Page 67 of Theirs to Corrupt
I tell myself that it’s just the stress of the past few days, the unceasing series of events that have devoured my life.
After pushing my hair back from my face, I climb out of bed. After slipping into a robe, I pick up my glass from earlier. Knowing I won’t sleep, I make my way back to the living room.
A single lamp casts a warm glow across the space, and I wander over to the window.
Las Vegas is sprawled out below, twinkling lights against the night sky. I take a sip of wine, hoping it will help calm my jangled nerves.
My emotions are a tangled mess. The dream was…incredible.
I hardly recognize the version of myself in it. Would I really give myself over so completely to Link and Pax like that? The thought both thrills and unsettles me.
A soft sound breaks through my reverie.
Startled, I turn to find Link standing in the doorway to his room. Seeing him so near, right after my dream, jolts me.
He’s wearing the same trousers from earlier. Though his tie is gone and the top few buttons on his shirt are open, he’s still dressed for business. Does the man ever sleep? “Sorry if I woke you,” I murmur.
“You didn’t.” He crosses the room to pour himself a drink. Then he comes to stand next to me.
I’m acutely aware of his proximity. The dream may have been a fantasy, but the real Link’s effect on me is undeniable.
“Trouble sleeping?” he asks, his voice low and gravelly.
I nod.
“Want to talk about it?”
God no.“No.”
At his slight frown, I soften my response. “Thank you, though.” How would I even begin to tell him that my subconscious has conjured scenarios that excite and terrify me? That I want him and Pax terribly? As much as I want tonotwant them.
Link studies me.
The air between us hums with tension, like it had in my dreams. I take another sip of wine to distract myself from him.
“You don’t have to be scared.”
I freeze. How can he read me so easily? “I’m not.” But my lie is a whisper, not a strong statement.
“You’re a terrible liar, little dove.” He reaches out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, just like he’d done in the dressing room of Rêve de Mode.
“I…”
Wordlessly he plucks the glass from my hand and places it on a nearby end table.
So like the dream, but this is oh-so real.
My world narrows, and it’s just me and this compelling billionaire, standing in the soft glow of the Vegas night.
Link’s hand cups my cheek, his touch gentle yet firm, grounding me.
“Little dove,” he says, his voice a low rumble that resonates deep within me. “You’re safe with me. With us.”
If reality is anything like my fantasies, I’m definitely not safe with them. My reactions frighten me. “I barely know you.” And what I do know isn’t reassuring.
“Then ask me anything.”
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Why are you doing this?” The question I’ve been holding back finally escapes. “Why marry me? Why go to such lengths to protect me?”