Page 113 of Broken Crown

Sebastian lifted the necklace and set the box aside. The large diamonds caught the muted light from the chandelier overhead and sent a shimmering cascade of mini rainbows over the walls and floor, dancing across Sebastian's face in patterns that transformed his features from angelic to demonic with each subtle shift.

"Turn around," he commanded.

I shook my head, my curls brushing against my bare shoulders. "Sebastian, I couldn't possibly accept such a⁠—"

"Turn around, Sabrina." His eyes darkened.

My body responded faster than my mind could protest, years of submitting to authority making my shoulders pivot away from him.

Lowering my gaze, I turned.

His arms lifted then closed around me.

The cuffs of his tuxedo brushed my bare shoulders, the starched fabric scraping against my skin, raising goose bumps in its wake. The scent of his cologne enveloped me, filling my head until I could barely think straight.

He placed the heavy weight of the necklace around my throat, the cold metal and stone a stark contrast to the heat building under my skin.

"The necklace is called the Royal Star of Paris, to commemorate the city where we first met."

By calculated design.

"It contains The Sunflower, a 107.46-carat Fancy Yellow cushion-cut diamond, which is surrounded by diamonds fashioned into petals. Suspended from that is The Perfection, a flawless 100-carat teardrop diamond."

The weight of it pressed against my collarbones, a gilded collar disguised as a gift.

With each rise and fall of my chest, the diamonds shifted against my skin, a constant reminder of his claim on me.

He turned me back to face him. His fingertips brushed my collarbone as he ran them over the diamonds, the touch so light it might have been my imagination, yet it left a trail of fire in its wake.

"It was considered the most expensive brooch ever made. An exquisite piece from our archived collection, but I had the Diamanti designers craft it into a necklace just for you."

"Really, Sebastian, I don't think⁠—"

He placed a hand at my lower back and led me over to a gilded mirror positioned over a marble-inlaid table where a bronze statue of Semele being consumed in flames after viewing the god Zeus in all his horrifying immortal glory rested.

I nearly choked on the symbolism.

He stood behind me, resting his warm hands on my shoulders. His gaze caught mine in the mirror, our reflections merging in the antique glass, distorting the boundaries between us until I couldn't tell where he ended and I began.

"It pales in comparison to your beauty. You were made to wear jewels such as this, Sabrina."

The soft ivory of the gown with its heart-shaped neckline complemented the sunshine yellow and crisp clearness of the diamonds. The teardrop diamond ended just above the curve of my breasts, rising and falling with my every breath beneath the structured bodice.

He leaned down and placed a kiss at the base of my neck, his lips hot against my skin. His fingers skimmed over the top of my breasts, just above the line of the dress. The calluses on his fingertips—testament to a man whose power didn't just come from boardrooms—were delicately rough against my sensitive skin.

I closed my eyes as my head rolled back to lean into his embrace. Resisting him would be like resisting the warmth of the sun or the magnetic pull of gravity on my body. My treacherous flesh yielded to him even as my mind screamed warnings.

As I did so, his hand shifted.

He wrapped his fingers around my throat above the necklace.

My eyes flew open.

We stared at one another in the mirror.

I failed to control my erratic breathing. His hand could so easily tighten, cutting off my air, ending my life.

His lips brushed the shell of my ear. "There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you by my side, Sabrina. Nothing."