Signed, Sealed,Sinful

that tequila makes good d

lurred at the edges of my vision. The Manhattan skyline sparkled behind her like a wall

no longer have to watch you cry into your cereal at two in the morning." Khloe grinned and cl

er side of the table. "Slow down

es in the world. If that doesn't call for shots, I don't know what does." Kh

ng in my stomach for months was finally gone. Five months of interviews, rej

g forward with her chin resting in

told you th

both said together, an

this huge glass desk looking like someone's very handsome grandfather. Silver h

?" Khloe rais

im I was

ou told the CEO of Williams

e, no matter how hard it gets. And he looked at me for a long moment, like he was reading my so

hard our glasses jumped. "M

grin from splitting my face wide open.

l buildings in Manhattan, surrounded by powerful people, learning from the best in the business. This is your way in, Lara. This is how you get b

layouts in the back of my school notebooks while my teachers droned on about math. I won a full scholarshi

parent

randmother Evelyn, who could barely walk to the kitchen without losing her breath, became our only family. So I did what needed to be done. I drop

years old, finally sitting at a table that

torm. Khloe was the fire, I was the stubborn wind, and Maya was the steady ground that kept us both from flying off the edge. We

feelings. We are going downstairs to the main floor, we are going to dance until ou

your hips move on their own. Khloe was already in the middle of the dance floor, pulling moves that made people stop and stare. Ma

strange, prickling feeling you get when someone is watching you. I slowed down and let my eye

eath

. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, and his light brown hair was styled clean; shorter on the sides, longer on top. He wore a black shirt with the to

ly in my direction, the corner of his mouth lift

ed awa

suddenly right behind me,

bod

. That is somebody's very

go talk to a ran

e grinned and nodded toward something b

of his way without even realizing it. He was taller than I expected. Well over six feet, and up clo

looked down, and for a secon

is voice was low, smooth,

arms. "Are you going to stand there l

laugh, not a polite one. It was deep and warm an

decided how this ni

ke surprise and curiosity mixed together. "I haven't decided anything. I just saw you

ging at my lips and lo

e that." He signaled to the bartender wit

ar

e slowly, like he was tast

t through my chest. I pushed it down the way I always did and took a sip of the drink the bartend

ebra

rating

d into his cheeks that nearly made my

snorted. "What

aught a scent of cologne; something woody and war

new job

one to bring o

ugh to see from space, and disappeared back into the crowd with Maya. The drinks kept coming. We moved from the bar to the dance floor

ed my ear. "Ar

admitted, an

ow a

like it cost more than my apartment building. A driver in a crisp suit held

ave a

een drinking." Vincent poured us champagne from a bot

ver me in that moment. Maybe it was the tequila, or the champagne, or the feeling of finally, finally having something

oklyn that will change your l

iz

ng to say some fancy r

ay

ip of the champagne and pointed at his driver. "

real estate, which I thought was funny because so did my new boss. I told him about my grandmother and my brother, about my dream to design s

nish your degree," he said

day. When I c

s eyes, and for a moment, the loud sounds

laying guitar at three in the morning and Vincent grabbed my hand and spun me. Laughing so hard my stomach hurt. And

. What i

pl

e. You hav

nd gently. "Let

orld spinning around me i

ave you e

y were true, painfully and honestly true. I had never left

gers and smiled. "Then

seven years. I had been responsible and careful and practical every single day of my life s

behind us and Vincent handed me another glass of champagne, I looked in

hing was

uched down in Miami, I could barely see straight. The warm ocean air hit my

ami!" I shouted, and Vince

lips pressed against my temple, and he murmured,

completely out of my mind when I turned in his arms, looked

dragged his thumb ac

n decided that this was a reasonable sentence to put into the

rry

long, long moment. And then he smiled, slow and dangero

ka