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The elevator opened, and I stepped in. Nina gripped the top of her arms as her face fell.
“Bye, Nina.”
“You look beautiful,” Ray said as he slipped the corsage onto my wrist.
“This is ridiculous,” I said as I fidgeted on the three-inch heels I’d been forced to walk in for the last month. “I don’t want to go.”
“It’s your one and only prom, kitten. You deserve a break. Live like a teenager for once.”
“I think we both know I’m way past that.”
A hint of a smirk traced his full lips. “Still, you need a little more personality.” I studied the claw marks I’d left on his arm the night before, hence my nickname. “I think we both know that’s coming along nicely.”
Ray gave me his first real smile in weeks. He’d been more absent than present, but we more than made up for it when the time came. He’d fulfilled every promise he’d made to me. I was expertly trained on corporate etiquette, not to mention I’d surpassed his expectations, landing first in class at school.
“You really do look beautiful.”
I rolled my eyes as the driver knocked on the door.
“This will be humiliating. How many times do I have to tell you I can’t stand my classmates?”
Ray’s jaw tensed. “You will walk into that room and own the fucking thing. Make eye contact with every person who looks your way. Within five minutes of being there, someone will ask you to dance. Accept the invitation.”
“Why?” He pulled and unboxed a solitaire diamond necklace from his pocket then slipped it around my neck.
“Practice.”
“So this is another drill? And should I spread my legs to some pompous jock prick to keep the illusion alive?”
Ray didn’t flinch. “Up to you.”
I studied his beautifully chiseled face as he looked me over. “Why don’t you care about me?”
Ray looked down at me with haunted eyes. “Told you. My heart is no good.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Nine months in this house and you still think there is hope for us, Taylor? Don’t be ignorant.”
“Ray.” I held his arm as he fastened the clasp. Then he pulled away from me. His eyes briefly flicked to mine before they ran down my body. “Worth every penny.”
My blood instantly boiled. “Fuck you.”
Another smile, this one far less kind. He was insanely handsome and grew more so by the day. I gripped the back of his head with my nails and pulled him closer.
“Let me skip this.” His eyes dropped to my lips. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
He palmed
my hands with his own and pulled them away.
“Have a good time, kitten.”
I moved to the door and looked back to him. “What if I loved you?”
He flinched as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, his hand on the railing, his eyes on the ascending marble steps above. “Well, that would be utterly stupid.”
I bit my tongue and slammed the door behind me.
