“I wasn’t intending to.” Sasha glared at her. Now she was getting defensive.“Hekissedme.I had no say in the goddamn matter, I’d like to remind you.”
“Uh-huh. I’m just saying it should stay that way.” Sidney knew her sister. And she knew that iftall, dark and evilcame knocking, her sister was going to be powerless to resist. And?—
There was a knock on the door.?*
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Sidney glared at the offending surface.
“Madame Adler? There is another—another gentleman here to see you, and he isalsoquite insistent—” a young woman called from the other side. “A Professor Moriarty?”
Sasha slapped a hand over her eyes.
“Ohfuck you!”Sidney shouted at the door.
Someone laughed, though Sidney couldn’t say from where. Only that it sent a chill down her spine.
* Speak of the fictional devil… -V
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sasha didn’t understand why Sidney screamed“fuck you!”at the door, but if it was like any of the times she’d been recently frustrated, she assumed Vile was playing games again. She stood to answer the door. Opening it, she wasn’t surprised to see who was there.
What shewassurprised to see was the bouquet of roses he was holding. He was dressed in a tuxedo—in his opera finest—and he looked…well,incredible.His eyes flitted to Doctor Watson, but if he was surprised to see Sherlock’s assistant, he didn’t register it.
As he wouldn’t.
Since this was all part of the plan.
She hoped—prayed—that Sidney would forgive her for what was going to happen. She couldn’t help but crack a bad joke at the professor. “For Doctor Watson? You shouldn’t have.”
“Terribly funny.” Moriarty smirked down at her. “He is hardly my type.”
“I wasn’t aware you had a type, James.” She smiled and opened the door wider. “Regardless, you gentlemen are going to be the ruin of my reputation. One of you must go.”
“I was just leaving, anyway.” Sidney stood, wincing as she putweight on her bad leg as she headed for the door, glowering at Moriarty as she passed. The vehemence there didn’t need to be faked. It wasn’t part of an act. She hated the villain just as much as anyone—even if she’d never metMoriartybefore. “We’ll be in touch, S—” She stopped herself. “Miss Adler.”
“I’m sure you will be.” Sasha watched her sister leave down the hallway, her cane tapping on the wood floors, before she shut the door and rested her forehead against the surface for a moment.
“I see they took the bait.” He placed the bouquet on the dresser.
“As we both knew they would.” She had a memory of discussing this with him at dinner. That he would ensure that a news article would be run and that they would be seen together publicly. But shealsoknew they hadn’t actually had any such conversation. Turning from the door, she went to her vanity to begin unclasping her necklace. She was ready to call it a night. This was all going to give her a headache. “Sherlock and his doctor will dog my every step, now. It will be easy enough to ensnare them both once we are ready, now that I am adequate bait.”
“Good.” His voice was close behind her. When his hands settled on her shoulders, tracing the line of her necklace, a shiver ran through her. He stroked her hair out of the way, undoing the clasp of her necklace for her.
With one hand, and no hesitation, he followed the necklace around to the front where it dipped into her bust line, and lifted it from her to set it on the table. His other hand stayed where it was, fingers resting on her throat. She could feel her pulse against the warmth of his touch.
And it was racing.
“Your performance tonight was…exquisite, Irene.” His voice was a deep rumble at her back. The sound of it had her eyes drifting half shut. He stepped close to her, the hand that rested at her throat slipping around the front to grasp it, hard enough to restrict her air just slightly.
He was tall enough that she barely reached his shoulder. Pullingin a hiss, she tilted her head back against his chest, her hands going to his thighs to clutch at the fabric of his suit pants.
But not to his arm to stop him.
Not to pull him away.
His lips hovered close to her ear, and she felt his chuckle as a deep, dark warm breath against her skin. “Wicked thing…” His teeth caught the lobe of her ear and bit down enough to sting.
She dug her nails into his legs, as hard as she could. She hoped she hurt him.
