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"Fine," I reply, letting frost permeate my words. "Nine-thirty tonight. Don't be late."
I end the call before she can respond, pulse racing. Expectation mixed with defiance roils within me, a volatile cocktail.
A dark, lust-filled promise of action beckons, an exquisite temptation.
Yes. Tonight.
Tonight I'll rid myself of this annoying ache. I'll make her beg, make her grovel, make her come—and then I'll use our encounter down the line to keep her in check. I'll throw it in her face, make her regreteverything.
I don't know why I feel some hesitation. Natalie's the one who opened this door, who weaponized sex against me first. I'll only be doing to her what she did to me.
She thinks someone on her team might be corrupt?
Bitch should look in the mirror some time.
CHAPTER10
ALESSA
I stare at my reflection in the elaborate vanity mirror as I carefully apply my signature red lipstick. The rich color stands out dramatically and I like the way women can't take their eyes off my lips when I wear it. I went heavy on the eyeliner too, giving myself a sultry, smoky look. Running my fingers through the tumble of dark curls spilling over my shoulders, I adjust the plunging neckline of my tight black dress.
I'm dressed to kill tonight.
She'll be here any minute. I push down the flare of nerves in my stomach, focusing instead on the simmering anger that's driven me since that humiliating arrest. Natalie betrayed any trust I placed in her. She deserves to get played at her own game.
I chose this dress deliberately, knowing it shows off my body to perfection. I'll have Natalie eating out of my hand before she even realizes what's happening. A smile curves my lips as I imagine how sweet my revenge will be. Natalie played me for a fool, but it's my turn to pull her strings now.
She'll regret ever crossing me.
I catch my expression in the mirror and am slightly taken aback by the fierceness of it.
Do I really care…so much?
Thismissionis what matters, of course. A young woman in jeopardy, my charitable works at risk, the FBI and Don Mancini both threatening to devour everything I've built. All because of Natalie's deception. That's why I'm doing this.
Tonight is a necessity, not a social call, and I cannot let myself forget why Natalie is really here. As much as I plan to bed her, it will serve a purpose higher than pleasure. A higher purpose than vengeance, too.
My work is what matters. Helping women who cannot help themselves.
The sound of the doorbell startles me from my thoughts. She's here.
Showtime.
I pull open the door to reveal her waiting on the stoop, shoulders hunched beneath a gray coat, hood pulled high over her head. She starts slightly as the door opens, eyes flying to mine. I see wariness reflected there.
Good.
"Right on time," I remark coolly, stepping back. "Come on in, Agent Miller. Welcome back to my evil lair."
She sighs. "Seriously?"
I rake my gaze over her deliberately before replying. "Get in or get off my stoop."
I catch a hint of something in her eyes before she drops them. Longing? Regret? It gratifies me to see traces of the real Natalie under her professional armor.
The Natalie who let her guard down with me.
She follows me silently into the living room. I perch on the edge of the armchair so that she has to take the sofa, and cross my legs slowly, noting how her eyes track the movement. "Well?"
