Page 10 of Ace of Swords

Marcus spotted me where I stood. He made a face, like a silent, sympathetic way to say he didn't want to be here either. He wasn't going to be able to slip over to talk to me so I could politely kill more time.

This is my chance to leave.The Montalla family dynamics weren’t any of my business. I’d done my duty; I'd shown up, ate, and even smiled. I didn’t need to be here any longer. It was time for me to split before this evening took a turn for the—

“Rolland.”

My name had never sounded so good. “Tatiana,” I said, standing to greet her. “This is a fantastic party. Congratulations on your graduation. You must be relieved. Your hard work has paid off.”

She looked at my extended hand and the side of her mouth quirked up. She slowly shook her head, as if in admonishment, and asked, “Why so shy?”

She leaned in to allow me to kiss her cheek. What could I do? I had no choice but to oblige. I could smell her shampoo, feel the tickle of her soft hair against my face. She reached up and placed her hand on my collar, her fingertips ever so slightly brushing my skin. It was only a second, that physical contact, but I felt her in every cell of my body. I could feel her heat, her pent up energy. To everyone else at the party it must have looked like a simple hello, but I knew what this was. It was a promise, it was an invitation for more.

“Let’s sit together,” she said as we pulled apart. Before I could explain that I was just about to leave, she was seated and gesturing to a passing waiter, requesting two glasses of champagne.

This felt like a trap. But how much trouble could I get in in the middle of a crowded ballroom? It may have been a deviation in my plan, but I was in control. Her little games wouldn’t win out over my resolution.

The waiter returned quickly with two glasses of bubbly, and Tatiana raised her glass. “What should we toast to, Rolland?”

“It seems fitting at your graduation party to toast to new experiences and future endeavors. Cheers. Congratulations Tatiana.”

“Yes. To new endeavors. Cheers,” she said.

We clinked glasses and sipped.

It was feeling perfectly normal, like maybe the other day was just a blip, an errant data point in my otherwise predictable life. If Tatiana could move on from the other night, certainly I could too.

“So tell me,” I said, trying not to gaze down her cruelly inviting cleavage, “What are your plans now that you’re a graduate?”

I was so fucking naïve. Her answer shouldn’t have shocked me.

She leaned over close to me and whispered, “I don’t know, exactly. Maybe giving you a taste of me? I was thinking you might want to return the favor sometime.”

I choked on my champagne. It wasn’t just shock at her bold words that had me sputtering like an idiot. It was excitement, too. Those words,taste me, knocked the wind right out of my lungs. All I could think of was how that red silk felt on her skin, what she was wearing—or not wearing—underneath, and what it would be like the first time the tip of my tongue slid along her crease.

“I meant career plans,” I hissed, trying to steer her back to appropriate public topics. “Will you continue to live here, or do you want independence?”

She picked up her glass and threw back her head in an uproarious laugh. Despite my annoyance, I had the urge to nip at her long, beautiful neck.

“I suppose if I lived somewhere else, getting another go with you would be easier on your nerves.”

Was she determined to keep poking at me? “I have a good thing going with your father, I can’t risk throwing it all away if he finds out what happened between us. I’d also prefer to keep all my bones intact.”

Suddenly Tatiana’s expression changed. She put her friendly hostess mask back on. I looked over my shoulder and saw a girl her own age approaching us. “Abigail,” Tatiana said warmly, although I could detect tension in her poise. “It’s so nice of you to come tonight.”

Abigail's smile never reached her eyes. She wore a high-necked blouse and pencil skirt, her hair tied up in a severe bun. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize these two weren’t friends. “Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it. It’s been a fun party but I have to go now. As you know, I’m flying out to Cape Town in the morning with Professor Hicks. It’s too bad you won’t be joining the team, but I guess you have your hands full with parties and such.”

I could see Tatiana gritting her teeth. “I do have a million things lined up. Good luck in South Africa. Perhaps our paths will cross again. Goodbye, Abigail.” Tatiana’s face remained a mask of composure as the other girl walked off. I could detect anger bubbling beneath the surface. There was more to this encounter than it seemed.

“What was that all about?” I asked, although I regretted it immediately. I didn’t need to know anything else about Tatiana Montalla. I wanted to say my goodbyes, get in my car, and probably jerk off the minute I closed my apartment door.

“Just a classmate,” Tatiana said breezily, but her expression had shifted. She looked hurt... younger than she had before. “Abigail and some other students from my program are spending the summer in Cape Town. It wasn’t...feasible...that I go along.”

Tatiana was sexy, infuriating, and dangerous. She was not, however, a good liar. And with that obvious lie, I saw her vulnerable side for the first time. It was raw. Enticing. The last nail in my coffin.

After a few minutes of silence, she eyed me over the rim of her drink. “Follow me.”

I didn't give it a second thought.

---