I sat in Cassien's office wearing one of his oversized shirts paired with a loose pair of shorts he'd given me, the fabric soft against my skin but doing little to make me feel less exposed. The shirt hung off one shoulder, and every time Cassien's eyes flickered toward me from behind his massive desk, I felt the weight of his gaze like a physical touch. Heat crept up my neck and into my cheeks as memories from last night invaded my thoughts without permission, flashes of his hands on my skin, his mouth trailing fire across places that now throbbed with phantom sensation.I shifted in my seat, pressing my thighs together as warmth pooled low in my belly, and caught Cassien's eyes darkening as he watched the movement. His jaw tightened, fingers gripping the edge of his desk, and for a moment the air between us crackled with so much tension I thought I might combust right there in front of Elias.Speaking of Elias, he was sprawled in the chair across from me, looking thoroughly amused b
My pulse quickened as he stared at me, his eyes glinting with that mischievous glint I've come to know since Drogo's place. He went lower, to my belly, raising the shirt I wore to expose the skin there and placed a soft kiss on it. The action made my body tingle, sending a rush of pleasure through me. "What?" I whispered, though the words barely made it out."I love that you always choose this. You always choose me." He breathed, sucking on my skin and dragging a moan out of me. My back arched as I clung to the sheets beneath me, holding on to some of my sanity.My mind was too foggy to understand what he was saying. I always chose him? Wha-what did that mean?His face was in front of mine now and he was smiling, a broad beautiful smile stretched across his lips and I couldn't deny the way my heart skipped. "I love the way you pretend," He murmured, dipping to catch my bottom lip in his mouth and letting it go with a wet smack. "Like you don't want this."I swallowed hard, searching
I blinked at him, my eyelashes fluttering as the lids went up and down. My lips moved to speak but no words came out. I was speechless, and so utterly stunned. His gaze was intense as he looked down at me, those cobalt blue eyes, with a mix of emotions swirling through them. I felt trapped and I so senselessly did not want to find a way out and be free.Cassien's grip on my chin loosened as he brought up his other hand to flick some of the tendrils of hair that had fallen over a side of my face. His hand brushed over my cheeks down to the top of my lips and a shiver ran through me. A warm feeling settled at the bottom of my stomach and my pulse quickened. He was going to kiss me, the thought ran through my head. I wanted his lips on mine, I realized, not surprised one bit. His gaze moved from my eyes to my lips and back. And then, he bent forward, titling my head slightly to his and kissed me.It could've been the soft cotton of clothes I wore, or probably the cool air that continued
Night had fallen completely by the time I gave up on trying to sleep, the darkness outside the windows matching the restless energy that wouldn't let me stay still. I knew I was being stupid, knew that wandering around someone else's home in the middle of the night was asking for trouble, but I did it anyway. My feet hit the floor with a slight thud as I climbed out of bed, the cool surface sending a shiver up my spine.I didn't know where I was going exactly, just knew that staying in that room for another minute would drive me crazy. Maybe I'd find that book Elias had given me, the one I'd dropped somewhere near the balcony when everything had gone to hell. Maybe I'd just walk around until exhaustion finally caught up with me and I could sleep without nightmares.The apartment was quiet as I moved through it, my bare feet silent on the expensive floors as I made my way toward the balcony. But then I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks, a light coming from Cassien's stud
I woke up in a bed that was too soft, too comfortable to be my own, and panic shot through me like lightning before I could even open my eyes fully. My body jerked upright, my hands clutching at unfamiliar sheets that smelled like expensive detergent and something distinctly masculine, and for a terrible moment I couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten here.Then it all came rushing back, the destroyed apartment, the phone call, Cassien's arms lifting me up like I weighed nothing at all. I was in his place again, in his bed, and this time I'd asked him to come get me. The realization made something warm settle in my chest, pushing away the last edges of panic as I forced myself to relax back against the pillows.The room was dim with late afternoon light filtering through heavy curtains, and I could see my reflection in the mirror across from the bed. My hair was a mess, still transitioning from black back to red in uneven patches, and my eyes looked tired and swollen from cry
"I don't give a fuck," I said to Elias, as I skimmed through the ledger in front of me. They were all the recent records from each and every warehouse the black rose controlled. The casinos at the south had been declining, customers coming in less and some of the workers had quit, which meant instant death. I'd walked into one earlier, just after my conversation with the Lieutenant and Jude. The thing about money laundering was that, it was most effective when done in the open. Poker was by far the best way to launder money, that and online games. Art galleries worked too, but it was too tiresome to set up and trust in your coworkers was very essential. I trusted no one, the possibility of being turned on was too large, and risky. Poker was simple, draw in some addicts, some rich idiots and have someone to do the dirty work and you're set. The probability of getting caught though, was also a major thing to put into consideration, and that's why we made sure to lace the drinks. Fewer