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Amina pushed one hand flat against my chest, right over where my heart would be. I knew she was just trying to show me how she was trembling from adrenaline. But she’d accidentally allowed herself to discover how excitedIwas.

I couldn’t stop her before she felt my heart racing.

Her attention locked on mine, her grin collapsing into an “o” of surprise.

Stepping backwards, I cleared my throat. “You amazed everyone out there. I’ve already got people trying to line up interviews with you. They all want to know who Amina Richards is.”

Some of her earlier energy returned. But I knew she was still caught up in how fast my heart had been thudding under her palm. “Oh, that’s so weird to hear. But good, right?”

“Very good,” Violet said, swinging between us. She held up three glasses of champagne, offering one to me, then Amina. “Let’s have a toast!”

“Here, here,” I mumbled, clinking my glass on each of theirs. I drank fast, the bubbles burning. I felt... exposed. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, letting her notice my excitement, but it was. What would she do with this info?

I knew what Iwantedher to do.

I could picture her dragging me to some far corner of the stage. Wrapping her fingers in my shirt, feeling my heart beating faster than it had the first time under her warm palm. We’d kiss, there’d be tongue... teeth... and someone would snap a photo of us fucking in my car in the lot under the building.

I promised Violet I wouldn’t.

Lifting my eyes, I watched my VP as she talked with Amina. Her body was placed carefully between the singer and me. It was intentional, making me remember what she’d said to me on our brief phone call.

She acts like I’m the Big Bad Wolf.Twisting the stem of my empty glass, I imagined it was one of Amina’s nipples.Would they be pink, or the color of fresh apricots? I was desperate to know and the fact I mightnever, everfind out was torture. I’d never had a delicious morsel dangled in front of me that I couldn’t taste.

Suddenly Amina faced me. “Should I go out there?”

“What, you mean the party?”

“Yeah. I could meet the people you want me to impress.”

I smiled at that. “I wasn’t going to hide you backstage all night. Did you get to see any of the garden before you were shuttled here to get ready?” She shook her head. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Violet crossed her arms as we walked by her. “Don’t do anything to ruin the good buzz we managed to create tonight.”

“Remind me why I pay you to have such little faith in me?” I asked with a grin. We stepped out from behind the huge curtains, exiting down a small set of stairs that led into the main area of the gala.

The crowd was thick here; someone accidentally elbowed Amina, making her wince. “Keep close,” I said, grabbing for her wrist. “No one bumps into me, they know better.” Her pulse fluttered under my grip as I shielded her. My head became light from her presence.

When we found a room with a long table covered in gold-glitter macarons, I turned to face her. “Here, eat something. You must be hungry.”

She glanced at my hand where it held her. I let go, making a show of adjusting my tie even as she scrutinized me. “You sure you want me to eat a bunch of cookies?”

I arched my eyebrows. “What?”

“You already forgot about this morning,” she muttered, grabbing a macaron. She looked at it instead of me. “Good to know how pointless our talks are.”

Oh, right. The stuff about the makeover.That moment seemed so long ago. “I was being harsh,” I said.

Biting into the cookie, she tilted her head. I watched with fascination as she licked the crumbs from her plump, kissable lips. “You don’t have to say you’re sorry much, do you.”

“More than you’d expect, actually,” I said under my breath. Amina was staring, so I lightened my voice. “I’m a fuck-up, sorry. I didn’t think through what I was saying. And... looking at you now...” I gestured, enjoying how she blushed. “You proved me wrong. You’re a natural beauty, Amina.”

“Stop that,” she scoffed.

“You think any man in this room has a choice about being attracted to you?”

She was glowing red now. Fuck, it was a turn on to tease her.

Shoving the rest of the cookie in her mouth, she exaggerated her chewing comically. “Yeff,” she mumbled, “I’mmf ferry shexy.”