Page 33 of Precious Hazard

She thinks I’m excited when I’m actually trying to hide my torment? If my eyes sparkle with anything, it’s with the ire that man stirs in me. Although I must admit, I do get perverse pleasure from discovering which buttons of his I can push when we go out. It’s fun to watch as he tries to appear all lovey-dovey in front of everyone, even though I can totally tell he’s fuming. I love seeing that left eye of his start twitching.

Still, he’s not a bad actor. He’s got practically everyone convinced that he’s my perfect boyfriend. Not me. I’d rather suffer never-ending heartburn than date Satan DeVille for real. The only decent thing about him is that he’s a good kisser. Amazing kisser. But I’d never admit that out loud. It’s enough that our kiss keeps playing on repeat in my thoughts, and I can’t seem to shut down the channel. Or forget the achy throbbing in my clit when he crushed me against his chest that day, all while he—

“But I think the jackets are a dead giveaway.” Sienna’s voice brings me back to reality. “You probably already know about his OCD when it comes to his suits. I bet you’re just testing Arturo’s boundaries. And he’s letting you! So there… It’s like an Animal Planet-worthy mating dance.Soooocute.”

My sister-in-law is delusional. Amating dance? WTF?! Maybe I should tell her how I want to slit her brother’s throat in hopes that it would save me from being forced to marry the bastard. But I can’t. I’m sure that whatever I tell Sienna about this situation, she’ll relay it all to Drago.

As for the jackets… I can’t help that I’m always cold. Or that I’m slightly forgetful. It’s not like I’ve been stealing his suit jackets on purpose. Yeah, they are exquisite. Incredible quality. And they smell nice. I love that, when DeVille wraps his jacket around me, there’s always that lingering bit of body heat. And I do appreciate his willingness to lend me his rather than makingme go back to the car to get my own coat. So what if it happened the last five times? That just proves that I’m a bit absent-minded. Nothing new.

Okay. I am doing it on purpose. But only so I can piss Satan off.

“You should definitely go with this one.” Sienna takes a simple gray silk gown off the hanger and throws it at me. “Pair it with that designer-cut cashmere coat I bought for you. Unless you’d rather have Arturo’s jacket?”

“I’ll make sure to bring my coat,” I mumble.

“Just admit it. You’re doing this deliberately, aren’t you?”

“You got here ten minutes early!” Tara snaps as she slides her arms into the sleeves of my Armani jacket. “I barely had time to finish my makeup and avoid leaving with only my left eye lined like some crazy pirate, never mind remembering my coat.”

A shrill ring explodes from my phone. I fish it out of my pocket and bring it to my ear while watching Tara adjust the front of her dress. Tito’s voice comes through the line, but the meaning of his words is lost to me because I’m preoccupied with the way the gray silk hugs her gorgeous breasts.

“Say that again,” I grumble into the phone.

“They’re shutting us down. This guy says he’s from the DOB, but won’t give me any other details.”

Fucking great. What’s crawled up the Department of Buildings’ ass this time?

“Make sure he stays put. I’ll be there in twenty.” I hang up and meet Riggo’s stare in the rearview mirror. “We need to reroute, Riggo. Head to the Brooklyn construction site. And floor it.”

“Hmm. I didn’t know the fundraiser was being held at a construction site.” Tara’s now slouched so far she’s practically melting into the buttery-soft leather of the car’s back seat. Her eyes are trained on a pocket paperback in her hands. Where did she pull that out from?

“I have to deal with an emergency.”

“Works for me.”

She licks the pad of her finger and turns the page. It’s a common enough action, albeit an impolite one in public. It shouldn’t be as sensual as it was. The tip of her tongue peeking out from between her decadent lips has my mind warping, and I’m immediately catapulted back to our “fake” kiss.

A blast wave of sensations hits me all at once.

“A business matter, I presume?” she continues, still focused on the page in her book.

“Yes. You know it’s rude to read while speaking with someone?”

“Sure. But I’m certain that Barbara’s problems are way more serious than yours, so she needs my attention more than you.”

“Barbara?”

“Uh-huh. She’s been hired as a housekeeper for an evil and extremely obnoxious marquess who’s trying to blackmail her into a marriage of convenience. It’s the only way he can get his hands on the inheritance, along with the title of duke, from his older brother.”

My eyes are glued to her mouth as she licks her finger again.

“I can totally relate to poor Barbara, considering the circumstances,” she adds with a smirk.

She flipped that page just seconds ago. There’s no way she can read that fast. Is she doing it on purpose? Teasing me? Flicking her tongue between her beguiling lips?

“Are you skimming?” I ask.

“Yup. It’s my fourth reread. I’m skipping ahead to the good part.”

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