Page 32 of Unpredictable
“In here.”
“Oh, um.” She stopped just short of coming in the room. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t realize this was your bedroom.”
Her eyes swept up my figure as mine did the same, drinking her in. She looked professional, as always. But now that she was in my home, standing at the threshold to my room, I couldn’t help imagining her in my bed. I clenched and unclenched my fists, knowing I needed to get my thoughts under control before my erection became painfully obvious.
When her eyes lingered on my chest, I glanced down, wondering if I’d missed a stain or something. “Is this…appropriate?” I asked, knowing how much emphasis Juliana had placed on my appearance for the wedding.
“Yes.” She swallowed. “You look great. Though—” She furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure about that tie with that shirt.”
“What’s wrong with this tie?” I asked, holding it up for inspection. It was a tie with a subtle pattern, and I often wore it with this shirt. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“So, wear it.” She lifted a shoulder. “You should wear something you feel confident in. Even if it clashes with your shirt,” she added.
“Clashes?” I frowned, glancing down at my shirt and tie. “It’s blue on blue. How can it clash?”
Sure, I wasn’t known for my sense of style. But that wasn’t entirely my fault. For years, I’d hired a stylist for big events. Even now, the station handled my wardrobe. I cared about comfort and quality more than what was on trend, but Juliana’s opinion mattered to me.
“I just think you could pick a color combo that pops a little more. Or one that complements the decorations.”
I tugged on her hand, pulling her in the direction of my closet. “Come with me.”
She laughed, though there was a nervous edge to her tone. “Um. Where are you taking me?”
“My closet. I want to see what you’d pick.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t fight me on it. I switched on the lights and led her over to the drawer where my ties were stored. When I glanced back at her, she was spinning around, taking it all in. I’d never had a woman in my closet other than the organizer I’d hired when I’d bought the house, and I liked seeing Juliana here. Watching her in my space. I wanted to keep her there.
“What about this one?” she asked, indicating a lavender button-down.
I frowned, thinking of how rarely I wore it. “That one?”
“Yeah.” She took the hanger off the bar and held it up to my chest. “Lavender really suits your skin tone and hair color.”
I started to unbutton my shirt, enjoying the way her eyes darkened.
“I’ll give you a minute to change.” She averted her eyes, but she couldn’t hide the pink tint of her cheeks.
“It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before,” I taunted.
“Still.” She spun, putting her back to me.
I stripped out of my shirt and tossed it aside before stalking over to her. I reached around her for the lavender shirt, letting my hand brush against her arm in the process. She shivered but didn’t lean away. If anything, she seemed to gravitate toward me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, wanting so badly to kiss her. But I wouldn’t. After the day at the gown shop, it was clear she was still hung up on her ex-fiancé.
“Something’s been bugging me,” she finally said, spinning to face me.
“What’s that?” I asked, not entirely sure what to expect.
I started buttoning my shirt, watching as she studied the contents of my tie drawer intently. As she debated the options, her long, delicate fingers caressing the ties, she asked, “How did you know about Ryan?”
Speak of the devil.
I threaded the next button through the hole. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about him.”
I certainly didn’t want to talk about him, especially now that we were finally alone. But I also wanted to know where they stood. Did she want him back? Did I even stand a chance?
A chance?I shook my head. Since when did I even want a chance?
