Page 36 of The Count
I snagged the bottle from her and took a long draw. Not the proper way to drink a good red, but I couldn’t complain given her confession.
So she hadn’t betrayed me. A heavy weight slid off whatever remained of my heart. A lightness suffused me and I couldn’t breathe properly. She hadn’t betrayed me. Which meant…this whole thing, her punishment, my revenge, wasn’t something she deserved.
Shit. It was the last vestige I clung to in regard to forcing her to stay here with me. We’d made a deal, and I could fall back on that. But everything else, the spying, the calculating, she’d earned none of it. Another innocent victim caught in the crosshairs of my life.
“Wow, I know how to put a damper on the room.” She shifted closer now, a soft smile on her face. Not a trace of the sadness wafting from her earlier.
“Thank you for telling me about your friend.”
She grabbed the wine but didn’t drink. “You told me about yours. Seemed only fair to share about mine.”
I turned her face so I could look at her. Damn she was beautiful. I let myself soak in the sight of candlelight washing her skin to glowing. “Thank you for cooking for me. And dressing up for me. I don’t deserve it.”
She pressed her palms flat on my chest. “I think you are softer on the inside than people think.”
I gave her a mock affronted expression. “Me, never. But if I hear rumors I know who to hunt down to put a stop to them.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Do you want it to be a threat? Does the idea of chasing you, catching you—” I dropped my pitch low and softly scraped my lips against hers. Not yet a kiss. Just the tease of one. “make you wet?”
A new heat entered her eyes and I watched them as I deepened the kiss letting my tongue take away the remnants of the rich wine. She kept her eyes open locked on mine until I nibbled on her bottom lip and she sank into me. Every part of her relaxed into my arms, her eyes shut, and she spread her fingers over my shoulders and into my hair.
When I came up for air, she felt languid in my arms, her upper body almost on top of me, her hips canted against my own.
She chuckled. “Do you thank your chef like that every day too?”
This woman. I couldn’t help but laugh. She traced the dimples in my cheek and scanned over my lips and teeth, which are rarely on display. I’d never had much in my life to laugh about.
“I like it when you smile like that. You’re gorgeous.”
With those parting words, she peeled herself out of my arms, stole my wine bottle, went to her room, and closed the door behind her.
Fourteen
Mercy
The next day he had business to manage. And to be honest I was relieved to gain some distance. Mostly from the fucking dopey way my heart pounded whenever I caught sight of him.
When I came out of my room in the early evening I found a bag and a dress hanging off the door jam. I sat down the coffee mug I’d been hoping to fill, and unzipped the garment bag. Royal purple silk spilled into my hands. The man learned quickly. This dress was even more gorgeous than the last two.
Inside the bottom of the bag I found matching shoes. The other bag hanging in front was smaller, and from a very expensive French lingerie store. I’d never allowed myself to shop there since I knew it would devastate my bank accounts.
I pulled it down and peeked inside. Silk in a pale pink edged with lace. I dragged it out of the bag and held it in front of me.
A masculine throat clear caused me to jerk it down and hide it behind my back.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he said, already partially in his tux. Black tonight. Black on black on black. He looked like death. And I had to admit, it did good things for him.
“I’ll get ready.” I clutched everything in my arms and fled into my bedroom. Why was my face burning right now? He’s seen me naked. Him watching me admire a piece of lingerie was not even a blip on the scandalous radar. And yet, something felt loosened between last night and this morning.
Being near him felt easier. As if the guilt I’d been carrying for the last twenty years eased a fraction. I’d never be truly rid of it, not after what I did to Eddy. Something I’d left out of my little fairy tale when I told it. But I could breathe a little better, fuller, and with each inhale I felt him surrounding me.
I dressed quickly. He should have given me more warning. Maybe he had his own reasons for staying away. I wasn’t the only one who shared personal tid-bits last night.
I opted to leave my hair straight down my back and pin back the front so I could finish getting ready quicker. It was in record time I joined him in the sitting room “So what is the plan tonight?”
He turned to face me and the purse of his lips told me I wasn’t going to like whatever it was.
