Page 13 of Meet Me In The Dark (Skeptically In Love #3)

Julian

I went to a sex club one time.

One fucking time.

It was supposed to be something dark and anonymous to scratch an itch before I moved the hell on from it.

Now she’s standing at the head of the conference room table, discussing designs for my potential headquarters.

Celeste Morgan.

Her hair flows down her back, and her blouse is tucked in tight like she’s never let anyone unbutton it.

But I have.

I watched her unravel with nothing but my hands on her skin and my voice in her ear.

But it was my voice that betrayed me today. When I spoke and shook her hand, I saw that flicker of recognition.

Her moan echoes in my head, and my hand twitches at the phantom memory of fisting her hair, while the same expensive perfume from that night wraps around me again today.

Christ.

She’s confident, intelligent, and speaks with authority, but I know how she looks when she loses control, and I want to take it from her again.

“Ms. Morgan,” I say lazily, interrupting her mid-sentence, “you’re proposing a hybrid design for the second structure?”

Her eyes cut to me.

There’s the faintest hint of steel in her voice when she replies, “Yes. That allows us to extend the upper levels while maintaining minimal ground-level disruption. You’ll get your panoramic views and green space.”

She moves to the screen and changes the slide.

Nathan nods.

I don’t.

“That overhang seems excessive.”

“Not when the internal supports are reinforced. You’ll see in a moment.”

I raise a brow. “Still seems like a risk.”

Nathan’s eyes swing to me. “Julian,” he warns.

Celeste keeps going, but I see the micro-shift in her breathing, the flush high on her cheeks, and how she’s avoiding my eyes until she can’t help but glance again.

She feels it too .

“What are the fire-resistance specs on this insulation material?” I ask flatly, flipping through one of the documents.

She answers easily. “Already accounted for. Mechanical will be housed within the—”

I hold up a hand. “And seismic compliance?”

I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I’m pulling words from the page at random, throwing technical terms around just to watch her react. It’s petty, it’s reckless, and completely beneath me. Yet, I can’t fucking stop.

I’m doing it to get a reaction from her. I know I am.

Nathan turns his head toward me so fast it’s a miracle his neck doesn’t snap. He doesn’t say a word, but his expression is clear: Cut the shit.

Celeste, though, doesn’t flinch. She presses her lips together, walks to the end of the table, and reaches for a large blueprint tube.

Popping the cap, she unrolls the sheets with a flick of her wrist.

Without a single fucking hesitation, she walks straight to me.

She lays the blueprint directly in front of me, palms flat on the table, leaning in so close that her perfume hits me square in the chest. My pulse spikes, and every muscle in my body goes rigid.

If I tilted my head just an inch, my mouth would brush her throat, right where she’d gasp if I kissed her.

With a cock of her head, she looks me straight in the eyes. Her glare is sharp and knowing and just the right amount of dangerous.

“Would you like me to talk you through it, Mr. Blackwood?”

Ah, she bites .

The air between us feels electric.

I used those words to confirm my suspicions earlier, and the shudder in her body and the wide eyes gave me my answer.

But I also used them right before I kissed my way down her neck.

Just before she broke.

My eyes lock on hers, and I can’t help but smile.

Good fucking girl.