to back away from the kiss, from him, we stood staring at each other. Lost? Found? I didn’t know, but we were surprisingly connected.
The sight of his tongue sliding over his lips to take in every bit of our kiss hinted that he had enjoyed it as much as I did. Our eyes remained deadlocked, and I believed we were thinking the same thing.
“What the hell was that?”
The pianist keyed a lively tune that dragged my mind away from the memories of our intoxicating first kiss. The song being keyed and filling up the space was Ordinary People by John Legend, one of my favorites.
The song was the exact opposite of what me and Arjen were. The tune, however, did its job and elicited a smile as I stared at him, eyes squinted. How did he know I would love that song? I let my gaze roam until I found Desiree in the crowd. Had she told him?
The heat radiating from his hand when he sat it atop my shoulder and slid it down my arm had me fighting back a shiver. Not to mention, the strong hand he had cupping my waist was adding more depth to the building heat. Tingling, teasing currents buzzed through me while his touch ignited and set them on fire.
My behavior with Arjen couldn’t be blamed on the alcohol as I’d had only a few flutes of champagne. Why was I feeling this way? Where was this attraction coming from? He drew me in so that his lips, soft and kissable, rested slightly above mine. I sensed his gaze on me despite my reluctance to lift my eyes to meet his.
“You look lovely. Elegant. Beautiful,” he whispered. His words were more than compliments because they sent an erotic buzz of energy rolling through me. I’d never experienced this sensation before, so why was it showing up now? I had never been seduced, but if I had to guess what it was like, I’d say this was it.
“Thank you,” I finally replied, the words rushing out on a thin whisper. Why did he keep staring at me with that hungry look in his eyes? Although I was more than four-inches taller by the heels I wore, the top of my head brushed his chin. Strangely, with Arjen, the height difference made me feel small but not overpowered, feminine but not less than.
The liquor filled laughter, multiple conversations, and even other swirling couples near us on the dance floor was being cast into the dusty corners of my mind. My attention was laser focused on the man standing in front of me, demanding every drop.
My head dropped against his shoulder, which didn’t help because other parts of us were connected now and setting off a different set of desires. He drew me in even tighter, the closeness pressing the pounding beat of his heart against my cheek as I allowed myself to get lost in the moment.
“Can we make each other a promise that wasn’t clearly stated in our wedding vows?”
His question drew me from the haze I couldn’t seem to keep myself from sinking into.
“We didn’t have any wedding vows,” I replied.
“Exactly.”
“So, we’re making promises to each other already? What type of promises are you suggesting, husband?”
He smelled so damn good it was difficult to concentrate. Inhaling him had rearranged my breathing pattern, and I could no longer keep up with the rapid flow of my breaths.
He wore Dark Rebel, hints of spiced wood and vanilla that enhanced the natural boldness of his scent, an earthy white musk that was tinged by his fire. Arjen was a devastating combination of warmth and hard muscles that aided in clouding my senses.
“The kind of promises that will keep us accountable and alive.”
His statement drew me back to our conversation.
“What am I promising?” I asked.
“Your honesty. That you’ll always be honest with me, and I’ll always be honest with you.”
“Sounds like a fair exchange,” I stated, my breaths getting lost against his lips that hovered desperately close to mine when I glanced up.
The music’s tempo changed and disrupted the flow of our mingling currents of attraction. The new tune caused him to release me from the tight hold he had trapped me in.
“Should we keep dancing, or would you like to enjoy some of the expensive food and wine you wanted?”
The wide smile on my face met his mischievous one.
“Let’s enjoy the food and wine. Plus, I need to get out of this dress and slip into something