The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0263

Nicholas’s mouth was hot on mine. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me closely. I clutched at his shoulders, early accepting his kisses, until the need for air forced us apart.

He rested his forehead against mine. “You have to change.”

“Nick,” I said. He was being ridiculous. “This dress is not revealing.”

“You look so sexy in it. I can’t stand the thought of Terry seeing you like this.”

I smiled a little. This dress was not flattering on me. I knew that. I looked okay, but out of fashion. I’d worn more revealing clothes before.

I imagined a big part of Nicholas’s trouble was that he was attracted to me in anything. “You’d probably be jealous even if I wore a potato sack.”

He didn’t argue. “I don’t like the way Terry looks at you.” His arms squeezed me closer. “Why don’t you stay here, after all. Stay with Elva. Julian and I can snoop around Terry’s mansion. You don’t need to endanger yourself.”

I shook my head. “You know I can’t do that. Even if I wanted to. I had such a poor showing in the last event, that I can’t risk botching another. I need attend and do the best I can.”

“Terry won’t make it easy on you.‘

“I know that,” I said. “But I don’t have any other choice.”

Nicholas frowned deeply but he made no further remarks. Instead, he stepped back from me and turned on the lights to the garage. Taking my hand, he led me through the various fancy cars until we reached a black sedan with tinted windows.

He opened the passenger door and helped me inside. Then he went around to the driver’s side. The seats were soft leather, the console black and impeccably clean. When Nicholas turned the key, the car started with a confident purr.

drive and carefully navigated out of the garage

my nerves began to prickle again. I worried my

glanced over at me, likely seeing my tense

to use this road this time of night. The sun had set, and the road was dark. Nicholas clicked on the high

to collect my thoughts. Yes, I was a lamb headed into the lion’s den. But Nicholas and Julian would be there. And Susie and the other girls. If Terry wanted to

others thought of him or his actions. He had the ear

way Nicholas’s

side of us. Nicholas lifted his foot off the gas. Slowly, he pulled onto the side of the road,

“Nicholas?”

I knew what it was because I felt it too,

he said, and I complied at once, leaning toward him. He leaned too, and caught

was a bit awkward, with the center console jutting unwelcomed into the space between us. But our need to hold each other overcame any obstacle. Nicholas buried his fingers into my hair. I clawed at his back,

be able to tell where he ended and I began. That

finally feel

I knew that to be true. Somehow, I would have to be strong, depend on my physical training from Nicholas, and my mental lessons from Julian. I didn’t

frightened. I held

past the seam of my lips. I opened willingly for his greedy tongue, and held on while he stole my breath

about what was going to happen tonight. I could find solace in this

surmount this stolen moment of closeness with this man I was so soft–hearted for. Nicholas and I couldn’t be together long term,

Nicholas breathed against my lips, my name twisted

name like that, like he was frightened too, or concerned, or jealous, or all three. So I