Well, that’s just sad.”
He blinks. “Is it? It is, isn’t it? What about Monty? He said he’d try to make it to my fundraiser with his girlfriend.”
“Yeah, he’ll be in town. My mom said he insists on staying at a hotel. My parents haven’t met Katie yet, so I guess he doesn’t want to overwhelm her.”
“Your parents aren’t overwhelming.”
I smile. “Maybe he thinksyou’reoverwhelming.”
He nods. “That makes sense. I’ll tell Sanjay to cancel the hotel reservation.” He says this as though he’s making a grand gesture, and I suppose it is pretty grand, considering. “I have some conference calls set up while I’m there. Hopefully, you won’t mind giving me some privacy occasionally when I have Zoom meetings. I’ll try not to distract you when I’m working.” He grins at me. I know thatI’mthe distraction. And I know now that even when it seems like he isn’t paying attention to me, I’m still important to him.
We’re all good here.
