Page 14 of One Night Seduction (ONS #1)

Her glossy eyes stare up at me like she’s desperate for me to forgive her, like she needs more than anything for me to say…

something. I don’t really have anything to say, though.

Instead, I’m entranced as I stare at her, but not for the reason you’d assume.

I’m absolutely baffled how two women could look virtually identical, with the exception of their age and eye color, yet also look so different.

Arianna and Kelly have the same jet-black hair, the same pert nose, and full lips.

They are almost carbon copies of each other, and yet…

the feeling is completely different. There is a purity to Arianna, a warmth.

She can be standoffish at times, but I also know that her hear t is huge.

She cares about others and always seems to be self-sacrificing.

These are traits that make it easy for others to walk over her in life but also make her so goddamn admirable and desirable.

Kelly is selfish, greedy, and forever self-serving.

Her pretty packaging is tainted by what I’ve seen on the inside, both from what happened between us and how she treats those around her.

It’s amazing what inner beauty, or lack thereof, can do to outer beauty.

“I appreciate that,” I say, knowing that I have to acknowledge her apology in some way, shape, or form.

“Would you ever…could we ever try starting over? Fresh?” she asks with a wavering voice.

My impassive mask doesn’t slip as I look down at her.

“I’m not sure. Maybe.”

Hope fills her eyes as she blinks quickly in surprise.

I dip my chin, effectively ending this conversation as I turn and head back to the kitchen.

Did I just give her false hope so she wouldn’t ask why I came?

Sure did. Would I have been willing to admit that I drove all the way out to the mountains just to spend a few days with her daughter instead of her? If she pushed enough, potentially.

Speaking of the devil, Arianna comes down the stairs wearing a tight pair of jeans and a pretty white top that somehow magnifies her blue eyes.

Those sparkling gems meet everyone’s gaze except mine before coming to Tyson.

She smiles as he reaches out an arm, dragging her towards him before blowing a raspberry into her neck.

She giggles, squirming in his arms before he places a quick kiss against her nose, stealing another from her lips.

The kitchen goes silent as Marissa stares open mouthed.

“When did this happen?”

“Last night.” Kelly laughs like it’s hilarious. “You should have heard them moaning like teenagers in the treehouse. ”

I frown at her as Arianna does the same.

“Mom, stop.”

“What? I’m just saying, if you wanted privacy for your little vacation romance, you chose the wrong place to do it.”

“No way this is just a vacation romance. There is no getting me away from her now,” Tyson cuts in with a smile to Kelly and a challenging side eye to me.

“That’s nice. Ari, are you sure that’s the shirt you want to wear? It looks a little tight in the stomach. Those college pounds really caught up to you,” Kelly says, her eyes raking over Arianna coldly.

My eyebrows raise as Arianna seems to shrivel up on the spot, every set of eyes on her. I’m ready to lose my fucking shit on her when Tyson beats me to it.

“Are we looking at the same woman? She’s fucking perfect.”

“There is no such thing as perfect, Ty,” she says with a roll of her eyes.

He shakes his head, smiling at Arianna as he cups her face the way I want to. The way I’m meant to.

“She comes as close as possible.”

Arianna seemingly melts into his touch, and I can physically feel my blood begin to boil as she does.

Kelly makes an irritated noise under her breath before Tyson pulls Arianna against him, pressing her back against his chest. His hand comes down to her hip, resting against it possessively in a way that has me seeing red.

I don’t know if he’s just trying to rile me up at this point or if he’s really into her.

Either way, I’m going to kick his front fucking teeth in.

I decide to sit outside for a little while and catch up on some work.

Mainly to escape Kelly trying to grope my fucking cock under the table.

I know I used to find her sexual confidence appealing at one point, but now, Jesus Christ, I need her to leave me the fuck alone.

Even if I am trying to use her as a distraction of sorts.

That sentence sounds gross when I think about it, but I’m not deluded.

I know very well she misses my wealth and my cock, nothing else.

I used to be fine with that, but after getting just the barest glimpse of a relationship with more… it just feels bland, unappetizing,

I’m slowly working through my inbox, which is a fucking nightmare since I never take time off. I also never allow anyone into my inbox to manage it while I’m gone…because I’m never gone. Goddamnit, this trip is going to set me behind weeks, and for what?

As if my mind somehow conjured the torturous beauty herself, Arianna comes wandering into the backyard before moving to the dock. Her camera is held up as she sits there for a while, snapping pictures. I find myself watching her more than the screen in front of me.

When she turns around to face the house, I quickly make myself busy, tapping out next month’s scheduled meetings for the firm. I hear her walk towards the fire pit I’m sitting at, expecting her to continue past me. Instead, she takes a seat on the grass four feet away from me.

I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she lies on her back and begins snapping pictures of the tree that’s slightly shading her.

“Why are you taking pictures looking up?” I ask, unable to help myself.

She doesn’t stop what she’s doing, adjusting the focus of the camera lens as she speaks .

“If you don’t change your perspective from time to time, you could risk missing the most beautiful parts.”

Her words are deep and prophetic, and yet again, I’m amazed by this woman.

I want to say more, but I know I shouldn’t.

I’m putting up a wall between us, and it’s working.

Kind of. I’m trying. She made her desires clear, and I have to respect them, even if being this near to her, unable to touch her, makes my skin crawl.

A soft breeze blows by us, pushing some of her hair into her face. She doesn’t immediately move it out of the way, and I feel my fingers twitch with the ache to run them through her silky strands just once more.

Arianna tilts her head to me, moving her camera out of the way so her eyes meet mine.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Just catching up on some work.”

She nods, her eyes moving back to her camera as she continues.

“Do you like what you do?”

I think about that for a moment, setting my phone down as I ponder her question.

“Yes and no.”

“Why’s that?” she asks.

“The money is good, the work is steady, and once you’ve defended one sleazy businessman, you’ve defended them all.”

“And the bad?” Arianna asks as she looks away from her camera.

For just one moment, I hold her attention, those piercing blue eyes on me.

It sends my heart racing and my palms sweating like a goddamn teenager.

I’m not a nervous man, and I’m not nervous now.

More like…off kilter. She throws me off.

I’m not able to speak freely, act freely.

If I did, she’d be pinned to the ground, naked be neath me, and we’d never come up for air.

Unfortunately, that reality isn’t possible.

She’s drawn a boundary, and no matter how much I hate it, I’d never break her trust or disrespect her in that way.

“The bad,” I say, attempting to refocus my mind because, fuck me, what were we even talking about again? “Defending sleazy businessmen.”

Her lips tip up in the corners, the motion barely noticeable if I wasn’t paying such close attention to her mouth. She’s amused, even if she doesn’t want to be. Something in me likes that I can do that to her, for her. A lot.

“Couldn’t one argue that you’re also a sleazy businessman?” she asks.

My brows furrow at that.

“How do you figure?”

She shrugs. “You make a shit ton of money, you run a huge business, I’m sure you’re the type to do whatever it takes to get your way.”

Her playful expression falls away when she looks at me, and I can’t help but lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees as I look at her.

“You’re correct. I will undoubtedly do whatever it takes.”

Her eyes widen slightly, and I swear to god, I see her physically gulp. I hold her eye contact for several more seconds before easing back into my seat, fixing my eyes back on my phone screen as I deliver my next words effortlessly.

“Can you say the same, Arianna?”

I see her frown out of the corner of my eye as if she were truly thinking over my words.

I expect her to get up, done with…whatever this encounter is.

To my surprise, she doesn’t. In fact, she stands, moving to take the seat beside mine.

I don’t outwardly react, but I can’t help but get eager with her this close to me .

We don’t say anything to one another. Instead, we both begin our tasks once more, enjoying the comfortable silence between the two of us for the next hour or so. Once I’ve answered my fifth repetitive email, I’m completely fried and decide to pocket my phone.

Looking over Arianna’s shoulder, I find her scrolling through the pictures she took, deleting ones and saving others. She must feel my eyes on her because she quickly turns the camera away, frowning at me as she does.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” I answer.

She rolls her eyes at me in mock annoyance.

“You don’t let others see your pictures?”

“No, not really.”

“Why?”

Arianna shrugs.

“Are you afraid of someone else being too critical, or are you being too critical of yourself?”

Her uncertain blue eyes meet mine as she pauses.

She blinks a few times before slowly turning the camera to face me.

I keep my gaze on hers for several seconds, showing her that I appreciate the risk she’s taking in opening herself up, and I don’t take it lightly.

Trust is the most precious thing one person can give another, and that is something I’ll never take for granted.

When my eyes do move to the screen, I’m stunned.

I just thought she was taking pictures of the underside of a tree, but that’s not what she captured.

The branches are swaying with a gentle breeze that is caught in perfect time.

The colors are vivid and striking while still maintaining their authenticity.

Like how she put it, her perspective has taken an ordinary vantage point and transformed it into something …

“Extraordinary,” I say lowly.

She looks up at me.

“You like it?”

I hear the uncertainty in her tone, and it gnaws at something in my chest. This brilliant woman has not been given near the amount of praise and recognition that she deserves. In fact, it seems she’s been given less than anyone deserves. That stops today.

My eyes meet hers as I nod sincerely, meaning every word.

“It’s fantastic. May I see more?”

She doesn’t say anything, but I notice her posture perk up slightly as she begins scrolling through the images she took, each just as unique and beautiful as the last. I’m no art major by any means, but I can admire a beautiful picture and understand the skill and raw talent it must take to see what others can’t and then capture it, delivering it on a silver platter for those less inclined.

When she’s gone through them all, she lowers her camera to look up at me with insecurity that doesn’t belong in those clear blue eyes.

“You’re extremely talented, Arianna.”

“Thanks,” she says, her eyes dropping to the floor like she isn’t truly accepting the compliment.

Before I can think better of it, I catch her chin with my fingers, tilting her head up to meet my gaze.

“I mean it,” I emphasize. “Talent like yours…it’s a gift. You need to believe that.”

She swallows roughly as an earnest look touches her face. I don’t realize that my thumb is gently stroking her chin until she blinks hard, looking away and ripping us back to reality.

“I’m gonna head inside,” she says as she climbs to her feet, tucking her camera protectively in her grasp as she makes her way towards the house .

Without an ounce of shame or remorse, I watch her go, memorizing every single step until a solid wooden door cuts off my view.