Page 75 of The Naughty List
My angel turns to look at me and I'm struck by her beauty. I thought she was beautiful from across the room, but now she's right in front of me and I realize she's beyond gorgeous. She is absolutely breathtaking. Seriously, I'm finding it hard to breathe around this heavenly creature.
Her bright green eyes sparkle with golden flecks, drawing me in and refusing to let me go. She's completely makeup-free, which I love. It makes it all the easier to admire the sprinkling of freckles over her delicate, slightly upturned nose.
Someone clears their throat, which breaks the spell. I realize we’ve just been staring at each other for who knows how long. Ember gasps and looks away, those sweet cheeks of hers burning dark red now as she tries to cover her face with her hair. The friend reaches out to shake my hand and introduce herself, giving my sweet little angel time to recover.
“I’m Casey. I work in accounting.”
I shake her hand and give her a nod of my head before turning my attention to Ember. I know I should say something, seeing as I’ve just been silent this whole time, but I can’t quite find my voice yet. Casey doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, I think she’s rather entertained by our interaction so far.
“This is Ember, my plus one to the party.”
Plus one?I didn’t even think about my angel having a significant other.
“We’re not a couple,” Ember blurts out. She buries her face in her hands and mutters something that sounds likevery smooth. I grin at her outburst, loving her soft sweet voice.
“We’re besties,” Casey clarifies with a wink.
“I’m glad you came tonight,” I say, speaking for the first time.
She slowly lifts her beautiful face from her hands and gives me a tentative smile. My angel sticks out her hand, which is shaking ever so slightly. I like that she seems as rattled as I am in her presence, but I don’t like her feeling nervous or uncomfortable.
“I’m Ember,” she says, that silky sweet voice of hers coiling around my heart and squeezing it back to life.
I wrap my hand around her much smaller one in what was supposed to be a handshake, but neither one of us lets go. It feels too good holding her, having any part of her skin touching mine.
“Oh, wow, I totally forgot, I need to…talk to Jake. About…work…things,” Casey says. It’s a flimsy excuse, but I’m grateful she’s bowing out.
"Yeah, okay," Ember says in acknowledgment, her captivating eyes never leaving mine.
Casey leans in and whispers something to Ember. It makes her blush even more, if that’s possible, and she turns her head to glare at her friend. Casey just grins, which makes my angel smile a little.
We’re alone now, still holding hands, which thrills me to no end. I clear my throat and try to find my voice again. “Can I get you a drink?” I ask.
“Sure. I mean, I think they are free,” she grins at me, gaining a bit of her footing after we were both swept away by what I can only describe as destiny.
“Right,” I say, grinning right back at her. “But technically, I’m paying for all of it,” I tease.
She bites her lip and regrettably slips her hand out of mine so she can turn around and face the bar. My hand automatically goes to the small of her back. Possessiveness courses through me. Everyone here needs to know she’s taken. This gorgeous creature is mine and I’m hers. Ember leans into my touch, making the need to claim her almost unbearable.
"Cranberry juice, please," she says to the bartender. Ember looks back at me over her shoulder and smiles sheepishly. "I'm kind of a lightweight," she explains. Her eyes dart from left to right and then she leans in to whisper something. Her closeness is testing my resolve not to kiss the fuck out her right here and now, but I hold back. "I've already had a wine spritzer," she whispers as if she chugged a fifth of vodka instead of a frilly drink with less alcohol than a light beer.
Fucking adorable. That’s the only way to describe her. “Make that two,” I tell the bartender.
“You don’t have to do that. You can have a real drink.”
I smile down at her, noticing our considerable height difference for the first time. I love it. It makes me feel all the more protective of her. "I don't need to drink," I tell her honestly. I thought I'd need a lot of alcohol to survive this party, but with her, I want to be completely clear-headed and focused. "You are intoxicating enough," I add, loving how it brings that blush back to her cheeks.
We grab our drinks and I guide us over to a booth in the corner, my hand never leaving her back. Once she’s seated, I slide in right next to her. I can tell she’s surprised by the closeness. I’m sure she expected me to sit across from her, but that’s too far away for my liking.
“So, uh, what do you do for a living?” She asks. No sooner do the words leave her mouth than she’s rolling her eyes and planting her face down on the table with a groan. “Dumb question. Casey said you were the big boss man.”
“Hey,” I say softly, my hand finding hers and squeezing it gently. “I get it. I’m all flustered around you too.”
She sighs and lifts her head up from the table. “It’s not just that. It’s me. I’m no good at this stuff. I don’t know what I’m even doing here,” she says, chewing on that juicy bottom lip of hers.
I reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear, reveling in the soft texture. I want to bury my face in her silky waves and breathe her in. Not yet. But soon.
“Relax, Ember. Like I said, I’m glad you came. I was dreading this party, but now there’s no place I’d rather be.”