Page 68 of Wicked Dares
In her gown and her pristine hair, she looks like the dashing princess, and I look like the rogue who stole her.
My eyes drag over the photo. The slope of her neck where the gown leaves it bare. The flush still high on her cheeks from the kiss. The way her fingers curl against my lapel, gripping the fabric like she didn’t want to let go. The photographer caught her at the exact second she stopped pretending. I see it. Anyone with eyes would.
Together, we look like a very real young couple in love. No one could say that we weren’t.
The headline above the image reads:
Levi Vale Finds His Perfect Match
I hate the press and the annoying-as-fuck paparazzi, who always want a piece of me, but for the first time ever, I’m inclined to agree.
Levi Vale did find his perfect match, but she’s supposed to be fake.
I feel like I’m in limbo with Piper. Like she was only supposed to orbit my world, yet I keep pulling her closer, refusing to think with my head.
Tonight is one of those things. I know full well inviting her here is asking for trouble, but I’m probably fanning the flames on that, too.
There are so many to choose from. I even have a fucking list.
But her…
I can’t fucking stop thinking about her. Kissing her last night nearly did me in. I almost forgot where we were and that there were eyes watching. When we got in the car, I don’t know how I stopped myself from taking her right there on the back seat.
The worst thing about this?
I can’t forget what she tastes like. And what she looks like when I’m buried deep inside her.
My body remembers her in pieces—the heat of her mouth, the way her breath caught when I pulled her hair, the pretty, little sound she made the first time I bottomed out. I can be mid-sentence in a board meeting, and one of those pieces will surface, and my cock will go hard under the table like a fucking teenager’s. I’ve had her once, and I’m already a problem.
It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but she fucking ruined me.
Locke moves closer, grinning back at me as he scans the picture. He raises his tumbler in a toast, swirling the amber liquid inside. “This is cause for celebration.”
I laugh. “I’m just happy I’m not screwed. This whole thing could have gone sideways and ruined me if Piper hadn’t stepped in.”
“Ruinus. Not just you. I think Dad would have appointed a new head of division and we’d have to wait even longer to run the department how we want.”
“I know.”
“But you came through, though.” Locke raises the glass higher.
I throw him a smug smile. “More than came through. Arthur recommended me to five of his friends today.”
Locke does a fist pump in the air. “Hell yeah.”
“And Dad’s happy. Although he totally recognized Piper from the meeting last week and wanted to know how she and I came to be a couple so fast.” I dodged the question, guiding him to focus on the fact that I practically had Arthur Lockwood in the bag. I told him about the tour, but I left out all the parts about Arthur wanting Piper to join me.
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, though.” Locke bites the inside of his lip.
“Believe me, I have. Though I don’t suppose I’ll get myself into such a situation again anytime soon.” Lying about a girlfriend got me into shit I didn’t ask for. On the plus side, it kept Piper Andrews in my life a little longer. “I’ve never needed to try and secure a client before.”
“And hopefully, you’ll never have to again.” Locke downs the rest of his drink and looks me over. “You like this girl.” He says it like it’s more of an observation, not a question he needs to clarify.
“She’s great.”
“Levi, come on. It’s me you’re talking to. You’ve been different since she came about.”
I rest my hands on the table and slide my thumb over the newspaper. “She fascinates me.”
