"I am breathing."
"You're holding your breath.” His thumb traces another circle, this time on my inner thigh. "Focus on something else."
"Like what?"
His glacial gray eyes turn the color of a storm cloud as he simply stares at me.
Silent translation?
“Think about what I'm going to do to you when we get back to the suite."
“Think about how I'm going to strip you out of this dress. About exactly how I'm going to make you come. How many times. In what positions."
Heat floods my face, and other places, as I nod at him, refocusing. The helicopter banks left, and suddenly the Vegas strip is sprawling below us—glittering and bright against the darkening desert.
"Okay," I admit breathlessly. "This is kind of amazing."
"Wait until you see the ocean."
"Am I supposed to be impressed?"
His hand slides even higher. "Are you?"
"Maybe. Ask me again after you follow through on all those plans you mentioned back in the hotel.”
His laugh is low and warm. "Challenge accepted."
We fly in silence for a few minutes, and I try to keep my attention on the view instead of Victor's hand on my thigh, his thumb drawing idle patterns that are absolutely not idle.
"Harper," he says eventually. "About tonight."
"What about it?"
"Richard Francis is going to try to rattle me. Try to make me look unstable in front of his board members."
"Why?"
"Because he's embarrassed about his arrest. Because he's losing control of his company. Because making me look bad makes him look better by comparison." Victor's jaw tightens. "I need you sharp tonight. Present and focused."
"As opposed to my usual scattered and distracted self?"
He ignores the quip, his large hand squeezing my thigh again, reassuring this time. “Tonight, I need us to present as a united front. A couple who actually trust each other."
"That shouldn't be hard," I say quietly.
"No. It shouldn't." His eyes search mine. "So whatever happens at this dinner—whatever Richard throws at us—we handle it together. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
My phone buzzes in my clutch. I pull it out, my stomach already sinking before I even look at the screen.
VANESSA (FoodFirst): Francis's board members will be at dinner tonight. This is your shot. Get me the acquisition terms. Full details. I need them by tomorrow morning or the offer disappears.
The words blur in front of my eyes.
Tomorrow morning.
The timeline just collapsed.
