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I discreetly retrieved and unfolded it. The other guests were too busy listening to the artists’ speeches to notice the way I stiffened when I read the note.
No name, no signature, only two simple sentences.
Be careful. Not everyone is who they seem.
CHAPTER 22
Isabella
Both Kai’s company and Valhalla emptied out in the second half of December, giving us plenty of leeway to sneak around to our hearts’ content. Everyone had fled to St. Moritz or St. Barth’s, but we avoided the city hotspots out of an abundance of caution.
Instead, we made good use of my bed—the one furniture item I’d splurged on—and the club’s various nooks and crannies. Occasionally, we indulged in out-of-the-way date destinations: the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, tiny dumpling and tea shops in Flushing, an underground comedy show in Harlem.
They were areas I would’ve never visited on my own due to time and distance, and I loved exploring them with Kai. However, my favorite spot was still, hands down, the place where it all began.
I stepped into our secret room. The bookcase clicked shut behind me, and my heart fluttered when I saw Kai was already there. He sat in the armchair, reading one of those boring classics he loved so much. In his shirt and suspenders, with the sleeves rolled up and his glasses perched on the end of his nose, he looked like the world’s sexiest professor.
“If my lecturers looked like you in college, I would’ve spent way more time in class instead of playing hooky at the beach,” I said.
Kai saved his spot with a bookmark and set the book aside before glancing up. “Hooky at the beach?” he said with a disordinate amount of interest. “I don’t suppose you have photos of you there to back up your claim. For verification purposes, of course.”
“Of course,” I said in a solemn tone. “No photos, but I have something better.” I swept a hand over my front. “I found this trench at my favorite vintage store. Looks appropriately spyish, don’t you think? Perfect for sneaking around.”
Kai looked disappointed. “I suppose,” he said dubiously. “It’s certainly…a style.”
“Hmm.” I tilted my head with a thoughtful frown. “Perhaps you’ll like it more when you see what I’m wearing underneath…”
I untied my belt, revealing the black lace-and-silk teddy I’d changed into after my shift. It retailed for a mind-boggling price, but thanks to Vivian, I had an evergreen friends and family discount at Delamonte, one of the luxury brands in Dante’s portfolio.
Kai stilled, his gaze fastening on the flimsy material like a predator locking onto prey.
The coat fell to the floor as I walked toward him, my heels gliding with ease over the plush carpet.
“I thought we could play a game today.” I straddled his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“What type of game?” He sounded remarkably calm, but his breathing accelerated when I pressed my mouth to his jaw.
“The one where you’re not allowed to touch me until you come.” I kissed my way down his neck to the hollow of his throat. He smelled so delicious I wanted to wrap him around me like a blanket. “If you do, you lose, and you have to read only books of my choosing for a month.”
Kai was so stressed about DigiStream and work. Hopefully this would loosen him up.
“And if I win?” The words turned smoky in the thickening air.
“If you win…” I hooked my fingers around his suspenders and straightened. “I’ll do whatever you want for twenty-four hours.”
His eyes gleamed with dark interest. “Whatever I want?”
A streak of fear mixed with a potent shot of arousal. “Yes.”
It wasn’t an offer I would’ve given anyone else, but I trusted him. He wouldn’t take advantage of the situation.
Besides, I had no intention of losing.
Kai leaned back. A shutter fell over his expression as he observed me with the detached interest of a professor examining a student or a king observing a peasant.
Do your best, his eyes challenged.
My heart thrummed behind my ribcage as I released his suspenders and slid his shirt buttons from their plackets. Slowly, one by one, until his torso was bared and I could taste the heat of his bare skin.
