Page 14 of The Devil's Daughter

“Because they don’t scare me. They’re toothless next to the darkness I keep buried inside myself.”

“Will you show it to me?” I ask, pulling back and staring up into his face. His eyes are pools of desire so terrifyingly intense IknowI’m out of my depth by even asking. “I want to know you, Drake Stavros. Show me your darkness.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“If you get to know my brothers, or Arturo, they aren’t as scary as you think. Maybe shining a light on what frightens you might make it seem less terrible.”

He stares down into my eyes, then says, “You really mean it, don’t you?”

“It’s better if you don’t have to face it alone, right? Maybe I can help.”

He tightens his grip on my nape and I instinctively arch closer, core hot with awareness of how very aroused he still is. He takes a breath, then nods.

“Tonight after dinner, when you’re alone in your room, I want you to call me on the new phone Baz gave you. My number’s programmed into it like I asked. Call me and turn on your camera, then set the phone somewhere I can see you. Just let me watch you, that’s all.”

“Should I do anything special?”

“Nothing you wouldn’t normally do alone in your room, even if that means doing a strip tease for the camera.” He smirks at me, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“That wasn’t a normal occurrence, I hope you know.”

“I just want to see you. That’s all. To watch. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you know I’m watching and you’re okay with it.”

“I can do that.”

His expression fills with a kind of fearful reverence that makes me feel far more powerful than I have any right to. Then his features soften and he cocks his head, leaning closer.

Just as his mouth grazes mine and I’m about tomelt, a faint “ding” of the elevator sounds from the hallway beyond the bedroom door.

We both put as much distance as we can between us. Then I turn and rush inside just as a knock sounds against my door and Ben calls, “You guys in there?”

“Come in!” I call, plastering on a smile when the door cracks open and Ben sticks his head in. I’m elbow-deep in my bag, pretending to unpack, when all I’m really doing is trying to hold my shit together andnotlook like I was just about to make out with Drake.

Ben saunters in with a nod and an impressed smile. “Nice digs. I grabbed the room just down on the port side. Ithinkthere’s a mirror to this room on that side too, but the door was locked.”

“That’s because it’s my room,” Drake says, stepping in from the balcony looking as calm and collected as ever. “I’m going to get cleaned up. You two find your way up to the dining room soon. Dinner will be served whenever we’re all ready.” He pauses and fishes into the pile of detritus strewn across my bed, then hands me my phone.

“Don’t lose this,” he says before he strides out the door.

7

Drake

I can’t sit stillafter my encounter with Elle. I don’t know what came over me. Why did I say all those things? I got caught up in the moment—being on this boat always breaks down my walls, lets me pretend like I’m a different person than the man who holds dominion over a billion-dollar shipping corporation. I was just Drake with her, a man with a shameful past longing to be truly seen.

But now I have to wait, and join her and Ben for dinner knowing what’s in store for me later.

Instead of pacing the halls, I head to my stateroom and change into gym shorts and sneakers, then take the stairs down to the gym. It’s empty at this time of evening, since the staff are busy, probably scrambling to make it look like they don’t mostly lounge about while I’m not here. I step on the treadmill and set it to a fast pace, hoping to run out my agitation until I’m too tired to feel it.

It helps some, the muscle fatigue leaving me languid and my mind blank until I make it back to my room and climb into the shower. That’s when I start fantasizing about what she might show me later.

Fuck, I’m no better than whoever planted all the cameras, though I’m fairly certain the person who did it knows my secret and knows that stunt was the perfect taunt to get to me, to dig into that old wound. I have to assume the cameras were put in by the same person who sent me that threat to emphasize that they could get to me, to try to force my hand to step down as CEO of Typhon. I left Baz with access so he can look into it.

But that doesn’t matter now. We’re far from the penthouse and all those cameras, and this time Elle knows I’ll be watching. She agreed to it. And while I doubt her offer will help rid me of the shame, it’s still an itch I can’t help but want to scratch. At least there’s a touch less shame in it if she knows I’m watching.

When I make it to the dining room, they’re both seated already and seem deep in conversation. I hear a third voice coming from a speaker and realize Baz is on video on a phone propped up in the center of the table.

“Drake’s here,” Elle says. “Tell him what you found.”

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