Page 88 of Yours, For Good

A pull to fill in the space drove me to keep chatting. It could keep her close until I found a way to get her alone and get a chance to talk to her properly.

I fidgeted with my cufflinks. "It's also the anonymity issue, of course. The students I bring to my program are usually invited to the fundraiser. How are you liking it, by the way?"

"I told myself I was making more connections for my business. It's something I learned at the incubator, so thanks."

I nodded, soaking in her presence and feeling a little breathless in the process.

She cocked her head, apparently unaware of my feelings. "So how did the other students in your program react when they saw you at this party?"

"They never learned my identity." I frowned. "They never knew they were talking to their benefactor."

"What? Really? Don't tell me they missed out on you going down on them, too?"

My cufflink fell to the ground and skittered a few steps away from us.

Laughing, she picked it up for me and reached for my wrist. She handled the cuff, putting the simple metal whale back in place.

She gazed at me with a teasing slant to her mouth. "Nervous, Javier?"

"A bit." My breathing quickened in her proximity. "I really wanted to see you."

Her fingers grazed at the skin of my wrist. I sucked in air; even the simple touch had my skin on fire.

"Is that why you came even though you usually don't?" Her hand remained still on me. "To see me?"

I nodded. "I'm dying to know how you're feeling. If you're still thinking about us."

"Of course I am," she confessed. "I can't stop."

She took her hand away and I chased it with my own.

I interlocked fingers with her. "Can I?"

"Here? In front of all these people?"

"I'd kiss you in front of all these people if you gave me permission."

"They would know there's something between us. The board member and the charity student."

"Former student, but, yeah." I took a step closer to her. "Imagine Mistress Lippett's scandalized face. With a little planning you could take a picture at the right time."

She rubbed her lips together not to give me a full grin.

I leaned closer. "I'm just a little caught on how you said there's something between us."

"I may not be able to name it yet, but…" She gazed around the room. "As much as I would enjoy scandalizing Mistress Lippett… can we get out of here?"

Chapter 36

Nora

JAVIER DIDN'T LET GO of my hand as we walked the Manhattan streets. I liked it too much. It brought butterflies to my stomach— the kind that didn't only fly with the excitement of fresh romance, but had sharp edges on their wings. The scratches reminded me things weren't settled between Javier and I.

"What would you like to do?" he asked. "The night is ours."

"Let's see where the night takes us."

Summer air was balmy against my face. New York lights shone bright on us, keeping the evening well alight. Ads displayed on screens large enough for movie theaters, teasing at stories of action and power and love. Tourists seemed to be everywhere, obvious even to me; locals walked fast to their destination, circumventing the visitors that slowed down, looked up in admiration, and took pictures of everything.