Page 14 of Prettiest Little Thief
“Since you’re not able to immediately retrieve the key, I figured you can come with me as my date to the masquerade.”
“Masquerade? You boujie people really do those things?” I asked.
“Yes. There’s a point in attending. The house it is being thrown at is where I’m positive it’s being kept.”
“We go in as guests and come out with more information on how to get it unseen?”
“Exactly. It’s in a few days, so I’ll have one of the designers come and fit you for a dress. It will be a tight deadline, but they’ll manage.” Lucas’s attention went back to the papers in front of him.
Dismissed.Not another word uttered. I stared at Lucas for a moment longer. His large hands, the tattoos that started at his wrists and wound around his muscled arms. All the way up to where the fabric of his shirt cut off the rest of his skin.
I wondered briefly how much of him was covered in art. How long it took him to acquire such detailed work on his body. His eyes snapped up, as sharp as a predator. I swallowed thickly, spinning on my heel and speed-walking to my room.
***
Lucas hadn’t been present the next morning at breakfast. Or the next. Or the next. Fox was my constant companion, and even though I was curious as to where Lucas had gone, I didn’t want to ask. It may give Fox the wrong idea.
Lucas was handsome. Disgustingly so. He was also a control freak and grouch, which hugely offset his good looks. Kind of.
The designers had come and brought a plethora of dresses with them in every color and style imaginable. While I wasn’treally used to being dressed in something so incredibly expensive, I couldn’t help but feel like a princess in the red ensemble I had chosen. A slutty princess.
The moment the ruby-colored dress slid over my skin, I knew it was the one. The V-neckline plunged to the middle of my stomach, dual thigh-high slits ended at my hips, and the back laced up. Fox nearly choked when I stepped out of the bathroom in the gown. Which was exactly the reaction I hoped to get from Lucas. Just to piss him off. But I was pretty sure anything I had chosen would make him mad. He was constantly in an annoyed state.
When the night of the party came, I decided to wear a pair of gold strappy heels to match the golden mask I had chosen. My hair was styled in loose waves, and I chose to accentuate my brown eyes with dark eyeshadow and winged eyeliner, since I didn’t think I would be wearing the mask the entire night.
I strode down the stairs, where at the bottom, Lucas waited with his back turned to me. He spoke quietly to Fox until Fox’s gaze landed on me and he let out a low whistle.
Lucas turned his attention in my direction, and surprise lit up his face. Icy blue eyes trailed along every inch of my body, and a smirk pulled at his full lips. Did he like what he saw? Based on the reaction Fox had given me and insane approval of my outfit choice from Evie, I would say my selection was mint. Chef’s freaking kiss.
Lucas didn’t look too bad himself. He was dressed in a classic tuxedo that hugged his fit form and a bowtie. The designers must have told him I was going to wear a gold mask, because he had a matching one in hand.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Lucas offered me his arm. Now it was my turn to be surprised. After a moment’s hesitation,I looped my arm into his as he led me out to the car. Fox was to be our chauffeur for the evening and would be on standby in case anything went wrong.
Fox opened the door for us, and we both slid into the car. Lucas’s long legs made it almost impossible not to touch him with my bare thigh. He didn’t seem to mind and kept his leg pressed against mine. “You look beautiful, Monroe,” Lucas said. His gaze lingered on my face, not daring to dip down to my breasts, which were pushed up nicely.
“Call me Roe. Monroe is what my mother called me.” I tried not to gape at the compliment.
“It isn’t a common first name.”
“No, she named me after Marilyn Monroe. But she didn’t like Marilyn as much as Monroe, so…” My sentence dropped off.
“She was a fan of Norma Jean then, huh?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“She was obsessed with her. I remember, growing up, she had everything you can think of with Marilyn on it. Blankets, mugs, even plates.” I giggled at the memory. Any time she came across something with her image, my mother would buy it.
“Does she still obsess over her?” My smile faltered, and I had to look away from Lucas, twisting my hands and staring out the window as lights blurred by.
“She, um… she passed away a few years back. But I kept a few of the things she treasured the most.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Lucas sounded sincere. I glanced back at him, and he was still staring at me.
“It was a while ago.” I shrugged, not sure of what else to say. Lucas’s warm hand gripped mine and stopped my incessant fidgeting. Somehow, the warmth of his hand calmed me.Thoughts of my mother usually sent me into a downward spiral of sadness. But… his touch grounded me. A pulse of energy surged through my fingertips and up my arm, bringing me back to the moment instead of the past I dreaded.
“Grief doesn’t have an expiration date, Monroe.” And that hit me hard. He was right, there was no timeline on feeling hurt. Or grief.
The car stopped in front of an even larger mansion than Lucas’s, pulling me from my thoughts of how he was affecting me. My body and mind. Why he was suddenly being so nice?
“Holy cow,” I said as I leaned over Lucas’s lap to get a better view of the property. “And I thought your place was ridiculous.”
