Page 118 of By His Vow
“Well, you do. You’re easily going to be the most stunning woman in the room tonight.”
“You’re lying.”
Pulling back, I look her dead in the eyes.
“I’m not,” I state. “Every single man in that place is going to wish they were me.”
“Not as much as the women are going to wish they were me,” she counters.
“Is that your way of telling me that you think I look good too?”
She scoffs. “You know you do.”
“Maybe I just want to hear you say it,” I muse, my eyes dropping to her glossy lips, trying to imagine how they’d feel pressed against mine.
I don’t make a move to find out, but I do step closer and press my hips to hers.
Her breath catches at our contact and her pupils dilate.
“King,” she warns, her eyes dropping to my lips as if she’s having the same thought.
“Yes, baby.” I smirk.
“You—” The elevator dings and the doors open behind me. But I don’t move. Not until she finishes whatever it is she wants to say. I raise a brow for her to continue. “You’ve looked worse.”
Her lips twitch, threatening a smile, as the air between us crackles loudly.
“I’ll see what I can do to improve further,” I say before taking a step back, but not before I snag her and tug her with me.
She shrieks as she fights not to stumble in her shoes while keeping up with me.
Lewis is already waiting for us next to a limousine when we emerge in the underground garage. His eyes barely glance in my direction; instead, he focuses on Tatum. I understand why, but that doesn’t stop something ugly from unfurling inside me.
“Wow, Tate, you look–”
“Focus on your job, Lewis,” I bark, making him blush.
“Yes, sir,” he says before pulling the back door open for Tatum to slide inside.
My eyes hold his for a beat, but when he smiles at me, I can’t help but return it.
Lewis isn’t a threat. Not only is he too old for Tatum—I hope—but he’s as trustworthy as they come.
The journey to the event is short and charged with sexual tension. We sit side by side and my hand rests high on her thigh the whole way.
The temptation to put the divider up and turn my full attention on her is almost too much to deny. But there’s something that stops me. I tell myself it’s that she doesn’t want to be ruffled when we emerge in front of a mass of photographers, but deep down, I think it might be the fear of being rejected.
The feeling is alien. I’m pretty sure it’s not something I’ve ever really felt before, and I don’t fucking like it.
I have never second-guessed my actions before. If I want something, I fuck the consequences and take it.
But there is something different with Tatum tonight.
Maybe it’s just the pressure of our first official public appearance as a couple. Or maybe it has something to do with her silent treatment and the pressure I’m putting on myself.
Or more likely, it has something to do with the impending question I need to ask her.
There is no reason to be apprehensive about it; I already know her answer, but for some weird reason, I want to get it right.