AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He was asking about security at your house and the protocols I’ve established since starting.”
Hmm.”
“Hmm?”I echo, feeling so close to her in the changing room but unable to move.
“My brother can be very overprotective.”
“Because he loves you.”
“I guess so.”
A charged pause swirls between us, and I see her neck suck in a deep breath.
“I should go,” I say, breaking whatever the hell that was.
“Before you do… tell me,” she says, stepping back slightly.“What do you think?”she asks, standing in front of me, wearing a stunning blue dress that curves her in all the right places.
“It’s nice,” I manage to say, and she turns toward me, her eyes wide.“Oh?I love it.”She frowns, clearly disheartened.“Maybe it doesn’t look as good as I think it does.”She spins around, and I can’t help but notice how the dress hugs the curves of her backside.
Kingsley, just once, be honest about how you feel.
“You look breathtaking in it,” I offer.
Then, without waiting for her response, I push the curtain aside and retreat to my spot against the wall.I try to forget about the feel of her soft skin and the way she looks up at me with those ocean-blue eyes.
* * *
After lunch, the girls amble along until they reach a spot that catches the eye of Vincent’s fiancée, Rosie.“Oh yes, let’s stop here,” she exclaims in front of a gelato shop.
Miss Slater lingers near the window, peering inside with a hint of longing.“I shouldn’t…”
“What?Why?”Isabella chides her.
“Because weight gain is a career killer in my industry,” she says, her fingers threading through her long auburn hair as she leans closer to scrutinize the flavors on display.
My jaw tightens.She’s perfect in every conceivable way.I lower my shades to give her a piercing stare, and she glances in my direction, our eyes meeting for a moment, then she shrugs.“What the hell…”
Watching her choose a gelato is like watching an artist at work.It’s utterly captivating, and I find myself pulled into the moment.I force myself to look away, knowing it’s a dangerous game to get lost like this.
Out of the blue, a gelato cone enters my line of sight.
“Here you are,” she says.
Immediately, my discipline kicks in.“No, thank you.”
She frowns but does not relent.“Loosen up, Kingsley.We are in a small village.It’s a hundred degrees, and I’m offering you an ice cream.”
My days in the scorching heat of Somalia and Afghanistan flash before me, and only because it is hot as fuck, I ask, “What flavor is it?”
“Pistachio.”She smirks, and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.“’Cause you’re a hard nut to crack.”
A bark of laughter escapes me, and she stares at me.I guess it’s a foreign sound, not only to her but to me as well.
“So we are checking out a few more shops down here,” she says, and every minute counts.
I know we will cut it close to the engagement party if we continue shopping.
“One more, Miss Slater.”I counter, eating the delicious nutty ice cream.
