Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 742(@200wpm)___ 594(@250wpm)___ 495(@300wpm)
Balling my hands, I growled with far too much truth. “She’s exactly how I want her.”
Ily threw me a bewildered look before dropping her gaze to her knees.
Victor scowled. “I see your argumentative self is still flourishing, mon ami. You’re like two peas in a pod.”
That damn sickness rushed up my gullet. “Sorry, Vic. I just mean she’s—”
“As spicy as ever.” Victor shrugged away whatever he’d been thinking. “No matter. I’ve grown rather used to her audacity. It’ll be a sad day when you finally whip that flagrant rudeness out of her. I admit…I do enjoy her spirit.”
Once again, my voice deserted me.
“Go on, Henri.” He arched his chin at the forgotten bag in my hands. “Open it. It’s merely a trifle for my favourites.”
“Favourites?”
“Of course. You and your little nightmare make this place highly entertaining.” Shifting his smile to Rachel, he commanded softly. “You may kneel now, my pet.”
“Yes, Sir V.” Rachel instantly folded off the couch, her breasts bouncing a little beneath her teddy. She was a stunning woman, but everything about her subservience turned me off.
I hated that Ily had adopted such traits.
That she’d thought the way to seduce me was to be like them when the opposite was true. If she’d slapped me instead of kneeled for me? Kicked me instead of ‘accidentally’ dropped her towel? Fuck, the past month would’ve been a very different story.
Ily and Rachel shared another look, and without a word, Ily dropped elegantly to the carpet and bowed her chin. She went without my command. She went because Rachel did.
The urge to drag her onto the couch was unbearable.
The desire to slap her awake from whatever submission she thought I wanted had my teeth clenching and cock twitching in my jeans.
I wished I could reverse time and never hug her the night she was high. Never kiss her. Never meet her at the club because every day I spent in her company, I died a little more. I died because I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe because she’d stolen everything.
Victor eyed Ily kneeling demurely, her slouchy jumper puddling around her thighs. He huffed. “For a woman as beautiful as you, you’re always so determined to hide. Pity.”
I needed his attention off her, but Ily continued to dig her own grave. “For a man as sick as you, you somehow remain alive. Pity.”
Rachel coughed.
Victor scowled.
And lightning bolts of savage lust shot right between my legs.
There she was again.
The girl who blazed.
The jewel who burned me alive.
Fuck, she was otherworldly when she let her temper free.
I felt so connected to her—dragged into her scalding energy as it tattooed embers on my heart.
“I see your tongue has not been tamed in my absence.” Victor sighed as a staff member entered, carrying a tray with two beers, two waters, and a big bowl of french fries. Doling out the beer to me and Victor and the water to Rachel and Ily, the guy placed the fries on the coffee table and slipped out the door again, leaving us to a tense silence.
Ily broke it with a sneer. “And like I said, I see you’re still breathing…unfortunately.”
Victor snickered around a mouthful of fries. Chasing it with some beer, he smirked. “Oh, Ilyana…are you so sure you wish to spar with me?” His pupils dilated in interest.
I made the mistake of sipping the cold, crisp IPA.
I choked.
Fuck.
This was exactly what I’d hoped to avoid.
Out of all the moments I wanted her to be submissive, this was it.
With trembling hands, I placed the beer on the table and ripped open the bag. Anything to change the subject or stop his intrigue. “I wasn’t expecting a gift, Vic.”
Almost reluctantly, Victor shifted his stare to me. His posture softened, and he sipped his beer again. “Like I said, it’s merely a trifle. I keep suggesting we have a session in the snuffbox, and now that I’m home, we’ll make it happen. How about tomorrow? You can use your new friend.”
“New friend?”
“Open it.”
Rachel suddenly looked up and caught my stare. Her icy-blue eyes blazed, narrowing with things I couldn’t unravel. Her gaze slipped from mine to Ily. The two girls shared a glance before they stared at the carpet.
What the hell was that?
What was I missing because I was sure as hell missing something.
Whatever it was, Peter was in on it too.
The way he thumped his fist over his heart had to be some sort of acknowledgement.
What the fuck are they up to?
Ily stayed stiff on her knees as I fisted the bag and looked inside.
Instinct made me jerk away.
Snake.
Peering closer, I rolled my eyes at my stupidity.
No, not a snake.
A whip.
Holding my breath, I reached in and wrapped my fingers around the leather braided handle. So soft. So smooth. The perfect width and length for my hand as if Victor took measurements of my palm and had this especially made for me.