“I changed my mind.” I giggle, the wine helping to ease the tension right out of me.
“Fine, another half glass, and that’s it. We have a long day tomorrow, and believe me, you don’t want to be hungover on wine.”
Smiling big, I hand him my glass and watch as he fills it. I can feel his eyes on me, drinking me in, and I’m curious to know what he is thinking.
I savor that final glass, loving the way it makes me feel... free, like a butterfly.
As I down the rest of the glass, I push abruptly from the table to stand, forgetting that I’ve never drunk a day in my life before. The world shifts on its axis, and my knees knock together. Grabbing onto the edge of the table, I try to steady myself but am thankful when Julian swoops in, wrapping a protective arm around my waist.
Standing face to face, chest to chest, I crane my neck back to look up at him. I can feel the heat of his body rolling off of him. His eyes are blazing, his cheeks high, and his jaw so sharp you could cut with it. His nose has a slight angle to it, making him perfectly imperfect. My eyes move to his lips, they’re full, and I lick my own lips, this strange need to kiss him overtaking me.
Placing my hands on his biceps, he gives me a confused look, and I take that single moment to push up onto my tiptoes and brush my lips against his.
I’ve never kissed before, and under normal circumstances wouldn’t even consider stepping out of line like this, but the wine gives me newfound courage.
A zap of electricity ripples through me, and I squeeze onto his arms, pressing my lips a little more firmly against his. His own lips move against mine, molding to me. I feel so much in that single stroke of his lips, need, possession, and power. I feel like I’m his equal, not a piece on a chessboard.
Then, as if he can sense a change in me, in himself, he pulls away, removing his arm from my waist, and instead, holding me at arm’s length.
His eyes become thunderous, and I shiver under their scrutiny. “What kind of game are you playing?”
My lips tremble, aftershocks of the kiss still working their way through me.
“I’m not playing a game,” I croak, though for once, I’m not afraid of him. I feel safe in his arms even when I know I shouldn’t, even when I’m certain he’s going to lead me straight to the slaughterhouse when this is all over. “I just wanted to kiss you…”
Julian shakes his head, his features twist into a peculiar expression. He looks younger now, vulnerable, and I want to etch this moment deep into my mind.
“I don’t kiss,” he replies softly.
“You just did,” I whisper back.
His penetrating gaze roams my face, looking for something I’m not sure of. “You’re ruining everything, and you don’t even know it.”
I’m not sure what that means, and I don’t care to figure it out. Julian kissed me, and that’s a score in my book.
18
Julian
“Come out, Elena,” I order, growing more impatient by the second. “Now, or I’m coming in.” She’s been in the bathroom getting ready for well over an hour. The door isn’t locked, so I could easily barge in, but I’m staying out as a courtesy to her. Marie is in there with her, doing whatever girls do to get ready.
“Okay…” The door opens slowly, and I swear my heart is beating out of my chest. Elena comes into view with each inch the door gives way.
I’m already in my tux, it’s tailored to me, but suddenly it feels too tight. My chest swells with pride, knowing that she will soon be my wife. Taking her in fully, I can’t break my gaze away from her, not even if I tried.
She is wearing light makeup just enough to highlight her natural beauty. Her eyes look larger, and the green in them brighter. Her already full lips are tinted pink, and her flawless tanned skin is even smoother. Her hair falls off her shoulders in dark silky waves, and I have the urge to run my fingers through the locks just to see how soft they really are. I want to tug on the strands, wrapping them around my hand as I… shit, I can’t think about that right now. There is no room in this suit for my cock to get hard.
My gaze drops lower to her perfectly sculpted body, a body that is on full display in the dress I’m making her wear. It’s an emerald green gown that matches her eye color to a T. The dress has no straps, her tits being held in place by a built-in bustier that gives the swell of her breasts a nice push, though she doesn’t need it.
The rest of the dress is form-fitting around her waist and down her legs, but the best part of this dress is that both sides along her ribs and outer thighs are made of a sheer material. A thicker fabric covers her front and back in an hourglass-shaped, which only highlights the shape of her body. But since the sides are see-through, everyone will know that she’s not wearing anything beneath.
As if she can read my mind, she pins me with a stare.
“What are the chances that you’ll let me at least put some underwear on?”
“None,” I grit out.
The frown on her face only deepens, but I already know she doesn’t want to do this. I remember the night I took her and how self-conscious she was about the nightgown.
What she’s wearing now is even more revealing. I can tell simply from the look on her face and how she wraps her arms around her middle that she is uncomfortable, but I can’t help that. She’s gonna have to deal with it for one night. She’ll survive.
The real question is, will I survive? Am I going to be able to stand by and let other men look at what’s mine? Gawk and salivate over her like she’s a damn T-bone steak.
I suppose I’ll have to if I want to prove a point to her father, though it’s not going to happen without serious restraint. The first asshole that asks me if she’s for sale, or to spend a couple hours with her is going to get a knife in their chest. I don’t share what is mine.
I watch as Elena slips into her high heel sandals, steadying herself on the doorframe.
“I’m going to warn you, I’m not great at walking in heels.”
Her warning makes me smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be holding your hand the whole night. But... before we go, I have something for you.”
“Is it a jacket? ’Cause I would love that.”
“No, it’s not a jacket, but don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm. It’s this.” I pull out the black velvet box from my pocket and flip it open. It’s a white gold diamond necklace that I hand-picked for this occasion. As expected, her mouth pops open, and her eyes widen, but I’m not sure if it’s with surprise or something else.
“You like it?”
“Is that… a necklace or a collar?”
“It’s a choker necklace, but if you’d rather think of it as a collar, we can make that happen. Would you like me to get a leash with it? Diamond studded, maybe?” I smirk like an asshole.
Shaking her head, she holds out her hand like she is going to grab it from me. “Fine. I’ll wear it.”
“Allow me.”
She drops her hands and lifts up her chin waiting for me to move. I grab the choker out of the box and undo the clasp. As I lay it around her slender neck, I drag my fingers along her collarbone on purpose, loving how her whole body shivers under my touch. I wish I could do this all night long, but there are more important things to do.