Kieran leaned in this time. “I want her,” he whispered.
I let my hand graze the fly of his jeans, brushing against the hard ridge of his erection. “I know the feeling.”
“More than I expected I would.”
I appreciated his candor. Despite the fact I had been anticipating this for so long, no one could’ve predicted whether or not Kieran would be attracted to Emily or vice versa. It was still too early to tell whether or not Emily would feel the same, but I was willing to bet money she was. Kieran O’Rourke was an irresistible man. I’d enjoyed his attention for years and still found I couldn’t get enough of him.
I was tempted to order Kieran to his knees so I could feed him my cock, relieve this ridiculous ache that was practically a living, breathing entity. However, I knew Kieran wouldn’t submit to me, and I wasn’t in the mood for a fight, erotic as it would be.
“Do it,” Kieran ordered as though reading my mind.
Teasing him, I brushed my hand against his denim-covered erection one final time before stepping back. That earned a delicious groan from Kieran, followed by a muttered, “Bollocks,” which made me grin.
“You should go back out there,” I instructed him.
“I assume you’ll be joining us?”
“I’ll make my presence known at some point, yes.” I wasn’t quite sure how I would do it just yet, but I had every intention of seeing Emily face-to-face tonight if for no other reason than to tell her happy birthday.
~~~~
Emily
For nearly an hour, I sat withHannah, watching everyone having a good time while she guzzled champagne, and I sipped water, having moved on from the Moscato Kieran had offered. Every so often, I would consider asking for another glass, maybe catching a buzz, but that was only when my stomach would churn from anxiety. If only the alcohol would work to fend off the butterflies, perhaps I would, but I knew better. No matter how much I wanted to live a full, exciting life, I still battled my issues with being in crowds. It was a paradox, considering I greatly enjoyed the company of others, but I was still learning to cope with the stimulation of being around them.
I caught sight of Priya one time, but she’d been intimately rubbing up on a guy, so I figured it would not be a good time to interrupt. Siobhan had stopped by briefly, breathing heavily and sweating from spending her time on the dance floor. When she invited me to join her, I had respectfully declined, using Hannah as my excuse.
Every now and then, someone I didn’t know would come by, cheerfully shout a happy birthday before going off on their merry way. And the more minutes that passed, the more my anxiety level increased until my heart was beating just a little too hard, and I was giving serious consideration to running out like Cinderella. It was then that I felt eyes on me.
I skimmed the dance floor below, figuring whoever it was had to be looking up since there were so few people on this level. My gaze swung from one face to another, never landing on anyone who was showing any interest in me whatsoever.
At my side, Hannah was chattering about the outfits people were wearing as she pointed them out below. I continued to scan, lifting my attention to the third level, across the vast expanse open to the floor below.
I caught sight of a man in the shadows on the far side. He was wearing black, so he blended in well, but I could make him out. More so his body than his face, but I didn’t mind because he was one of those men who filled out a suit nicely, right down to the shimmery charcoal tie. He stepped closer to the railing as though giving me a hint of who he was without actually revealing the secret. Even as I unabashedly stared at him, I knew I needed to look away, maybe even pull that Cinderella disappearing act, but I couldn’t seem to get my synapses to fire in sync.
Then he stepped fully beneath one of the overhead lights, and a chill swept over me as I recognized him. My mystery man was none other than Knox Montgomery, my hateful, conniving stepbrother. I wondered briefly if he could feel the loathing that wafted around me as our eyes met.
As was the case whenever I allowed myself to think about Knox, I suddenly recalled the night in the hot tub. The way he’d touched me, kissed me, brought me to orgasm. My heart hammered hard as my body heated, clearly not getting the message that we hated this man.
Despite the fact I had every reason to despise him, I was spellbound, trapped by that familiar electric gaze, mesmerized. The inky hair, chiseled features … it all came together in an absurdly attractive package, and although I wanted to hate him with every fiber of my being, I couldn’t deny the fact that I wanted him just as much as I had the last time I saw him. Even now, two years after he broke my heart and set my life crumbling down around me, I wanted him.
Knox didn’t move, didn’t look away, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. The hatred and longing that welled up inside me were potent, a reminder of the fact that he’d not only abandoned me the day he changed my life with his kisses and his sinful touch but he’d also ripped the rug right out from under our family.
And still, my body warmed as though he was the flame that kept me alive.
I forced my gaze to the dancers below, refusing to look at him, although I could feel him watching me.
Minutes ticked by before I was compelled to look again, ensuring he was still there. He was, and he was still fixated on me, although there was a statuesque woman standing at his side, her mouth close to his ear. Was she whispering sweet nothings? Or perhaps telling him all the dirty, filthy things she wanted to do to him?
Not that I cared.
Fine. I cared. A little.
If it weren’t for the fact that he was still looking at me, I would’ve hated her instantly. Even so, I felt the strange urge to claw her eyes out because she was talking to Knox when it should’ve been me with him.
No.No, no, no. Not me. I don’t give two shits about Knox Montgomery.
Not anymore.
