Page 15 of Dark Possession
She’s sophisticated. Beautiful in a way I didn’t know I could be. The makeup is subtle, accentuating rather than covering up the fineness of my bone structure. My eyes look huge, and my lips are a pale, glossy pink.
I lift a hand to touch my cheek, then transfer my gaze to the woman. “I…it’s…”
She smiles. “I know. Let’s get you dressed now.”
In the adjoining bedroom, the dress is draped across the bed. Something thick sticks in my throat and prevents me from speaking as I move toward it. I know it’s nothing to someone as wealthy as Lev—pocket change, likely—but it feels like a gift to me.
Like a Cinderella dress, when I’m no more than a prostitute. Bought and paid for.
The dress is a work of art—deep red, shimmering like liquid fire. The bodice clings in a corseted embrace, thin straps holding it up, while the silk skirt flows like a whisper over my curves. It’s decadent. Seductive.
Designed to be worn by someone who belongs to a man like Lev.
A strange exhilaration sparks beneath my skin, one I don’t understand, and don’t want to understand. This is a game, a role to play. A mask to wear. But as the fabric settles against my skin, molding to me like a second layer, I can’t ignore the way my pulse flutters.
When the staff steps back, their work complete, I finally meet my own gaze in the mirror.
I should feel trapped.
But instead, I feel like I’ve stepped into something dangerous and seductive...
…something I might not want to escape.
The charity event is a symphony of wealth and indulgence. Crystal chandeliers drip from the ceilings, casting fractured light over the room. Laughter and the clink of expensive glasses ripple through the air, mingling with the faint strains of classical music.
Lev keeps me close, his hand resting low on my back, a silent claim. He is unreadable, perfectly at ease as he navigates the crowd, speaking to this person and that, flashing calculated smiles. But I can see it—the flicker of something else behind his eyes.
He’s hunting.
I don’t know who, not yet. But he’s not here for charity, that much is clear. And yet, even as his gaze sweeps the room in search of his prey, his attention never fully leaves me.
And I hate how much I feel it. How much it unsettles me.
The music shifts, slows, and suddenly, he turns to me, his expression unreadable. Before I can react, he pulls me onto the dance floor, his grip firm, inescapable.
My pulse spikes as he guides me effortlessly through the motions of the dance, our bodies moving in sync. He’s close, so close I can feel the heat of him through the silk of my gown. His fingers tighten at my waist, just slightly, possessively.
“You play the part well,” he murmurs, his voice a brush of velvet against my skin.
“So do you,” I counter, tilting my chin up.
He chuckles, the sound deep, dark. His lips hover just a breath away from mine, his presence a smothering force, a weight I can’t ignore. And for a moment, just a moment, I forget to be afraid.
Then, a voice cuts through the moment.
“I’ll give you a million.”
The world shifts.
The voice is familiar—it’s the man from the auction.
I stiffen as he steps closer, his expression smug, his gaze flicking between Lev and me like he already knows he’s won. And perhaps he has. A million? Dismay settles in my gut. I don’t know why, but I don’t want to go with this man.
“I’ll make it easy for you,” he says, his tone casual but his eyes burning with challenge. “Hand her over.”
Lev goes still. His grip on me tightens.
And then he smiles.
