Chapter 648

I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. Edward lifted his gaze and sized me up, his eyes growing increasingly shadowed and unreadable. That’s when I realized – when I’d been lying on the couch earlier, my dress was so tight I’d unzipped the back just to breathe. Now, sitting here, the zipper was still open, leaving half my back exposed. I sucked in a breath, jumped to my feet, and frantically tried to zip it up. But it was hopeless, and if I kept at it, I’d just end up looking ridiculous, so I gave up.

Edward watched me, seeing how flustered I was, then closed his eyes again and said coolly, “I saw you dancing with Nathan earlier. I have to admit, you two make quite the pair.” I gave an awkward laugh. “He’s not much of a dancer, so he asked me to show him the ropes.” “Enjoy being the teacher, do you?” Edward shot back, a hint of mockery in his voice. I shook my head. “No, it’s not like that. He was just so earnest about it, I couldn’t turn him down.” Edward’s gaze lingered on me, then he said, “Everything you’re wearing – Nathan gave it to you, right? He really put his heart into it.” I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more behind Edward’s words, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. “Why don’t you just go ahead and marry him, Victoria? Once you’re married, I’ll stop thinking about you and just get on with my life.” Edward sat up, looking dead serious as he said it. He picked up the glass of water, took a sip – it was pleasantly warm, easy to drink. I felt like Edward was really putting me on the spot. “Mr. Jennings, are you joking?” I said, my face turning serious. “Marriage is a big deal – it’s not something you can just take lightly.” “If you don’t get married, I’ll always feel like I’ve still got a shot…” Edward said, his voice going husky as he drank his water. “Is your self-control really that bad, Mr. Jennings?” I teased him lightly. That made him look right at me, eyes locked and intense. He set down his glass, stood up, and came over. I was curled up in an armchair, and with him standing over me like that, the pressure was intense. “My self-control isn’t good enough? You were the one who lost it last night,” Edward said, his voice suddenly serious. Whenever he got like this, it always made me nervous.

My face went hot, then cold. Last night, I really had lost my head. “Mr. Jennings, it’s getting late…” I said, pulling out my usual excuse. But Edward didn’t even seem to hear me. He just loomed over me, his gaze locked on mine, intense and unyielding. “You in that dress…. I couldn’t think straight all night. I swear, Victoria, you’re driving me out of my mind. Do you have any idea how torturous it is to feel this crazy for someone?” His large hand came up, gently brushing against my ear, his fingers grazing my earlobe and tangling softly in my hair. The way he touched me sent a shiver down my spine – I couldn’t help but tremble. Honestly, I was just as far gone for him as he was for me. Edward’s breathing turned rough, and in the next instant, he leaned in and claimed my lips with his. His big hand kept caressing my ear, but his kiss – as it started – was all dominance and heat, leaving me completely at… My mind was wiped clean, like my soul had been sucked into another universe. I wasn’t myself anymore. But my body didn’t lie – it responded to his kiss, growing hotter and hotter. I felt his fingers find the zipper at the back of my dress, slowly, teasingly tugging it down. The faint sound of the zipper sliding open echoed through the silent living room, shredding what was left of my sanity. “No…” I breathed, reaching out to stop him. But in the next moment, his hot, calloused hand closed gently over mine, his touch coaxing me, as if his tenderness alone could melt my resistance. “Edward…” I bit my lip, turning my face away from his kiss. Edward’s breath came rough and heavy as he lowered his head, his lips trailing down the pale curve of my neck. In the end, he still pulled my zipper all the way down – my dress loosened, and my curves, smooth and fair as ivory, were laid bare before his eyes. Edward sucked in a sharp breath, then suddenly pulled me up. In the next instant, he swept me into his arms and settled me sideways across his lap on the couch. He bent his head closer… “Edward…” I whispered his name, half lost in the moment, half still clinging to my senses. Just as he was nuzzling into my curves, his phone suddenly rang. He reached for it, clearly about to toss it aside, but at that exact moment, we both caught a glimpse of the caller’s name on the screen. He’d saved it as: Ryan.