Page 25 of Grimm

Her face bloomed with a pink blush. “Get ready or we’ll be late, and then I’ll have to spank you while we’re—” She broke off in a fit of laughter. “Never mind, I can’t even say it.”

“Good thing for you,” he teased as he headed back to his room to change.

He’d gone in there ready to bust her ass, and instead he was grinning like a schoolboy hurrying off to get ready for a date night.

She was crawling into his heart, and if he didn’t start being more vigilant, she might just live there forever.

Chapter 10

Ballrooms existed. Daniella stood against the wall of an actual ballroom holding a glass of wine, waiting for William to make his way back to her. She’d read plenty of historical romances during her high school years, longing for the earl of wherever to ride up on his white horse and steal her away. But she hadn’t realized people still used rooms solely for the purpose of parties.

Ashland Titon wasn’t just having a handful of people over for some drinks. Music played, people danced, there were drinks and food. It was an actual, real-life ball.

“Hey, Daniella, right?” Peter Titon sidled up beside her with his own drink in hand. He looked like the devil’s bastard with the Cheshire grin on his lips.

“Yes. And you are Peter Titon.” She took a sip of her drink.

“I am him, yes.” He grinned and tipped his glass toward her. “I haven’t talked to William tonight, but I’m assuming since you’re here, and looking as beautiful as you are, things are going pretty well for you over at the Grimm manor?”

His smile was contagious.

“Things are… fine,” she answered cautiously. William hadn’t given her any idea who would be in attendance and what she should say if anyone asked who she was or how she knew William.

“Good. Good.” Peter nodded and sipped his drink. “Then you’re not interested in perhaps finding a way out of your arrangement with William?”

She stopped mid-sip and lowered her glass. “What do you mean?”

“Well, my cousin is going to reopen for business at some point. If you were willing to take up employment with him, you could repay William that way. It wouldn’t take long; you’re quite beautiful,” Peter explained. She suspected if anyone other than Peter had made the same proposition, she’d have felt as though a bucket of slime had been poured over her head.

“You want me to work in a whorehouse?” she asked with a steady tone, her fingers grasping the stem of her wineglass harder.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean that,” William’s hard words washed over her from behind.

“I’m saying, if things aren’t so… pleasant over there, she has options.” Peter winked at William.

“She doesn’t need options, Peter.” William place his hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze.

What exactly was happening?

“Well, if that changes. Say you want to go back to living the bachelor lifestyle, or you want to, you know, date someone… there’re ways to annul this situation.” Peter sipped his drink, his glistening eyes locked on William.

“There won’t be any annulments needed.” William’s announcement dropped hard at Peter’s feet.

“Good to hear.” Peter toasted William and downed the last sip of his drink. “Your work is going well too? I heard you talking with Schuster over there.”

“Andrew Schuster?” Daniella swept the room, looking for him. “He owns Schuster Publishing and is a wonderful writer in his own right.” She located the man standing across the room. Having seen him on the dust jacket of his books, she recognized him instantly.

“Maybe you’d like an introduction?” A hint of humor touched Peter’s eyes as he made the offer.

Daniella wanted to agree, but she glanced up at William and shook her head. How would she introduce herself?

“No, no. He’s at a party. I don’t want to interrupt him.” She looked up at William. “You do business with him?”

The book she’d been reading that afternoon. A flicker of a question formed. Could he be Bruder Grimm? The question sounded crazy in her head. Why would a man in his position secretly have a writing career? Or perhaps it was because of his position it would have to remain secret.

“Occasionally.” William took a step to the side, blocking her view of the publisher.

Peter cleared his throat. “What’s this I hear about Komisky’s guy joining Jansen’s crew?”

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