Page 40 of By His Vow
“Get in the car, Tatum.”
The need to defy him is so strong it burns through me like wildfire, but in the end, I choose the route of least resistance.
Plus, if we’re doing this, I need to start toeing the line in public. Doesn’t mean I have any intention of doing the same in private, though…
I smile up at him. To everyone around us, I’m sure it appears genuine. But I’ve no doubt that Kingston can see the defiance and need for retribution burning bright in my eyes.
“Thank you, sir.” His eyes blaze and his jaw locks as I breathe that final word.
What a surprise—being reminded of just how powerful he is turns him on. Didn’t see that coming.
I climb in the back of the car, half expecting him to follow me, but when I look back, he’s still on the sidewalk.
“Aren’t you coming to ruin more of my day?” I call, making Lewis smile as he moves to close the door behind me.
“Sadly, I have other plans. But you do make it sound very tempting,” Kingston states before the door closes, cutting us off from each other.
Aware that I’ve been gifted privacy in the form of the blacked-out windows, I gaze out, shamelessly watching as Kingston gives Lewis some more demands.
He talks much more animatedly than I was expecting. Clearly, despite being boss and employee, Kingston and Lewis have bonded during their commutes together.
My eyes focus on his lips for a few seconds and my forehead tingles as I remember how they felt pressed against me.
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined what it might be like to kiss him, and maybe a little more, over the years. He might have been the biggest irritant in my life for as long as I can remember, but he’s also one of the hottest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking at.
Dark stubble covers his sharp jawline, and I can’t help but wonder if he forgot about shaving this morning so he could get to me faster. That thought makes me happier than it should. His hair is a disheveled mess, evidence of how many times he’s run his fingers through it during the day. Was he thinking about me as he did? His suit fits him just as perfectly as it did when he stepped into my apartment this morning. His shoulders are broad, his waist slim, and I know from the small amount of physical contact I’ve had with him that his muscles beneath the fabric are ripped. I can only imagine how he’d look without his armor. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve seen him running around with Miles without a shirt on, and I can only imagine that very good things have happened.
It’s not until I’ve done a whole pass of his body that I finally look elsewhere, and when I do, I shouldn’t be surprised by the level of attention on him. But I am.
Men and women alike watch him as if he’s some kind of celebrity. I guess in some ways he is.
Men worldwide want to be him, and women want to be beneath him.
He’s an enigma. All the Callahan men are.
It’s like they’re born these mysterious creatures that everyone wants to try and unravel, whether it be in the boardroom or the bedroom.
Women whisper to their friends, a few shamelessly pointing in Kingston’s direction.
Something uncomfortable bubbles in my stomach as I watch them strip him naked with their eyes.
Mine.
My eyes widen.
What the actual fuck?
No. He is not mine.
We might be connected in a way for the next year of our lives. But he is no more mine than I am his.
Irritation surges through me. Only, it’s different from what I’ve felt previously today because it’s aimed at myself, not at him.
I shake my head, forcing my brain to go down a different train of thought.
I wonder how many of these women he’s already slept with.
I’m not naive. I’m more than aware that I’m not about to be married to a virgin. Kingston and Miles have been fucking their way around the city for years.