Page 12 of Hate On

She felt a pang in her lower belly as he caught it with his tongue. “I have to say, Julianna,” he murmured. “You’re quite unforgettable yourself.”

The magnetic pull she felt toward him was indescribable and when he reached out to brush his fingers across the back of her hand, she would have sworn she felt that touch in parts of her body not connected to her hand.

Heat sparked inside and she tried to banish it, but it wasn’t going away.

She was saved momentarily, the tension of the moment melting away as their server passed out their plates.

She almost sagged her shoulders in relief.

* * *

The respite broughton by the arrival of dinner was brief.

The conversation between them had gone from friendly to…something else entirely in practically the blink of an eye. She couldn’t even really put her finger on what had caused the change.

Even something as simple as eating one of the breadsticks that had been served with her dinner seemed to be laden with a sexual charge that heated her flesh and shortened her breath.

As she closed her lips around the crusty end of the bread, Roman’s lids drooped and a heavy breath escaped him. She noticed that he hadn’t eaten much of his meal and as she put down the breadstick, she gestured to his plate. After dabbing the crumbs from her mouth, she commented, “Don’t you like the fettuccine?”

“I’m finding myself hungry for…something,” Roman said, his voice lower, rougher.

The heat inside her threatened to explode, and she reached for her glass of wine, only to find it empty.

“Let me.”

She looked up as Roman reached for the bottle of wine—it was the second one they’d had opened and she was probably on her third or fourth glass now, but she didn’t think that was why her head was spinning. It had more to do with the way he was watching her, more to do with the heat pulsing inside her.

She sipped her wine, lingering over the ripe, fruity taste before letting it slide down her throat.

“I’m not all that hungry myself,” she said as she lowered the glass.

“Is that a fact?”

“Hmm. I think I’ll go use the ladies’ room.” She slid from her chair, pausing for a moment to make sure her legs would stay under her before she started to walk.

* * *

“Get a hold of yourself,”she told her reflection.

It didn’t matter that the man out there was beautiful and seemed to eat her up with his eyes.

She didn’t know him.

Their families were entwined in what could only be described as a bitter, ugly feud.

Sure, that didn’t have to involve them—she didn’t even fully understand why her parents and his couldn’t stand each other. She personally had nothing against Roman and judging by the way tonight was going, if she’d met him anywhere outside of how they’d met, if he wasn’t a Montrose, she’d probably fall for this heated flirtation playing out between them.

So why let your family stop you?

She stared into the eyes of the woman in her reflection, trying to understand just that. It was a simple question. And yet…it wasn’t.

Before she had time to come up with an answer, the door opened, admitting two women, both of them talking in excited, low whispers.

She nodded at them as she stepped back from the sink.

She needed to get back out there anyway.

To her surprise, she found Roman lingering near the grotto that housed the restrooms.