She muttered something I didn’t quite catch. And it wasn’t because of the softness of her voice. The instant she was in front of me, my gaze locked onto the gentle sway of her hips, and my brain cells left the damn building.
What the fuck?
What the actual fuck?
It was that dream all over again. Only this time, I imagined slowly dragging the silky dress up over her thighs before I…
“Tristan. Kate. So glad you could make it.”
Mr. Livingston’s voice stopped that thought dead in its tracks. Thankfully, Kate was in front of me, giving me the precious few seconds I needed to calm myself.
We shook hands as he introduced Kate to everyone around the table. When he reached Lewis, the prick made some smart-ass remark about her leveling up since she was dating her boss.
I’d wanted to punch the damn smirk off his face. I didn’t think that’d help me make partner, so I held my tongue and pulled out Kate’s chair instead. Regret burned its way through my veins the instant I caught her expression.
Once I was seated, I whispered next to her ear, “You good?”
I was close. Too damn close. The delicate notes of her perfume teased my senses and wreaked havoc to my insides. I was torn between shutting my eyes and inhaling deeply or eradicating the distance to find out if her skin tasted as delicious as she smelled.
Shit.
I was losing my damned mind.
“I’m fine,” she whispered back.
A lie.
I wanted to drag her away from the table, away from the judgmental stares, and beg her to tell me how to make it better. Instead of doing that, I sat up straighter and joined the conversation.
I’d thought I’d have to work hard at convincing these people I was a better bet than Lewis. In the end, I didn’t have to do a damn thing. Kate, with her wit and charm, was winning them over all by herself.
The more she spoke, the more she impressed me. Not just me. Mr. Livingston’s wife was so enamored with her, she’d traded places with Scott’s wife so she could sit next to Kate and pick her brain.
Because as luck would have it, years ago when the firm was in its infancy, Mrs. Livingston used to be Mr. Livingston’s assistant.
“We fought the attraction for so long,” Mrs. Livingston said. “Especially me. Back then, a working woman was already condemned, how much worse would it be if she was dating her boss?”
Kate nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I fear it still carries the disapproval of many.” She leaned toward Mrs. Livingston. I leaned closer to her. “And it’s always the woman who ends up being slandered.”
“Isn’t that the truth, my dear.” The older woman placed her hand over Kate’s on the table. “But let me tell you when the love is pure and true, it’s worth all the slander and heartache.”
Kate didn’t answer and because her face was turned away from me, I didn’t catch her expression.
For reasons I couldn’t begin to understand, that bugged me.
Before I could dwell on it too much, our server returned to take our dinner orders.
On cue, chatter ceased as everyone picked up their menus. I was about to ask Kate what she wanted when Lewis piped up.
“Order the salmon for yourgirlfriend,Tristan.”I didn’t care for the way he referred to Kate. Before I could make that known, he spoke again, “We all know women can be so indecisive they need a man to take the lead.”
I had words for this fucking asshole. Words that, in my best interest, would absolutely be better left unsaid.
Where was the fun in that?
“You know, Lewis, I understand it might be difficult for someone like you to comprehend, but I don’t decide or dictate what my girlfriend eats.” Holding his stare, I got comfortable and slung an arm over the back of Kate’s chair. “She’s quite capable of making her own decisions.”
Someone snickered. I thought it was Kate since she’d lifted her menu to hide her smile, but everyone looked amused. Everyone except Lewis.
