Page 105 of Souls and Sorrows

I stop a few feet away, letting my gaze rake down her form, as if it hasn’t been just a few hours since I last saw her. For some reason, it feels like an eternity.

I’m relieved at least to see she’s alone. I don’t know what I’d have done if that fucker Emile had been here, plying her with attention when she’s rejecting mine.

Her gown is a deep, shimmering crimson that clings to every inch of her perfect body. A single high slit in the skirt reveals the entire length of one of her long legs, and the corset-style bodice pushes her tits up obscenely beneath the drop diamond necklace she has on.

She looks fucking delectable, and it’s a damn shame she didn’t want to show up here on my arm for some reason.

I find her hands, propped up over the edge of the banister, and acute misery fills my gut when I confirm she’s no longer wearing the ring; her finger is bright pink and swollen, as if she only recently had it removed.

“Glad to see one diamond I got you made it out of the house tonight,” I murmur into her ear, placing my palms on the banister on either side of her.

A sigh deflates her shoulders. “Yes, well, forgive me for choosing the lesser of two evils.”

“Evil? Is that what we’re calling me now?” My nose brushes some hair off her shoulder, and I notice the shiver that skates over her skin, grinning slightly. “I suppose it does take one to know one.”

“Very mature and profound rhetoric, Counselor. Do you talk in circles like that when you’re in court too?”

I freeze at the nickname. “Ah, so we’re back to Counselor. I’d love to know what I did to help aid in these massive steps backward in our relationship.”

She scoffs, pulling her arms tighter into her chest. “It’s not a relationship, Cash. It’s fake. We’re playing house with an expiration date, and you know it, so stop pretending otherwise.”

Gritting my teeth, I glare at the back of her head. Just days ago, we seemed to be on the same page, and now, it’s like she’s gone back in time and retrieved the woman I was interestingly attracted to, but certainly not in love with.

Closing my eyes, I let out a disappointed breath.

In the turn of events, but mostly in myself.

“So, that’s it then? After everything, you’re still able to just walk away, like nothing ever happened?”

“We don’t get a choice, Cash,” she whispers harshly, her head turning just slightly. “This was the agreement. Ricci Inc. doesn’t exist anymore for you to get your hands on, so there’s nothing keeping you here. You can be free and go back to living your life above board.”

My arm snakes up her front, pressing my palm between her breasts and fitting her so she aligns with my front. Covering her chin with my whole hand, I angle her head so I can look into those gorgeous hazel eyes.

“I was hardly living pristinely before I met you,” I tell her, stroking her bottom lip with one of my fingers. “And you’re delusional if you think there’s nothing keeping me here.”

Downstairs, someone clinks a piece of cutlery against a wineglass, drawing the crowd’s attention toward the bar.

They don’t have a microphone, so we can’t hear what they’re saying, but a hush falls over the entire room just as I grab a fistful of Ariana’s dress and start sliding it up her thigh.

She shifts, her hands gripping the banister as she tries to buck me off. “Cash, we’resurroundedby people—”

“Better keep quiet then. Wouldn’t want your old ballet friends to know what a greedy slut you are for your husband’s cock, would we?”

I slip under the slit in her skirt, pulling the separated material back and exposing the curve of her ass to me. Delving between her legs, I’m unsurprised to find her dripping, and a low sound of arousal emanates from my chest as I rock into her.

Keeping myself close to her, I pull my cock from the confines of my dress pants and nudge the crown against her. Moving my hips slowly, I push in, watching her soft, glistening flesh part around me. Already, her pussy clutches to me, sucking me in deeper, like she never wants to let go.

Blowing out a breath, I try to regulate my erratic breathing, but she’s so wet and tight around me that it’s nearly impossible. I lower my chin, digging my teeth into her shoulder as I drive all the way in, seating myself to the hilt.

She pulses, and her hand slips, her elbow catching on the banister as she lets out a strangled cry of pleasure.

A murmur works through the crowd, and I feel several pairs of eyes on us, though that doesn’t stop me.

Bending at the waist, I force her to double over, testing the flexibility I’ve seen her working on at the studio. The new position makes her even tighter, and I bite down on her skin harder, all but breaking through the barrier.

“People are watching,” she hisses, her head completely over the balcony now.

I smirk, guiding her hips with my free hand, making her push back into my thrusts. “Let them. If you’re leaving me, let them see how good you got it from your husband, so they know they’ll never fucking compare.”

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