Page 34 of Owning Him
His mouth slams down onto mine. My brain completely short-circuits. This is the first time he has ever initiated a kiss, and it’s so good it leaves me practically cross-eyed. Just as I start to melt into him, trying to deepen the kiss, I notice the specific movement of his mouth. His tongue runs along my lips a bit too much, smearing and wiping at my lipstick.
When he finally breaks away, I realize exactly what he just did.
Possessive fucker. He didn't just want a kiss goodbye; he wanted to ruin my lipstick. I try to glare at him, but I can't even pretend to be mad. I literally littered his entire neck and jaw with hickeys to stake my claim yesterday.
"Don’t put it on so thick," Viktor says with satisfaction as he looks at my blurred lip line.
"You are unbelievable," I mumble, a breathless laugh escaping me as I step into the elevator.
Down in the garage, Marcus is already waiting by the car. But before he opens the door for me, I notice him and Viktorexchanging a few words. Viktor pats Marcus's shoulder. Marcus nods and walks over to me, opening the passenger side.
Marcus keeps an eye on the rearview mirror the entire drive. When we arrive, the paparazzi flashes are blinding, but Marcus and the security team escort me seamlessly into the ballroom.
I’m immediately sucked into the crowd, shaking hands and nodding politely at people. Eventually, I manage to slip away toward the terrace doors, where I spot Clara.
Clara is the daughter of the billionaire mogul who organized this entire trainwreck of an event. But unlike her insufferable father, Clara is actually likable.
"Valentina, thank God," Clara exhales, stepping away from a group of stiff-looking politicians to join me. "If I had to listen to any more of them pretending to be charitable, I was going to throw myself off the terrace."
"Likewise," I smile. "Your father really outdid himself with the hypocrisy tonight."
Clara laughs, but then she squints at me in the dim lighting of the terrace. "Wait a minute. Come here." She reaches out with a napkin and dabs at the corner of my upper lip, wiping away a smudge of red lipstick that I must have missed when I hastily reapplied it in the car.
Clara chuckles. "This is the first time I have ever seen you show up anywhere with even a single hair out of place. Who is he, Val?"
My cheeks burn with a rare hit of heat, but before I can answer, a familiar voice cuts through the air.
"Valentina. I thought that was you."
I turn to see Julian stepping onto the terrace. He is my now ex-fuck-buddy—one of the grand total of three men I’ve ever let into my bed before Viktor. Both of us always knew exactly what we were. It was basically like a job. Professional and distanton the outside, and only unprofessional between the sheets. No strings or expectations.
"Julian," I acknowledge.
He presses a casual kiss on my cheek. But the second I feel it, an alarm bell goes off in my head.
I don’t know if Viktor might lose his shit if he saw another man's mouth anywhere near me. My body reacts on pure instinct as I pull away from him.
Julian blinks, slightly surprised by the distance from a woman who used to let him share her bed.
"You look stunning in red," Julian mutters, hooking his hands into his tuxedo pockets. "It's been a while since we've caught up."
"I've been busy, Julian," I say.
"You're always busy," Julian teases, a familiar smirk playing on his lips. His hand moves to rest against the small of my back—the exact spot he used to touch.
The second his palm makes contact with me, I pivot toward the terrace railing, the movement forcing his hand to drop into empty air.
"Yeah, it’s been hectic," I reply.
"Right," he murmurs, clearing his throat. "Well, maybe we could get out of here? Go have some fun?"
A booming voice calls out to Clara, who’s been watching the two of us with open curiosity. “Clara! Get inside. The senator wants a word with you.”
Clara groans, downs the rest of her drink in one impressive swallow, and then looks at me with puppy eyes. She didn’t like having her show interrupted.
Wish me luck, she mouths.
"Good luck," I murmur back as she reluctantly walks away, leaving me all alone with Julian.
