Page 90 of Devil Mine

It’s the hardest thing in the fucking world to rip myself away from the warmth of her body, from the wide open opportunity of fucking her even if she won’t say the words, but I do. With an angry grunt, I pull back, abruptly cutting off all contact and standing.

Tess doesn’t understand what just happened, that much is clear by the adorably frazzled, confused expression on her face as she places her weight into her elbows. She pulls her blouse down with shaking fingers, comprehension dawning as she looks up at me. It’s clear she didn’t think I was being serious when I said I wouldn’t touch her.

“You’re only punishing yourself by being so goddamned stubborn,” I grit out, beyond sexually frustrated.

Letting loose a muttered curse, I turn and stomp out. I’m at the door when I remember. “We’re going to a gala at the home of one of my business associates tomorrow. It’ll be a good opportunity for us to show the world what a happy couple we are,” I add acerbically. “Black tie. I’ll send a dress.”

Then I walk out, slamming the door behind me.

???

Chapter Thirty-Five

Thiago

The next evening, I’m waiting in the foyer for Tess when she appears at the top of the stairs. A band wraps around my lungs and strangles the breath from them as I watch her walk down, her hand carefully placed on the banister.

A massive smile breaks out across Diana’s face and she leans towards me, whispering, “Ella es tan hermosa.”

I nod, swallowing to clear the sudden mass in my throat. She’s a vision in a floor-length, dark navy velvet gown. The blue is so dark the dress looks almost black. Off the shoulder sleeves rest on her arms and rejoin a tight corset that pushes her breasts appetizingly high. A long slit splits the gown, exposing her left leg up to mid-thigh. My eyelid twitches looking at that bare skin, knowing every single man there will be staring and fantasizing as I am. She's going to remain pinned to my side all night.

As beautiful as she looks, this isn’t the dress I had delivered to her this morning.

I’d chosen mine for a specific reason.

“Where’s the pink one?”

She kisses Diana on the cheek and brushes straight past me, not even throwing me a glance.

“I’m not wearing pink when I’m in mourning,” she quips.

I bark out a laugh and follow after her out to the Rolls. When she stops in front of the car, I palm her nape and pull her back against my chest.

“What are you mourning?” I ask, pressing the words softly against her hair. My thumb rubs soft circles on the side of her neck, over her pulse point. I feel it flutter as her body reacts to my words. She’s an unwitting cocktease and I’m bursting at the seams, seconds away from breaking.

I was so close to snapping in the library yesterday and used up the very last vestiges of my control to get myself out of there. Even now, my fingers beat a restless rhythm in my pocket, the months of unspent energy leaking out of me in the ways it can.

“The death of my freedom.”

My driver waits for a signal to open her door. I dismiss him with a nod and open it myself, standing off to the side to let her in.

Tess places a hand on the door and leans in, but stops when I speak again. “Were you ever really free,amor?”

Her hand tightens in reaction, but she gets in without a word. I close the door behind her and get in on my side.

???

The second we leave the coat check area, Tess spots Dagny in the crowd and goes off with her, leaving me alone and annoyed. I’d planned on introducing my wife to my various business partners in attendance tonight but instead she took the first opportunity to run from me. Again.

The drumming in my fingers gets more frantic, my tuxedo feeling suddenly constrictive on my tense body. I want to rip my bow tie off and stalk after her but I don’t. No need to cause a scene this early in the evening.

“Diablo.”

I’m heading towards the bar when I turn around at the sound of my name. I extend my hand in greeting at an old ally.

“Cillian Tellier. Good to see you.”

“You know, if you smiled, I might actually believe you meant that.”

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