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“I’m not doing a good job at it,” she said, laughing. “I just meant that I feel like I got lucky. I am not going back for round two.”
“Me too,” I said, touching her hand.
As the night wore on, the ball gradually came to a close. The final dance had been danced, and the guests began to make their way toward the exit. I turned to Emilie and offered a warm smile. “Emilie, can I give you a ride back?”
“Thank you, that would be nice,” she said, smiling.
We made our way outside, where our respective cars waited in a long line of other cars. The moon hung low in the sky, casting everything in a pretty silver. Her white dress shimmered, once again reminding me of an ethereal being. It was a serene and peaceful night with a cool breeze that felt good after being inside the stuffy ballroom.
As we settled into the car, Emilie let out a sigh. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“It was a beautiful evening. Thank you for being such a good match. Some of the other women complained all night.”
Contentment washed over me as I gazed at Emilie. “You’re most welcome,” I replied. “I’m glad we could share this experience together. I feel very lucky to have you as my match. I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of some of those men.”
“Like Sophia’s match,” she joked.
I laughed. “I feel like I dodged a bullet with that one. Thankfully, they didn’t serve me up to her after Roman dropped out.”
“Like my parents did with me,” she said quietly.
“Not even close,” I said. “I know I got damn lucky to have you as my match. Never doubt that for a second.”
38
EMILIE
The ride back to my temporary home was a peaceful one. I couldn’t help but replay the evening’s events in my mind. It was a nice night. I enjoyed myself. I liked getting to hang out with Clara and I loved dancing with Theo. I supposed that was an excuse to be near him without breaking any rules. I had to be very conscientious of the rules. I was very aware I was under a microscope right now. If I screwed up, my poor parents would be humiliated.
As the car neared the houses we were staying in, Theo broke the silence with a warm smile. “Emilie, you looked absolutely stunning tonight,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “I had such a wonderful time with you. I really, really had fun.”
I returned his smile, my heart warmed by his words. “Thank you, Theo. You looked very handsome as well. I had a good time.”
The car came to a halt in front of my house with the driver opening the door for me. “Thank you,” Theo said to the driver. “We’ll both get out here.”
As Theo walked me to the door, I felt a mixture of emotions—gratitude for his understanding, a longing for a love I couldn’t fully embrace, and the constant reminder I was supposed to be fulfilling my responsibilities. It was as if I was afraid to have fun and enjoy myself.
I looked at him, expecting the goodnight kiss I’d been waiting for all night. Like the last kiss goodnight he gave me, it started off chaste.
But then something changed. Theo’s lips became more insistent, his hands moving to hold me tightly against him. I could feel the heat rising within me, and I responded just as eagerly. Our tongues danced together, teasing and tasting each other. It was like a fire had been lit, and I didn’t want it to stop.
But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Theo pulled back, his breathing ragged. “I’m sorry, Emilie.” He looked down at his feet. “That was inappropriate. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Would you like to come in?” I asked boldly. I couldn’t even believe I said the words. It broke all the rules, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t like we hadn’t already done it.
“Are your parents home?” he asked breathlessly.
“No,” I said, smiling. “Just Astrid, and I’m sure she’s in bed.”
He flashed a sexy grin. “Then show me the way.”
A few lights were on, and I left them as they were. I took off my shoes, carrying them in one hand, and took his hand in the other. We tiptoed upstairs past Astrid’s door and into my room.
I quietly closed the door and turned to face him with a smile on my face. I saw nothing but hunger on his. He shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and tossed it onto my bed, his eyes never leaving mine. He stepped forward and cupped my face in his hands. His kiss was feral. His hands dropped from my face and roamed over my body, pulling me closer to him until I could feel the heat emanating from his skin. My own desire grew with each passing moment, and I knew that I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I reached for his shirt and jerked it out of his pants, then frantically tried to unbutton the shirt while he worked at the buttons on my gown.
“Fuck me,” he groaned. “How many buttons are on this damn thing?”
