“Hm?”
Edith tensed, feeling a sudden wave of nerves.
When had they even agreed to this?
And now, somehow, they were already picking a spot?
On the surface, it looked like Justin was letting her choose, but before Edith could utter a word, her silk nightgown slipped off her shoulders.
His lips found hers, cutting off any protest, so all she could do was point toward the bed.
Justin’s lips curled into a sly smile, his eyes dark with mischief. “Too late.”
He leaned over her, taking charge without hesitation. Edith could only move with him, her breath quickening in sync with his.
Lost in the haze, Justin’s teeth grazed her earlobe as he whispered, “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, or how you look. As long as it’s you, that’s all I want.”
Edith chalked it up to his passion in the moment. She hardly thought she was so irresistible–and even if she was, there was no way Justin could have figured that out in just a few days.
Thinking back to her cousin’s advice, Edith wondered if she should be a bit more daring. But with everything nearly over, how was she supposed to start now?
After some hesitation, she decided that since Justin was whispering such sweet nonsense in the heat of the moment, maybe she should play along.
Mimicking his moves, she bit his ear gently, her voice soft and breathless at his ear. “I love you, Justin.”
It was the boldest thing she’d ever done.
Justin froze.
A rush of emotion flickered across his face, and after that, he didn’t hold back–by the time they finally stopped, it was nearly morning.
Edith was left with nothing but regret, but it was far too late for that. With Justin’s eyes blazing like that, there was no reasoning with him anymore.
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Chapter 168
The last time he pulled her close, he pressed his ear against her lips, his voice edged with command and longing. “Edith, say you love me.”
Edith braced herself, wrapping her arms around his waist, and whispered into his ear,
“I love you.”
“Who do you love?” His voice was so low and raw it barely sounded human, as if he was teetering on the edge of control.
“I love you, Justin!”
After that, only their ragged breaths filled the room, the world shrinking to just the two
of them.
Edith felt a pang of regret–if she’d known those words would have ended the night sooner, she would’ve said them ages ago.
The next morning.
Edith was so tired she could barely open her eyes, her face pressed against Justin’s chest. When her phone started ringing, she didn’t even think about answering.
“Just fifteen more minutes… just a bit longer…” she mumbled into his chest, as if making a wish.
Justin opened his eyes, irritation flickering as the phone kept buzzing. He glanced down at Edith, noticing the faint shadows beneath her eyes and the way her brows drew together in sleep.
She definitely hadn’t gotten enough rest.
He freed a hand and answered her phone.
It was Connor.
Justin’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. What kind of lawyer has this much free time? Who calls at the crack of dawn instead of sleeping in?
He picked up the call for Edith. “What is it?”
Connor had been hoping to hear Edith’s soft, sleepy voice first thing in the morning. Instead, he was greeted by Justin’s cold, unfriendly tone.
Annoyed at first, Connor quickly realized he’d managed to ruin Justin’s perfect morning–and that gave him no small amount of satisfaction.
“It’s nothing urgent. Isn’t today the day Edith and her new protégé are heading to Riverbend Zoo for that charity mural? Just wanted to remind her.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.