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Her hair shone like midnight cobalt, and her black diamante bra and G-string made her look far too sultry. Dark red lines marked where I’d cut her, healing and visible now she’d removed the band-aids.
Ten minutes she’d been kneeling, exquisitely beautiful and silent on the warm oak floor. Ten fucking minutes and she’d not once made eye contact with me.
Another crack of stone-shaking thunder crashed through the ballroom. A few jewels hunched where they kneeled by their respective Masters. Even a few men flinched, then chuckled at their reaction.
Rain pummelled against the huge floor-to-ceiling windows like liquid bullets intent on mowing through the dining crowd.
The storm had arrived with dark vengeance as the sun set, rumbling distantly on the horizon as I’d sat in the library and chosen a stack of books to take back to my room. By the time I’d returned to my chamber and showered away any trace of Ily’s saliva and remnants of my soul she’d devoured, the entire island quaked.
Lightning forked, and the air crackled with electricity, followed a few seconds later by its angry lover with a crash of cymbals that made my bones ring.
I glowered at Ily again.
She didn’t twitch like the others. Her eyes remained locked on the legs of the table, her hands loosely joined in her lap.
What had she done all afternoon?
What had she said to the others?
Had Peter touched her? Talked to her?
My hands balled.
I’d stayed busy after escorting Ily to the slave quarters. I’d deliberately distracted myself with the written word, so I didn’t march back and demand her company.
The fact that I actually missed her annoyed me.
The fact that I couldn’t control my jealousy fucked me right off.
While she was with me, all those feelings of being alone were blessedly deleted, but the moment she was gone…merde.
I raked a hand over my face as a demure staff member delivered a silver-ringed plate full of perfectly roasted chicken, salad, and herb-roasted potatoes.
I looked up and smiled. “Thank you.”
She startled as if she’d never been spoken to before. Her pretty hazel eyes reminded me of Ily’s, just darker and less golden. With a bow, she scurried away like a terrified mouse.
“I appreciate your attempts at being cordial and polite, Henri, but you don’t have to do that.” Victor appeared from the candle-shrouded darkness. No lights in the ballroom. Just massive chandeliers and sconces all flickering with wax-dripping candles.
I didn’t know if he was going for an ancient kind of atmosphere or if the power had cut out thanks to the storm. Either way, the soft illumination painted everyone in a romantic, almost dreamy light.
A random thought popped into my head. “Do your guests play with your staff too, Vic? Or are they off limits?”
Ily sucked in a breath.
Victor laughed as he settled himself in the chair beside me. “Why? Is your eye wandering already?”
“No.” I ran my fingers over Ily’s thick hair. “Merely wondering how you keep an estate like this running if everyone working in it is fair game.”
Victor nodded and waited for a stunning dark-haired, blue-eyed jewel to kneel beside him. Her collar caught the candlelight, dancing tiny flames over her face while the black teddy she wore poured like darkness over her curvy frame. “I see you’re already taking an interest in the bigger picture.”
I couldn’t read him. “Am I allowed to know, or are the secrets of how you run this place forbidden?”
“Forbidden? No, not at all.” He grinned. “It’s nice to have someone appreciate the level of coordination that goes into forming a utopia like this. My other guests come for a few days and leave. They don’t stop to think about how food is delivered and who changes their sheets and towels.”
Patting my knee, he glanced around the half-full ballroom, complete with Masters, jewels, and staff. “I’m happy to tell you whatever you wish to know. After all, like you said, you have nowhere else to go. You should know how your new home operates. But allow me to give you a word of advice. If you feel like dabbling with someone who isn’t a jewel, you must ask permission first. My staff—cleaners, cooks, waiters, gardeners—are all selected and stolen like my other gems—but…they have been given a different purpose. They sleep in a different area of Joyero and are subject to different rules.”
“So they’re exempt from fucking?”
“Unless a Master makes a request for one of them to switch roles, then yes. I need them to keep this place clean and tidy. They can’t do that on their backs.”
Ily wrinkled her nose but wisely stayed silent.
My eyes drifted to the jewel Victor had taken over the table on the first night.
He caught me looking and cupped her chin. “Isn’t she something? One day, when you’re no longer indulging in your little crush, you can taste her if you wish. I’m selective of who gets to borrow her, but for you…I’ll make an exception.” He ran a thumb over her bottom lip.
