Chapter 540
Gavin’s POV
It was as if time had completely stopped. I turned, willing my body to cooperate and move. The second I did, I almost wished I could turn back around, but I couldn’t. My eyes were glued to her.
Judy.
She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my entire life. Her long hair was curled perfectly and draped around her shoulders and down her back in delicate waves that made me want to run my fingers through it. The dress she wore looked like it was made for her, hugging her every curve perfectly. It was elegant, leaving no mystery of what lay underneath the fabric. I felt a surge of jealousy and panic for a moment, knowing that other men would also be looking at her body in the same way that I was looking at her body.
Her long legs seemed even longer with the heels she was wearing, and I had to fight the urge to go to her and run my fingers up her smooth skin. She wore makeup, which I never liked when she did because it hid her true beauty, but the makeup she wore this time almost highlighted her natural beauty. I knew from the handiwork that Irene took part in doing her makeup. My daughter had always been good at matching colors and giving makeovers.
Not that Judy needed a makeover, but still, she was stunning.
Irene stood next to her, a proud smirk on her lips as she scanned the room, noting how the men and even most women were drawn to Judy’s beauty. I felt my stomach twist at the thought of them looking at her like that, and I had to fight the urge to pull her away and hide her from their sight.
My wolf didn’t hate that idea; in fact, he was almost encouraging it.
“Gavin?” I heard Rachel saying from beside me, drawing me back to the present moment.
“Hmm,” I said without taking my eyes off Judy.
“I asked what she is doing here,” Rachel repeated, folding her arms across her chest.
I didn’t like the way she was asking, like I had something to do with Judy’s presence. It was accusatory, though she was trying hard to hide it. I could hear a hint of insecurity in her voice that irked me.
“She must have come with Irene,” I told her, my voice kept in a low murmur.
Rachel swallowed; her eyes narrowed as she stared at Judy.
“Well, in that case, we should go and say hello,” she suggests, draping a protective arm through mine.
I glanced at her fingers wrapped around my bicep before my gaze lifted to meet hers. I didn’t like her touch, and my wolf wanted to rip her head off at the thought of her thinking touching me like this was okay. But I couldn’t make a scene at an event like this, and plús, I truly was trying to regain my friendship with Rachel. Even if I didn’t find her romantically appealing anymore, that didn’t mean I hadn’t missed her as a friend. She was a good friend to me before we became serious.
At least, I thought she was a friend.
Turns out she was only using me to get information for her boss, Levi Churchill.
But I made a promise to her and to myself that I wouldn’t hold that over her head. She was a new person now; she had faced the consequences of her actions, and she was filled with remorse. I wasn’t going to punish her for something that happened so long ago and was irrelevant now.
Realizing she’s still waiting for my response, I gave her a short nod before my eyes landed back on Judy. I wasn’t sure if she saw me or not, but she was in the middle of speaking to an older gentleman who had taken notice of her. Irene was also talking to him, but his sole attention was on Judy. She looked a bit uncomfortable, and the way her cheeks flushed pink at whatever he was saying made her look younger and more adorable.
I swallowed down the emotions that bubbled in my chest.
We walked towards her, Rachel trailing behind me, her energy all over the place. My eye remained glued to Judy as I approached. She didn’t notice me until I was nearly in her face, her breath catching in her throat, and her body tense.
I saw her delicate throat tense as she swallowed, trying to keep her own emotions
in check. Goddess, she was even more beautiful up close. Her scent was
wrapped around me like a silk blanket, pulling me in.
I loved the way her body reacted to me; the way her breathing quickened along with her heartrate; the way she nervously fiddled with her fingers, not knowing what to do with them. The way she nibbled on the corner of her lip, drew my attention to plump and very kissable mouth. The way her eyes darkened and dilated as she stared at me, her doe-like features growing larger by each passing second.