Page 21 of Vows of Deceit
“I told you I need more time,” Damien said, voice low.
Kelly wore crimson silk that slipped off one shoulder. She stood by the bar, glass of red wine in hand.
“You’ve had two years,” she replied. “Your time is up.”
“I’m trying to protect everyone—”
“Protecting yourself,” she snapped. “You’re scared. Scared of the fallout. Scared of her strength.”
“She’s my wife.”
Kelly stalked toward him. “And I’m the woman who knows what you sound like when you’re desperate. When you fall apart.”
She pressed her mouth to his. He didn’t kiss her back not at first but anger was a powerful fuel. Their lips collided rough, frantic. No romance. Just friction and fire. Clothes hit the floor. His hands were bruising. Her nails raked down his back.
“Is this what you want?” she hissed.
He slammed her against the wall. “I don’t know what I want.”
But his body did. They moved together like a storm, violent and consuming.
When it was over, Kelly collapsed against him, laughing breathlessly.
“You say you don’t love me,” she whispered, “but your body always begs to differ.”
Damien pulled away, grabbing his shirt. “This isn’t love.”
“Maybe not.” She lit a cigarette. “But it’s real. And sooner or later, the world will know.”
He turned at the door.
“Don’t do anything reckless.”
Kelly’s smile was all teeth.
“Reckless is relative.”
Chapter Fifteen
The Mask Slips
The King family estate was lit in soft golden hues, the crystal chandeliers above the dining room table casting a curated glow on ten perfectly set places. Fine china gleamed. The scent of rosemary lamb and truffle potatoes hung heavy in the air. And tension hummed beneath every surface.
Cassie sat at the center of the long table, radiant in a deep green velvet dress. Damien was beside her, unnervingly silent, while his mother, Elaine Sterling, sat across with a tight smile curving her crimson lips. To Elaine’s left was Kelly, striking in an ivory sheath dress, every inch the perfect dinner guest until you looked close enough to see the smirk she didn’t bother hiding.
Cassie raised her wine glass to her lips. Deliberate. Unshaken.
Elaine’s voice pierced through the soft chatter. “Cassie, dear, you’ve certainly filled out the social calendar lately. The vow renewal sounds… ambitious.”
Cassie smiled. “Thank you. I believe in celebrating what’s real.”
Elaine tilted her head. “Of course. Though some might think it’s a touch performative. Still, the press loves a spectacle.”
Kelly stifled a laugh behind her napkin.
Across the table, Charles King didn’t flinch. He simply sliced into his lamb with the precision of a surgeon and the interest of a man completely uninterested.
Cassie felt her jaw twitch, but she didn’t break.
