Page 59 of Between Life and Death

I had no other choice.

I had to return to the bathhouse. It was the only lead I had, and I would be damned if I let it go. But what would I do when I returned? Beg for forgiveness? Whose wrath would be worse—the madame’s or the king’s advisor’s? But I didn’t care. I would face them both, if that was what it took to get Kaleb back.

A constant, pulsing whisper beckoned me from my thoughts.

I knew it washim.

Wood clicked upon wood as I set the brush down on the oak top.

I lifted my gaze, meeting his in the reflection of the mirror. Goddess divine,thoseeyes.

Tonight, I had chosen black silk, the same piece of cloth that I’d felt drawn to on the first night Harper and I worked at the bathhouse. Now that I had it on, it felt like it was tailored especially for me. The neckline plunged deceptively low between my breasts. Thin straps reached like arms, winding delicately around my neck. The fabric ended at the curvature of my hips, dipping in front, just enough to cover my core and peachy backside. The back fell open, revealing my slender, feminine muscles.

Von’s black lashes slowly drifted down, coaxing a shiver to stroll the length of my spine. I could feel the soft, intimate brush of his knuckles roaming down my skin. The sensation of his touch—it stirred something, a hunger, a need, and I found myself yearning for more.

But when I looked up, he was still standing by the door.

I hated how real it felt—Iwantedit to be real. Wanted to feel him touch me like that.

Normally, I covered myself up, but tonight, I would let him look.

Tonight, I would not run from him.

I gathered my hair and swept the wintery strands back, the length of it cascading in soft, sultry waves. Sifting through my makeup bag—something Harper had encouraged me to get during our adventures downtown—I moved on to my makeup.

I applied a dark, moody, red paint to my lips—the whole time feeling him, every bit of him, watching me. After, I searched for the brush with the fine tip. When I found it, I dipped the end in an inky glass pot and began to slowly outline the top of my lashes with kohl, winging it at the sides.

When I was finished, I heard his unspoken command . . .

Come to me, Little Goddess.

Slowly, I turned, the velvet fabric of the stool snagging against the silk, pulling it up, exposing my upper thigh, the caress of it eliciting another shiver. My nerves felt like embers ready to ignite. I stood, my heels clicking as I walked towards him. I looked up, caught on the hook of the one predicted to suck my soul dry.

In this moment, thewayhe looked at me . . . I would let him.

His knuckles drifted lightly over my shoulder, a spark left in their wake, threatening to catch. “I think you finally found your color,” he murmured, his tone a dark decadence. “But this strap . . .” His finger slipped under the thin strap, gently stretching it upwards, testing its strength. With one snap of his finger, easily, it would break. “It is soverythin. And right now . . .” He leaned in, whispering in my ear, “It is all that keepsyoufrom me.”

The intent behind his words elicited the same feeling as if his ringed fingers were between my thighs, working that sensitive bundle of nerves.Goddess divine.

“Then snap it off.” I didn’t offer—I demanded.

He pulled away, a wicked gleam catching the sharp tips of his canines. “I do not think the owner would be too happy with me if I were to do that.” His eyes looked pointedly at me, implying I was the owner.

“It’s not mine,” I replied honestly.

“Oh?” he countered, a teasing smile touching the corners of his devastating lips.

“Kiss me,” I said, my fingers drifting to the lapel of the black jacket he wore. It looked painfully expensive and so unlike the fashion worn here. It matched his otherworldly eyes. Both didn’t belong.

He tipped his head to the side in that predatorial way—painting him as the wolf and I the rabbit. “What will you give me in return?”

“Anything . . . Everything,” I whispered breathlessly, lured by his gaze—by him. Intoxicating, consuming him.

The constant push and pull between us had finally reached a precipice.

Now, I was at its mercy.

His fingers caressed my cheek. “Are you so sure this is what you want to bargain with?”

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