She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 29

Late into the night.

In the penthouse suite of the hotel.

Luther stepped out of the shower. Just as he finished drying his hair, there was a knock at the door. He walked over to open it while tossing the towel aside—

Jolie stood in the hallway.

She wore a delicate slip nightgown with a sheer silk robe draped over it. The neckline plunged dangerously low, and her dark, voluminous hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked utterly captivating, oozing sensuality. Luther's gaze lingered on her body for a few long seconds, which was exactly what she wanted. She offered a sultry smirk, gently swaying a bottle of red wine and two elegant glasses in her hand. "You don't mind putting in a little overtime, do you?"

She had a stack of files tucked under her arm.

The perfect excuse to get the two of them alone.

Luther stared at her for a moment before stepping aside to let her in.

Once she was inside, Luther went into the bedroom to change. When he returned, he was fully dressed in a crisp button-down and slacks, radiating composed authority once more. Though he loved Jolie deeply, within the boundaries of his marriage, he refused to cross that final physical line. But tonight, Jolie was determined to seal the deal. She always felt Hilda was a lingering threat.

Only by making it a done deal physically could she finally feel secure.

That was what her mother had told her.

After Luther sat down, Jolie clutched the files and pressed herself close to him.

She leaned in intimately, her curvy body brushing against his arm, silently stoking the flames of his desire. Luther shot her a quick glance, then looked back at the documents. Her voice grew slightly raspy with anticipation. "Luther, I really think we need to secure Naomi Zeller. She returned to the country specifically to find a corporate partner for Mokshalia. They have an incredible variety of fragrances and highly stable formulas. They're the absolute perfect match."

Luther understood what she was getting at.

By bringing up Naomi, she was angling to take charge of the daily cosmetics line.

Jolie's performance over the last few days had truly impressed him. He wanted to see how far she could go, and he genuinely wanted to pave the way for her. If she actually managed to land Naomi and close the deal, he planned to promote her to Vice President of the group. Once that happened, everything else would naturally fall into place.

Seeing his expression.

Jolie knew he had silently agreed.

She couldn't help but talk a bit more. She fundamentally disliked Naomi, complaining that the woman was too tall, too frigid, and completely lacked femininity. But seeing Luther remain silent, she smartly dropped the subject.

The man looked down at the paperwork.

The woman found herself with nothing more to say.

He hadn't even touched the wine she poured, playing the part of the completely unromantic workaholic. A moment later, Luther took an international business call. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his brows slightly furrowed. With one hand holding the phone, he casually unbuttoned the top of his collar, inadvertently radiating the raw magnetism of a mature, powerful man.

Jolie quietly walked over.

Her soft, pale arms wrapped smoothly around his waist.

It was impossible for him to feel absolutely nothing.

Luther was a healthy, normal man, and the urge to explore a woman's body was definitely there. But it shouldn't be Jolie. It shouldn't be any woman other than his wife. After fighting down the physical urge, he murmured, "This isn't right, Jolie. Don't do this anymore."

But Jolie refused to back down.

She slid around to his front, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him frantically, using her body to seduce him. Caught off guard, Luther was pushed back onto the sofa as she kissed his jawline with wild abandon. Just as her red lips moved to capture his mouth, his voice dropped to a dangerous octave—

"Jolie."

...

The tone was furious.

Jolie froze, not daring to go any further.

Instead, she slowly lowered herself, burying her face into his chest, weeping softly in repressed agony. "Why? Why isn't it me? Why aren't I your wife? Luther, this wait is agonizing. Tell me... how much longer do I have to wait? How long until I can stand by your side openly, embrace you, kiss you, and finally have you? Do you have any idea that sometimes I think about it so much at night I feel like I'm going insane?"

"Jolie."

He let out a soft sigh.

He gently stroked her hair, full of tender pity, even though he knew this was completely wrong.