Page 17 of The Photograph

Michael. Think of what she did to Michael.

I straighten my back and unclench my jaw. “Ready to go?”

Somehow her smile gets bigger. Softer. And she tugs on my wrist. “Come in, I’ll be one minute.”

Her long hair sways down her back like a live silk curtain as she hurries down the hallway. As I step in and dive my hands in my pockets, I take in the cream walls peppered by black framed pictures of children playing and children’s drawings encased in thick yellow frames. She has style, but I didn’t expect the sweetness of the undertone of her house decor.Maybe it’s the sister.The unmistakably sharp clap of high heels on the wooden floor pulls my attention to Aelin walking toward me looking like a goddamn pin-up girl. A heady mix of sultriness, joy, and innocence.A beautiful liar in full force.

I relax my fists as she gets close. Her eyes hooked into mine, she touches my chest, and I zoom in on her pliable, tempting mouth.

“Thank you for the pendant, Gabe,” she whispers.

Of course, it’s about what my money can buy her.She’s good.I step back and open the front door.

“My pleasure. Let’s go, our reservation is at 7:30 PM.”

****

Seated in the private room of the restaurant with its own balcony and an ocean view, I shift back in my chair to listen to her. The small lamp in the center of the round table lights up her beautiful, animated face as she talks. Her golden eyes sparkle above a thin nose that emphasizes the dimple in her chin and the deep cupid bow of her plump mouth.

Her file states she was an above average student who graduated top of her class in her interior design program. She’s charming, smart, funny, and passionate about her work. Alluring describes her perfectly. With an emphasis on the luring. But every time I ask a question about her past, she skillfully changes the subject. I can’t even get her to reveal where she went to high school. She’s very attached to her older sister who sounds like someone who would give in to any of her whims.

When the server brings our desserts—some kind of chocolate cake for her—her eyes light up. She also loves food.

“This looks delicious,” she says, and I grit my teeth against the caress of her raspy voice.Time to hook the greedy fish.

After refusing her offer to taste the cake, I lean in. “Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”

Aelin’s face colors as she shakes her head, and her fingers fly to her mouth. She swallows. “No. What about you?”

“Nothing serious. Relationships take time and I prioritize my work.” Which is true.

Aelin frowns and sets her fork beside the half-eaten dessert. “I could never understand that. How are you … how is anyone too busy for love? It should complement our lives. Make it richer and not something that keeps us away from the rest of our lives.”

She’s good. Almost sounds genuine.But I know better. “So, no jealous lovers I should be worried about while I keep you at Holloway? No one in the wing waiting for you?” I’m aiming for a teasing tone, but my voice comes out harsh.

At the shake of her head, I shift closer. “How come?”

Clearing her throat, she sits back. Her fingertips graze the pendant, and she tucks her hair behind her ear in a studied coy gesture.

“Finding the right person is … not easy,” she whispers.

Is that how she does it? Making schmucks believe they might be the one? And who wouldn’t want to when she’s looking like that?I would laugh if I wasn’t so pissed off. Leaning back, I observe her animated face.Hooked.

At the end of the evening, I walk her to her door. The night breeze blows through her long dark hair and the light from the streetlamp hits the pendant nestled between the round globes of her breasts.

When she glances furtively sideways and curls her hair behind her ear, I track her line of sight to a curtain snapping shut across the street and edge closer.

“What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head. “Nosy neighbors.”

The woman who broke my brother steps closer, her lips part, and she touches my chest. Her hesitant smile is tantalizing. Shyness, even faked, suits her.

“Would you like to come in?”

Such a gorgeous mouth.And those eyes. I brush my thumb on her plump bottom lip. Her small hand curls on my shirt. She rolls on her toes.

My brother’s eyes full of pain.Yanking my hand down, I step back.

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