Page 46 of Dark Horizon Eclipse of the Heart

But the dress was only one part of the transformation. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in waves of blue, framing her face like a work of art.

Peter had never paid much attention to makeup, but given the magical transformation Marina had undergone, turning her from beautiful to stunning and sophisticated, he took note of the details.

Her eyes were framed by smoky eyeshadow that accentuated their blue hue. Her lashes were coated with layers of mascara, and to complement the smoky eye look, her brows had been shaped in perfect twin arches.

The one thing he regretted was that her freckles had been covered with a thin layer of foundation, but on the other hand, it gave her complexion a radiant luminosity. A touch of highlighter had been applied to her cheekbones, and a bold red color had been artfully applied to her lush lips. It was the perfect finishing touch to her glamorous look.

Was he a despicable lecher for imagining those full, red lips wrapped around his shaft?

"Do you like it?" Marina smiled coquettishly.

"I love it. Where did you get the dress?" Peter stepped aside, motioning for her to enter the cabin with a wave of his hand.

"From Jasmine, the woman who was rescued earlier today from the cartel boss. I met her in the staff lounge, and when she heard that I was attending the wedding as a guest, she offered me a makeover. She also loaned me this dress and shoes to match." Marina laughed. "I wished for a fairy godmother, and I got one." She twirled in place. "I've never looked better in my life."

Her giddiness infected him, and he laughed. "So, if the dress is from your fairy godmother, does it mean that when the clock strikes midnight, the dress will disappear, and you will be naked?"

Striking a pose with her hand on her hip, Marina eyed him from under lowered lashes. "Do you want me to be naked in front of all the guests? Because the ceremony will not be over by midnight, so all of them will still be there."

He winced. "Perhaps a couple of hours later, then, and in the privacy of my cabin."

"That's better." She sauntered closer to him. "I wasn't late, you know. But if you still want to spank me later, I'm game."

"Definitely." He had to adjust himself as he imagined doing that.

Marina's gaze followed his hand, and when she noted the evidence of his excitement, her tongue darted out, and she licked those blood-red lips of hers. "I'm in the mood for a little aperitif before the party." She put a hand on his chest and pushed him toward his bedroom.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, I think you can guess." She kept walking, or rather sauntering, her hips sashaying most enticingly.

"I don't want to mess up your makeup."

"You won't." She pushed the door closed behind her. "This lipstick doesn't come off."

"What about your hair?"

"You will have to be careful." Marina threw her evening bag on his bed and dropped to her knees.

Peter hissed. "Sweet merciful Fates, woman. We don't have time for this."

She smiled up at him. "It's not going to take long."

31

MARINA

Marina didn't know what had gotten into her. They were probably going to be late for the wedding, but the urge to drop to her knees in front of this magnificent male had just been overwhelming.

She would give him a gift of pleasure before the party, so even if things went wrong and people looked at her with derision, he would be too blissed out to pay them any attention.

No, that wasn't why she was doing this.

Maybe it was the way he looked at her as if she was just as beautiful as the immortal females he was surrounded by or more, or maybe it was the desire in his eyes that had ignited a corresponding fire in her. Or perhaps it wasn't about that at all, and it was a power play because after the makeover, she felt more powerful than ever before, a Cinderella turned princess, seductress, a femme fatale.

Or maybe it was just the buzz of the insatiable arousal coursing through her. She'd been numb ever since Nicolai had ended things between them, and Peter had blasted off the lid she'd put on her needs.

He groaned when she reached for his belt buckle, his eyes blazing as he watched her loosen his belt, unbutton his trousers, and free his length.

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