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“Cheers.”
Jacob takes a sip of his bubbly and then turns to eye the outdoor, ivy-covered terrace through the open French doors beside us.
“I’m afraid I need to feed my vice. Care to join?”
I frown curiously. “Sure?”
I follow him outside to the mostly empty terrace, and over the stone balcony overlooking the estate gardens. Jacob pulls a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his pocket and sticks one of the smokes between his lips. He offers me the pack, but I shake my head.
“No, thank you.”
He nods, flicking the lighter, which magnetically attracts my attention, even if I haven’t been using that escape recently at all.
“I know, I know,” he sighs, shaking his head. “Please don’t judge. It’s a terrible habit, I know.”
I smile. “Well, we all have our vices, don’t we?”
He inhales, the end of the cigarette casting a glow over his face.
“Do we?” He arches a brow at me. “What’s your vice, Ella?”
I laugh, glancing back into the ballroom. And instantly, my eyes land onhim.
In a room full of power, he’s the black hole of it in the middle of all of those people, absorbing them all, until only he remains standing. He may be smiling easily at the three whales in front of him—joking and laughing with them, even. But I know him.
I can see the shark-like glint in his eyes. The calm before the lethal pounce.
What’s my vice? I’m looking right at him.
“Well, if you believe the news,” I blurt, trying to cover my hungry stare back at Noel as I whip my head back to Jacob.
“Heroin, mostly.”
He sighs, shaking his head. “I swear, the tabloids get more and more desperate every year. There are perfectly real problems in the world, and perfectly evil people to be roasting on television. But no, they’re far too interested in making up garbage about lovely people like yourself.”
I smile, my cheeks reddening. But then as if pulled by invisible forces, my gaze slides back through the French doors. Inside, only one of the whales remains. And he’s grinning eagerly at Noel as he furiously shakes his hand.
Apparently, the tiger has found his dinner.
Noel smiles magnanimously, like the Lord of the Realm, receiving his tithings and praise from an underling. But then suddenly, he stiffens. His brow furrows as he turns, and my breath catches as his eyes suddenly pierce the distance between us, sinking right into mine.
His face darkens.
Oh shit.
I yank my eyes back to Jacob, smiling uneasily.
“I’ve been working on that presentation. I’m so excited to present it to you and your team.”
He grins. “They’re going to love it, I know. I mean already knowI’mgoing to.”
I blush.
“But you’re going to blow them out of the water.”
“Yes, she’s very good at that.”
I gasp, stiffening as I feel the heat of him right behind me—his presence enveloping me like dark embrace. His hand touches the small of my back again, making me tremble as heat throbs in my core.
