The Year I Was the Other Woman To Myself novel Chapter 65

“Of course not! I don’t know how the strap just broke…”

Penelope rushed to explain, then remembered. In the banquet hall, when Zebulon had grabbed her shoulder, she had struggled to get free. The strap must have been damaged then, only to break at the most inopportune moment.

“That’s hardly an original move.”

“So you think I’m trying to seduce you?”

Theodore glanced down at where her hand was covering her chest, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

Penelope’s face flushed. “You saw?”

“Didn’t you want me to?”

“No!”

“Really?”

Her mind went blank with anger. “You… since you saw, you have no right to lie! I’m clearly… impressive!”

A chuckle escaped Theodore’s lips. “Then I must not have gotten a good look.”

“Hmph!”

“Perhaps I should take a closer look now?”

“Pervert!”

Penelope glared at him, her eyes welling up with frustration. He laughed again, a low, magnetic rumble that started in his chest and sent a shiver through her. The man was dangerously handsome, a true heartbreaker.

Shaking her head to clear it, she tried to look down and fix the strap. But they were so close that when she lowered her head, her forehead bumped against his chin.

Startled, she stumbled backward, her heel catching on something. With a small cry, she grabbed his shoulders to steady herself, causing the dress to slip again.

Theodore’s eyes darkened. “And you still say it wasn’t intentional?”

At this point, anything she said would sound like a lie. “Just… just turn your head away!” she pleaded, her voice a little too dramatic.

He didn’t, because he didn’t need to. The height difference was enough that he could just look straight ahead.

“Are you sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Penelope was about to say yes, but then a thought struck her. Returning his jacket would give her another chance to see him.

An opportunity.

She clutched the jacket tighter.

“Mr. Stapleton, you’re too kind. As I was saying about our companies collaborating…”

“Three minutes.”

“What three minutes?”

“When you return this jacket, I will give you three minutes to make your case for why our companies should work together,” Theodore said, tilting his head with a slight smile.

Penelope’s eyes lit up. This was far better than the rambling speech he’d barely listened to. A guaranteed three minutes was solid gold.

“Deal.”