Page 49 of His Haunted Desire
CHAPTER 18
RAIDEN
“What a pleasant surprise,” I say when I see we’re sitting at a table with Victor and his date. Victor is the douche who dared to insult Aurora and made me put my hands on him.
Victor smiles tightly, but his mask can’t hide his fear. “Most pleasant.”
I pull out a chair for Aurora. She brushes her hand along my arm for all to see, then shoots me an affectionate look.
All for show, I remind myself.
What about back in the room, when she was moaning and touching and sucking and pleasing me more than any damn woman ever has? If that was a show, it was just for me.
There are ten people at the table, all masked, some of them sipping glasses of champagne. I’m relieved when everyone falls into their private conversations.
Aurora nudges my arm and leans in. “That man over there has the same mask as you. The same tuxedo too–and he’s built similarly. You don’t have a secret twin, do you?”
I slip my hand onto her thigh. “As long as you’re sure you don’t prefer him, we won’t have a problem.”
She places her hand on mine, stopping me from going any further up her leg. It’s probably for the best. Instead, I turn to see who she means, a tall, wide man striding across the room in a marble-white mask with gold around the edges.
“Just don’t get us mixed up,” I tell Aurora.
“I wouldn’t dream of it…” She leans in, lowering her voice just for me. “Sir.”
I squeeze her leg. Her heat beckons me like a siren's call, promising heat and wetness. She keeps her hand firmly upon mine, stopping me from going any further.
Soon, the waitstaff brings out more champagne and starters. When someone asks Aurora how we met, she speaks passionately about watching me in the shop.
“It might sound silly, but I was jealous of my grandma!” She touches my arm. “She got to touch him, and I was just watching, wishing it was me. Raiden likes to say I was obsessed from the start. I try to deny it. But sometimes, I have to tell the truth. Iwasobsessed. Big time.”
I wrap my arm casually around her. “What can I say? I must be something special.”
Everyone laughs good naturedly, even Victor, though his laughter has a quality of fear to it. He’s probably spent the entire time trying not to piss me off.
Across the room, one of the staff members is gesturing to me. No, notone ofthem. It’s Sebastian, my grandmother’s personal butler. I know because he always wears the same fox mask. When he’s got my attention, he gestures to the hallway.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” I say, standing and shooting a pointed look at Victor. “I’m sure you’ll all be on your best behavior.”
I join Sebastian in the hallway. He’s antsy, moving from foot to foot.
“Yes?” I say.
“I wanted to say sorry, Raiden,” he blurts out.
“Sorry?”
“Evangeline’s scheme. Her bet. About the will… I told her to remove you, not to bluff. I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m sorry. I need you to know that. Sometimes, it’s like I forget I’m not part of the family. I’m an outsider… and that’s okay. I need tobeokay with that.”
“I know you and Grandma are close, Sebastian. Ever since she hired you, you’ve been close. You shouldn’t overstep your boundaries, but I understand how things might become complicated.”
“So we can end things on good terms, then?” he says, offering his hand.
“End things?”
“I mean–draw a line under this.”
“Sure.” I shake his hand. “If anything, we should stay on good terms for Grandma, if not for each other.”
