Page 9 of Never Gonna Lie (Forbidden #2)

Chapter Nine

RAVEN

ONE YEAR AGO

M ia and I went shopping this morning, and I found the perfect dress.

It’s white, made from a silky material that feels so soft as it brushes against my skin.

The neckline dips low enough to show a hint of cleavage but nothing too dramatic, and the fitted waist pulls in tight, giving me an hourglass shape.

It’s not my usual style, showing off way more skin than I’m used to, but even I couldn’t deny how well it fit after Mia insisted I try it on.

The white makes the red of my hair pop more, and the contrast was stunning to say the least. The slight tan that I’d managed to get my pale skin to develop over the last few weeks looks deeper against the white, and I’m slightly obsessed .

Deciding on straightening my curly hair, and going light on makeup—mascara, bronzer, and a nude lip—the reflection staring back at me is at odds with the person I see on the inside.

Because the woman standing before me is a literal goddess.

Someone who would have men chasing after her.

She has curves in all the right places, an impressive cleavage, and legs for days. But she’s not me .

I’m boring. Plain. Dull. Or so I’ve been told over the years.

Mia comes up behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders and bringing me out of my somber mood. “Stop it,” she chastises. “You look incredible. I’d totally bang you.” She winks as she squeezes my shoulders.

Laughing, I reply, “Thanks. I think?”

“Let’s go,” she says, hurrying me along. “You don’t want to be late for your own party.”

“I doubt anyone would miss me,” I mumble to myself.

“I heard that,” Mia admonishes. “That’s enough of that.” She cups my cheeks in her hands, her voice lowering to a more gentle tone. “You are stunningly beautiful, and I wish you could see what I see when I look at you.”

I scoff at her words, trying to stop the tears from welling and ruining my makeup. I clear my throat before saying, “Let’s go before Dad sends a search party.”

Making our way downstairs, I look around, amazed at the effort Dad and Emma have gone to for this party. Fairy lights hang from every picture frame and vase, and streams of white fabric hang from the ceiling, giving it a winter wonderland vibe in summer.

In a word, it’s beautiful.

Mia hooks her arm through mine and leads me into the dining room where the party’s in full swing. We amble into the room, giggling, when I lock eyes with James. The breath gets knocked out of me as I take in his tailored all-black suit that fits him like a glove.

My mouth goes dry, and I have to swallow several times to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. A glass clinking brings me out of my gawking, and I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other as I walk over to my dad, who happens to be standing right next to James.

Stopping in front of them, I don’t know what to do with myself, self-conscious of being so close to James, yet wanting to be as close to him as possible. I tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear and bite my bottom lip.

I finally peer up at him from beneath my lashes and see his jaw’s clenched, his eyes piercing into mine. I lift my head further up in confusion, my brows furrowed.

Have I done something wrong?

He knocks back his whiskey before snapping, “Excuse me,” and storms off.

James is a charmer; he always has time for everyone.

He’s never one to be brash or rude, at least not to me anyway, so I’m baffled by his sudden change in mood.

The urge to chase after him hurtles through me, wanting to make sure he’s okay, but I stay rooted to the spot.

It’s bad enough I’m in love with the man; I don’t need to be broadcasting it to the world, too.

Politely excusing myself, I wander over to the bar and order myself a glass of soda. Thanking the waiter, I check the time, wondering how long I can leave it before going after James, or if I should even be going after him at all.

Fuck it.

I’m not usually one to live in the moment—I’m someone who has to have everything meticulously planned out—but this is James we’re talking about here. Lifting my dress slightly, I move as quickly as I can, without making it look too obvious, to the balcony doors where I know he went.

Stepping out onto the balcony, I notice that the theme from inside has flowed out here, the same fairy lights giving it a warm, soft glow as I step out further in my search.

Just as I’m about to give up, I see a slight movement in the shadows closest to the wall. A cigarette cherry moves from down beside a leg up to what I presume is their mouth. Smoke blows toward me, and I can’t help but cough.

“Shit, sorry,” comes the reply of a voice I know well.

Hands on hips, I reply, “Since when do you smoke, James Smith?”

He steps toward me, slow and deliberate, almost like a predator stalking his prey. A shiver works its way down my spine, my nipples pebble, and my panties grow damp with need.

“Since always. You’ve just never seen it,” he says, looking at me intently. “Why are you out here, pretty girl?”

“I-I came to check on you. To see if you were okay?” I take a step closer. “You stormed off like I’d upset you.” I cock my head to the side as I gaze at him.

James chuckles, putting his hands in his pockets as he takes a step closer. “You worried about me, Raven?”

“Hmm,” I hum in acknowledgment. My body’s on autopilot as I take another step toward him.

“You shouldn’t be worrying about me,” he whispers, his gaze dark, lustful.

“No?” I ask. “And why ever not? Someone has to make sure you keep out of trouble. ”

He huffs out a laugh, moving forward and eliminating some of the distance between us. “I’m sure you’ve got better things to worry about than an old man like me, pretty girl.”

“Old man? Absolutely not. Pretty boy? Most definitely,” I tease, my wayward mouth running away from me as I whisper, “I’ll never not worry about you.”

His eyes dart to my mouth before forcing his gaze back up. “Dance with me?” he asks, his tone low and hand outstretched.

The opening notes to Teddy Swim’s Guilty starts playing as we take the last couple of steps toward each other, my hand reaching out to meet his. There’s no way I would ever be able to turn him down.

He places his arms around my waist as I slide my hands up his arms, entwining them behind his head.

We’re standing so close I can feel his breath on my face, hot and smoky.

We sway gently to the music, caught in each other’s web as the world around us ceases to exist. His thumb rubs against the bare skin on show, and I shiver at his touch.

“You look beautiful,” he whispers, almost like he knows he shouldn’t have said it but couldn’t stop himself.

“Thank you,” I breathe out, completely spellbound.

His hand comes to my chin, gripping it firmly and tilting my head just a fraction.

He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, watching the movement.

I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing a while back, too lost in what’s happening to care about anything else.

Our faces are inches apart, breaths mingling as our lips nearly touch.

Without a thought for what I’m doing, I close the distance between us, lifting onto the balls of my feet and pressing my lips against his.

I feel like fireworks are igniting behind me at the soft pressure of his lips grazing against mine.

He groans, and I tentatively widen my lips, allowing his tongue to slip through.

Moving my hands down, I grip his arms before he tugs me closer, deepening the kiss.

Our tongues brush against each other in a rhythm that feels like we’ve been doing it for years, like this was always meant to be.

My body’s on fire, my clit pulsing in time to the beating of my heart as my brain turns to mush.

The air from my lungs is stolen as I kiss him with everything I have.

James’s grip on my waist tightens, not hard enough to bruise but hard enough to bring me back to the moment, to the fact I’m kissing James freaking Smith .

Without warning, he rips his mouth away, panting heavily as he places his forehead against mine. After a moment, he squeezes my hips one last time before stepping back.

“Shit,” he whispers as he runs a hand through his hair, his eyes wide in mortification, like it just hit him what happened. “Fuck!”

I bring my hand to my mouth, gently rubbing my swollen lips as the phantom tingle of him still lingers.

“Raven. I—Fuck! That shouldn’t have happened.”

I jerk my head and gape at him. “Why?” Surely he wanted it as much as I did? He kissed me back for Christ’s sake. “Did I do something wrong?” Every anxious thought about not being good enough flares to life. “I know it was my first kiss bu?—”

“The fuck?” James exclaims. He stops pacing to look at me, horror clearly written across his features. “That should never have happened and will never happen again,” he whisper-yells, his voice cold and hard.

Tears begin to fill my eyes, my mind spinning as my heart begins to crack. “Jame?—”

“No, Raven,” he cuts me off again. “This was a mistake.” He doesn’t even bother glancing back at me as he storms back into the party, my party.

A sob works its way up my throat, and before I can think anymore, I hike my dress up and run for the docks.