Page 39 of Love to Defy You
His gaze narrows, but when he opens his mouth to argue, I don’t give him a chance to speak.
“We’re a team, Alek.” I press my forehead against his and close my eyes. “So, we do everything together from now on, understand?”
Alek stiffens, but after a moment, he relaxes into me and wraps his arms around my waist. “You just love to disobey me, don’t you?”
I manage to force a small smile. Now that I know why Alek’s been struggling, I can help shoulder his burden. The secrets that caused him to distance himself are no longer his to bear alone.
We’ve overcome one hurdle, but what about what’s to come? How far will we have to go to survive?
I stand in front of the mirror in the closet, attempting to zip my dress in the back, but my arms won’t reach.
“Need some help?”
I meet Alek’s gaze in the mirror. He’s leaning against the door of the closet, arms folded across his snug black-on-black suit, which hugs his chest in all the right places.
His eyes dip down my body as he lets out a low growl. “I can see your underwear. I thought I disposed of every pair of panties you owned.”
“It’s a sheer dress. You’re supposed to see the undergarments.” I drop my arms to my sides. “But if you disapprove, I’ll go naked instead.”
He enters the closet and crosses over to where I stand. As Alek steps behind me, his gaze holds mine in the reflection of the mirror, and his dark suit contrasts with my gold, sequined dress. It’s a full-length sheath gown that starts as solid fabric at the top, but as it tapers down my body, it grows more opaque. I have to wear champagne-toned ballet briefs beneath it, otherwise it will showeverything.
His hands linger on the swell of my ass before pulling the hidden zipper up my back.
My silver dagger necklace is framed by the plunging neckline, and Alek runs his fingers over the chain, brushing against my chest. It doesn’t quite match my dress, but there’s no way I’m taking it off.
After one last touchup of my burgundy lipstick, I meet Alek’s gaze in the mirror. “Ready?”
His eyes dip down my body. “We’re trying to blend in tonight, not draw attention.”
“Mikhail said this wasn’t a test, right? So, let’s treat it like a fact-finding mission.” I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around his neck. “I might need to use my feminine wiles to get some information.”
He lets out a low growl and grabs my ass. “You’re going to drive me crazy tonight, and I need to keep my wits about me in the lion’s den.”
At least I know the dress has the intended effect on men. I need to play the part of the charming girlfriend, even though I’m scared to death of walking into a stranger’s house with a murderous cult inside. But Alek and I need to understand who we’re dealing with, and tonight, I intend to find out.
Alek and I head downstairs to the lobby of our building, where Mikhail and Josie are waiting for us. As we approach, Mikhail whistles, and Josie claps her hands together.
“Bravo,” she says. “You look stunning.”
“So do you.” I admire her spaghetti-strap sheath dress made of black velvet, which is just high enough to reveal her Doc Martins. A part of me is jealous that she can pull off such an effortless, cool style and still look like British royalty.
She approaches and links her arm in mine, and I get a whiff of weed and alcohol.
“Did you pre-game already?” I ask.
Josie wobbles as she leads me outside to a black Escalade idling on the curb. “Believe me, it’s the only way to get through these Order events.”
The driver greets us with a polite bow and opens the door for us to climb inside.
Mikhail and Alek take the seats in the middle row in front of us, but when Mikhail tries to engage him in conversation, Alek gives him short, curt answers.
“Don’t be mad at me,” Mikhail says, pulling out a flask from his pocket. “Willow, you’ve forgiven me, haven’t you?”
I fold my arms. “That depends.”
“On what?” he asks.
“On how tonight goes.”
