Page 69 of Unfaithful

I frowned. "What?"

Suddenly, I felt self-conscious. Had I overdressed? I resisted the urge to tug at the plunging neckline, already second-guessing my choices.

It took a few more seconds before Archie finally seemed to snap out of it. He walked over, gently taking my arm and steering me away from Julian and Emma. Then, leaning close, he whispered,

"Would I be wrong to say you don't look entirely comfortable?"

"Well..." I began, searching for an excuse, but eventually just sighed. "Not really."

He pulled back slightly, eyebrows scrunching. "Then why are you wearing it?"

"I..." I opened my mouth, searching for a reason, but came up empty. "I actually don't know."

"You look hot, by the way, but you should wear whatever feels right for you," he said, then added with a teasing grin as he flicked my nose gently, "You'd look hot in anything, Peaches, trust me. You don't even have to try."

I met his gaze for a moment, but the intensity in his eyes made my breath catch. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I glanced away, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"You're right," I said, keeping my gaze down. "I'm not comfortable. I'll go change."

I sprinted up the stairs to my room, rifling through my closet until I settled on a black sleeveless top and a black leather miniskirt. Still stylish but with far less risk of a wardrobe malfunction.

Making sure no excessive cleavage was on display, I slipped back into my heels and moved to the mirror, pulling my hair into a sleek, tight ponytail.

Satisfied with how I looked, I headed back downstairs.

When he saw me, Archie's smile held quiet satisfaction, as if he had always expected me to make this choice.

Emma frowned at me at first, then shrugged. "Yeah, your choice is better than mine," she admitted.

I grinned at her as I walked to Julian and wrapped my arms around him. "Hey, stranger."

"Hey, gorgeous," he replied softly, hugging me back. "I like this look on you better."

"Me too," I said before pulling away. "When did you get back?"

"A few days ago," he said.

"All body parts safe?" I asked, eyeing him carefully. His arm was severely injured the last time he came home—a broken bone and deep scratches; it looked like a bear had mauled him. Well, maybe he had. I wouldn't be surprised if he was hiding another injury now.

"All safe, ma'am," he said with a grin.

"Good." I nodded, grinning back.

"Shall we?" Archie asked.

"Yes!" Emma shouted, bouncing on her feet with excitement.

Archie extended his hand toward me. "Come on, let's go and have some fun."

We all stepped outside, and I locked the door behind me. Julian and Emma quickly claimed the backseat of Archie's car while I slid into the front.

The moment the car took off, Emma wasted no time reminding Julian how many drinks he could have tonight, still holding onto the memory of the last time we went out—when security had to drag him out.

"That was three fucking years ago, Emma!" Julian exclaimed. "I can't believe you still remember that!"

"Of course, I remember," Emma shot back. "How could I forget? It was humiliating! You climbed onto a table, knocked over an entire tray of drinks, and had to be carried out like a damn sack of potatoes."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as Archie chuckled beside me.

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