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“You should get in the tub before your water goes cold. We have dinner guests coming so try and relax today. I’ll lay your clothes out on the bed.”
I swallowed a thick wad of saliva and blankly stared up at him. I was beginning to get whiplash from his rapid transitions. He switched from domineering and seductive to courteous and a touch indifferent while effortlessly charming.
A gentle hand ran through my hair, a feather-light kiss to the top of my head. He stepped away and I was left staring at his back when he walked away, still trying to process everything that had just happened.
CHAPTER THREE
I could barely recognize the woman in the mirror. It was almost pitiful that I hadn’t done anything extreme, and yet the difference in my appearance was night and day.
I’d styled my hair in a simple half up half down style, so it wasn’t in my face, adding a rose gold clip to ensure it remained intact. My make-up was lightweight as I wasn’t the best in terms of applying anything more than mascara and shaping my brows.
Anything more and I was at risk of looking like an extra in a horror movie. What made this whole look out of the ordinary for me was the little black dress Alaric had personally selected.
I’d fallen back asleep unintentionally and when I came to, I found it neatly sat out on the lounge-like my robe had been. I smoothed a hand over the soft, silky fabric. It had a slightly metallic sheen and a subtle floral print. The bustier-style top hugged my chest while the slightly flared bottom accented my hips.
Alaric had gone as far as pairing it with a pair of low-heeled sandals. Everything fit perfectly. When I considered what this meant for the various unworn clothes hanging in the closet Alaric had silently designated as mine, this was unsettling. He had mentioned purchasing me before but that was hard to find believable.
Now I was beginning to believe my arrival here was something planned long before I got his late-night phone call. What this meant for Meg and had to do with Chloe I had yet to determine. Prioritizing my well-being first, I needed to find a way out of this house. I couldn’t breathe without feeling as if someone were watching me from within the walls. I feared it was only a matter of time before the madness that plagued my dreams would once again distort an already questionable reality.
I checked my reflection one final time and then exited the bedroom altogether. A glance out the French doors showed the sun had set even lower while I was getting ready. I made it further than I had last time before coming to a complete stop at the top of the stairs. There was casual chatter coming from below. Every so often a woman would laugh a bit too loudly.
This alone made me want to return to the bedroom for the remainder of the evening. I loathed the idea of sitting at a table and dining with strangers, forcing myself to be sociable. The mere thought of it had my hands turning clammy. I directed my attention to the macabre painting that was hanging at the top of the stairs.
Was it my first day here Alaric and I had discussed this? Like the piano down in the great room, the grotesque piece of art demanded attention. I was drawn to it both for reasons I didn’t understand and for others that terrified me—just as I was with the man to who it belonged.
“Catalina.”
I looked away from the demon defiling a woman playing the piano, to Alaric who was staring up at me from the base of the staircase.
“We’ve been waiting on you.”
Forcing my legs to move, I grabbed hold of the banister and went down. “How many people are here?”
“Not more than you can handle.”
I frowned at his reply. I wasn’t sure I liked him knowing what I’d been asking without me having to spell it out.
“You have to smile, Cat. You’re far too beautiful to frown so much, especially now. I’m tempted to take you right back up these stairs and spend the next few hours making you come all over my cock and in my mouth.”
His vulgarity almost caused me to trip. “Is that an offer I can accept?”
He brandished a grin that showed off his perfect, white teeth and brought out his dimple.
“I know you want me, but you’re going to have to get through dinner first.”
He stretched out a hand for me and I accepted it without argument. I had my reasons for being so obedient.
We walked side by side into his overly fancy dining room. Immediately I wanted to retreat. As if sensing this, he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
“There she is!” Niklaus loudly exclaimed, pointing at me with the end of a large metal spoon. “Zoe, Kyle, this is the girl that’s stolen my brother’s rotting heart.”
