Page 34 of Gilded Desires

“Not unless he has an invisibility cloak.”

We both pop the caps to our water. The whole time we drink, her eyes come back to roam over my borrowed clothes.

“Wanna tell me what happened or do I have to torture the answers out of you?”

I fall to the couch and spill the entirety of the last hours to my best friend. The only thing I leave off is the whole primal connection I feel with them the second I am in the same room. She’d lock me in this tower herself if I start spouting off crazy mumblings about instant desire turning to something deeper. Besides, how can I explain something I don’t entirely understand myself?

Furiously blushing under her attention, Sapphire hangs onto all my words and slips in the right kind of questions at the right times. “The Gilded Key Society, huh? I didn’t really think you would go through with it, but hey…” she shrugs. “When do you start?”

“Day after tomorrow, I think? I am not sure. We have to talk tonight.”

Her bottle of water is halfway up to her mouth when she says, “You’re going out again? I don’t know if I can cover for you tonight, babe. Your brother is agitated about something and is prowling around the halls.”

“What can he do to me? Send me to the basement?”

She shrugs. “Maybe not you, but I’m not on the no-kill list.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and press a thumb to the crease between my brows. “Stop playing around. Harlon would never hurt you.”

Her head lolls from side to side. “Yeah I know, but all kidding aside, you should just tell him what you are up to. He’s not your keeper or your jailor.”

I chew on the inside of my jaw. “Last night before I left, I was in his office. The warning he gave me was…chilling. Like he would do whatever he has to do to make sure he doesn’t lose me too. Like Cassandra. Their shared wife still haunts him.”

There’s sorrow in her eyes and understanding. “Can you blame him?” Sapphire’s voice turns soft. She reaches out and takes my hand. We sit there a second and just enjoy the silence. Or at least I do. I don’t get much of it, so I savor the quiet.

“Where is Polaris? I’m surprised you two didn’t gang up on me.”

Sapphire cants her head. “She was here, but your brother and partners called her away.”

Ohh. Interesting. “I wish those four would just get a room already and have at each other until they can all just find some kind of happiness. I see the way she looks at Harlon and the other two.”

The open end of Sapphire’s bottle is pointed in my direction. “I think we should stay out of it. We all have to figure out our own paths to happiness.”

I purse my lips not buying her change of mind. “Since when do you not want to play cupid with me?” I study her face for a minute thinking back on the last time she hooked up.

“Have you seen the Southern Alliance lately?” I tease with a smile. My brother’s enemies—really, my father’s—are my cousin’s lusty obsession.

Sapphire snorts, throwing her arm into a big X. “Change of subject. Can you start your sexy show sooner? I think you need something to do.”

I let the topic drop. For now. “About that. Come with me.”

Her pretty blues go wide. I didn’t mean to invite her to my sex routine, but moral support, right? “You don’t have to watch but knowing you are out there backing me up will make the difference. Please.”

Her eyes scan my face. After what feels like long minutes, she finally smirks. If anyone can make a gesture look sarcastic it’s Sapphire. “Good to know I don’t have to watch my cousin get railed by three guys, Belle. Geez.”

“So?” I ask expectantly, looking her dead in the eye. I take my attention off her for a second and she’ll flat-out make a run for it. I just know it. “I’ll secure you a table in the back where you can do all your murder-for-hire work while I get my kink on.”

Her head falls forward and her answer is muffled under the tumble of hair that falls over her face.

“Come again?”

“I said. I’ll bring my laptop.” Her voice is amused.

Okay…well. That’s a yes!

I spring up and head for the door. The last day with the men and all this sex talk with Sapphire has me hungry.

“Want something from the kitchen?” I look at my phone. “The kitchen will be opening soon. I’m sure I’ll find someone down there to make us a Ruben sandwich.”

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