Lauren watches me swipe my clutch bag from the bed and inspect my red dress in the mirror. When I’m satisfied my hair hasn’t escaped my updo and my boobs are contained in the corset, I breeze past her.
She calls out, “I’m sorry for what I said.”
“No, you’re not,” I reply, smiling at her sadly. “You were right; I’ve been compromised. But that doesn’t mean I won’t play my part when it comes down to it.”
“Really?” She sounds skeptical as she walks closer. “You would betray Darian if you had to?”
I raise my chin. “I want revenge like you.”
My thoughts are a jumbled mess. I’m not lying to Lauren, but maybe I’m lying to myself. One moment, I thirst for revenge; the next, I question what I’m fighting for. My father is gone,and he’s not coming back. The Antichrist and other rebel groups have fought the Exodus since the first Reckoning in an ongoing, never-ending war. All I’ve seen so far are casualties in the name of revenge. Does anyone ever achieve it? Does anyone actually feel like justice has been served?
Despite these doubts, I still look Lauren in the eye and say, “Believe what you want, but we’re fighting on the same side.”
As I leave the room, a spike of adrenaline rushes through my veins.
Darian is waiting for us downstairs in a pressed tux, a bowtie, and slicked-back hair, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and jaw.
I draw to a halt, admiring his masculine beauty and effortless ease with which his commanding presence fills a room. Maybe it’s an ancient curse to lure women to their deaths.
He finally senses my presence, and my heart thuds harder, called forward by his lure. I hold on to the railing as I descend the stairs.
Darian does a double take, his eyes widening, and he loosens his bowtie as he swallows hard.
I pause on the last step when he clears his throat, blind to the woman behind me. “You look…”
Before he can reply, Lauren breezes past us and disappears outside with an air of silent disapproval.
As the door shuts, Darian clears his throat. “You look beautiful.”
I roll my eyes, about to say something snarky in response, but then my cheeks heat, and I dip my chin, relishing his compliment. “Thank you.”
His touch on my hand deepens my blush. He lifts it to his lips and softly kisses my knuckles. “I mean it. You look like a dream.”
I nervously chew my lip, then stop when I remember my red lipstick. Darian steps closer and invades my senses with hiswoodsy cologne and consuming presence, which demands my full attention. He lifts my chin with his fingers, and my lips part as he stares at my mouth with so much longing that I’m growing dizzy.
His thumb brushes over my lips in a gentle, barely-there touch so as not to smudge my shade of red. “I would donate my fortune tonight to see these succulent lips wrapped around my cock.”
My breath stutters because of the assured, possessive way he handles me, and he smirks knowingly, still bewitched by my mouth. “There’s no price I wouldn’t pay.”
When he holds out his elbow expectantly, I circle my arm through his, barely able to stand upright because of my jelly legs.
“I’m not an escort, Mr. Delacroix,” I reply. “Besides, you couldn’t afford me.”
His chuckle drifts over me like a warm late-night breeze.
As we exit the house, his driver tips his hat and opens the passenger door.
I glance around. “Where’s Lauren?”
“She left in a different car.”
“Oh.”
Darian’s touch burns hotter than the sun, despite the silk layer separating us as he guides me inside the vehicle with his hand on my lower back. It sears through me for long moments after he has settled beside me.
The car rocks gently as we leave the premises. Darian stares out the window, seemingly lost in thought. I study his profile, acutely aware of the content on the USB in my bodice. It’s like I’m seeing him in a new light, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to ask questions. As his wife, I want him to indulge more of himself from a place of trust, which is ironic, considering how I came about this information.
The squeal of leather sends my heart racing down a hill when he turns to look at me, and my chest heaves as I try to control my body’s reaction to the hungry yet cautious look in his eyes. He parts the slit in my dress to reveal my bare thighs, and I glance at the partition.
