Chapter 5 Holt
FIVE
HOLT
You know that feeling you get when you’re told not to touch something, but you do it anyway, tossing all fucks out the window? Like staring at a flashing red button with a million signs hanging above it reading: Danger: Do not press.
You press it anyway, and the whole fucking building explodes.
That’s what I’ve done.
I was supposed to keep my mouth shut. I was supposed to stay hidden in the shadows, pretending Rome’s lawsuit isn’t hovering over me like an ominous dark cloud, fueling the gossip of tonight’s event.
But without a single thought or consideration, I pressed the button.
I’ve never been very good at following orders.
The crowd is eerily quiet for a ballroom filled with hundreds of auction attendees and media outlets. I can hear the constant clinking of flashing cameras, capturing the moment I decided to kiss Selene Walker.
Holy shit. I’m kissing Selene Walker.
Her chest is pressed against me, her back bowing under the palm of my hand. It rests just above the top curve of her ass, her silk dress sliding against my touch. My other hand is gripping the back of her head. My fingers get lost in the threads of her shiny blonde hair.
I hold her against my mouth, not wanting this moment to end.
I’ve caught her off guard, stolen her breath away.
I wasn’t supposed to kiss her on the mouth.
It was supposed to remain innocent—a show of cuteness for the public, a gentle peck to the cheek.
But I couldn’t help myself. She’s insatiable with absolutely no effort.
One look, and I’m caving, tossing all fucks out the window, reputation be damned.
See? I’m not very good when it comes to following orders.
The hushed whispers and gasps from the crowd grow increasingly louder with every passing second, but I still hear the moan that rumbles from Selene’s mouth.
She melts under my touch, bending into me and pressing her mouth harder to mine.
Then her hand wraps around my arm, clutching onto me for support.
I dig my fingers into the small of her back, supporting her.
My skin crackles at the thought of making her literally weak in the knees.
Kissing Selene Walker is something I’ve imagined for entirely too long, and now I’m actually fucking doing it. She tastes and feels like heaven. Utter perfection against me.
But even in this moment, when I will it to last forever, it doesn’t. Our kiss is fleeting.
I tilt my head, wanting to deepen our kiss, but Selene’s grip on me tightens. Then she’s pushing me back. Our mouths tear apart, and she distances herself. Her green eyes stare at me, wide-eyed, the golden flecks in them reflecting off the spotlight still shining down on us.
She shivers, her breath quivering between her now swollen lips. “What the hell?” She inhales, her chest caving in with a dramatic breath. Her wide-eyed gaze shifts to her right, out to the gossip hungry crowd. With her cheeks enflamed, she presses her hand to her stomach.
Guilt crashes into me. Not for kissing her. But for kissing her this way in front of hundreds of people, knowing I’m the one who’s caused the panic that’s now clearly pouring out of her.
I squeeze her hand, hoping it will ease her reaction, but my confidence fractures when her wide eyes narrow and she winces.
She tears her hand from my grip and leaves me where I’m standing on the stage. She’s shaking her head as she walks but stops when she reaches the outer edge of the curtain backstage. I’m staring at her back when she lifts her hand to her forehead.
“Selene, wait.”
Her hand falls away, ignoring me, and she takes several more steps farther backstage.
I finally catch up to her. “Selene.”
“What the hell was that, Holt?” She spins on her heel, eyebrows slanted in anger.
“Not quite sure why you’re so upset.” I narrow my gaze. “You were clearly asking for my help out there. Pleading for it, in fact.”
I can’t forget the way she mouthed her plea to me with her gaze locked onto mine.
“I was not pleading.”
“Right, because you mouthing the word ‘please’ from across the ballroom isn’t pleading.” I smirk. “Tell me, Wallflower, why would you rather have me bid on you than Adam when you came here together?”
She pauses, her neck bobbing as she swallows. “We aren’t together.”
Her confirmation of what my sister told me earlier makes me feel better. Not that I didn’t believe Julianna, but sometimes my sister can run with a rumor and twist it.
She crosses her arms defiantly over her chest. She’s shutting me out, but I can’t help noticing how I’ve never seen her like this. I’ve lit a fire in her, and I want more of it. My stomach and dick delight at the thought of bringing this side of her out.
Her cheeks are flushed red, and her chest rapidly and dramatically rises and falls as she attempts to fill her lungs with air.
“You kissed me.”
“The winning bidder gets to kiss their date.”
“On the cheek.” She scoffs. “You missed by a few inches.”
“Oh, come on.” I lean forward, stuffing my hands in my pockets to keep myself from touching her. I won’t do that again unless she asked me to. “Admit it, Wallflower.”
“Admit… what?” she stammers, straightening her back. Her arms unravel.
“Admit that you just experienced the best kiss of your life.”
Her mouth falls open, but then her head snaps to the left.
“I don’t know whether I should be pissed or happy right now, Mr. Capuleti.” Treena bursts through the event coordinators gathered backstage.
“Apparently, you aren’t alone in that sentiment.” I give Selene the side eye.
“Well, the crowd apparently loved it.” Treena gestures toward the ballroom. “At first, I was pissed you didn’t listen to my advice, but it seems to have distracted everyone from talking about the lawsuit.”
“Great.” Selene huffs, crossing her arms over her chest again.
She turns to me, the wall between us growing thicker.
She’s angry but still beautiful. She’s all soft curves and piercing green eyes.
“You shift the narrative regarding your reputation at my expense. You’re welcome for the PR boost, Mr. Capuleti. ”
She storms off, disappearing down the stairs leading back to the ballroom. Passing Julianna along the way, she doesn’t even bother stopping.
Julianna looks over her shoulder before snapping her head in my direction.
“I don’t blame Selene for being irritated,” Julianna says. “You weren’t supposed to kiss her on the lips, Holt.”
I open my mouth to explain why I did it.
That the feelings I’ve harbored for my sister’s best friend bubbled over like a pot of boiling water, and the opportunity was staring me dead in the face, but I stop myself.
Mostly because I know anything I say won’t help matters.
Julianna will continue to see me as the villain, crushing hearts of those she cares about since we were kids.
But despite my true motives, Selene has a point. I push away the roiling sensation in my gut at having hurt her and focus on what happened out there moments ago.
Kissing Selene on stage was a PR stunt. A good one.
“You know, for someone who never keeps his opinions to himself, you sure picked a hell of a time to be silent.”
I stare at my sister, her words driving into me like a knife to the chest.
“Don’t worry, Jules. I’m certain you have enough opinions for the rest of us, so does it truly make a bit of difference?”
Her jaw drops as I curl my hands into fists tightly in my pockets. Apparently, that’s about the only good thing I’ve been able to do tonight—make everyone’s jaws drop. Somehow this night has turned from barely tolerable to incredible, to a raging fucking dumpster fire within a matter of an hour.
I leave backstage as fast as my feet can carry me.
My sister shouts behind me, demanding to know what the hell I mean, but I don’t stop to fucking answer.
Julianna’s words may cut deep to my core, but it’s the hurt in Selene’s gorgeous green eyes that haunt me most as I slip through the ballroom, dodging questions from left and right from gossip hungry reporters.
I’ve seen a similar hurt in someone’s eyes before. A hurt only caused by me.
I slip into the backseat of car and tell my driver Howard to take me home as fast as humanly possible, realizing one single fact.
I’m a fucking masochist.