Page 14 of Sold to the Titan

I glance down at her with a reassuring smile. “You fit right in,” I say, brushing a stray curl from her face. At that moment, with her looking up at me, her eyes wide and trusting, I can’t help myself. I lean down and press a kiss to her lips.

She blushes, looking up at me with that shy, curious look that I’m quickly becoming addicted to. “What was that for?” she asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

A smirk tugs at my lips. “So everyone in this room will know you’re mine,” I reply, not bothering to hide the possessiveness in my voice.

“Ary!”

We both turn in the direction of the sound. The owner of the shrill voice is a rail-thin redhead in an ill-fitting black evening dress. I don’t have time to ask any questions before the redhead has reached where we’re standing and is peering at Aria with an expression of disbelief.

“It’s you!” she says, her thin lips spreading into a tight smile. “I thought I was mistaken.”

“Vivian.” Aria’s voice is quiet, too quiet. I glance at her face to see she’s gone deathly pale, her body rigid like she’s trying to keep herself from bolting.

Who the hell is this, and why does she have such an effect on Aria?

I slide her hand into mine and pull her closer against my body. She seems to sag with her relief even though she doesn’t spare me a glance.

“You look well,” the woman—Vivian—says, looking from Aria to me with a malicious smile.

“How could you do that to me, Vivian?” Aria asks, her voice shaking slightly. “How could you betray me like that?”

“Betray you?” Vivian scoffs with a humorless laugh. “We were never friends, Aria.”

“Was that why you sold me off to strangers?” Aria asks, and I can hear the anger in her voice this time. “You made me go with a stranger to be sold off at an auction. What gave you the right to mess with me like that?”

“I didn’t make you do anything,” Vivian says, shrugging her thin shoulders. “Blame yourself for being gullible enough to trust strangers. Besides, it looks like things turned out well, after all.” She looks at me, her eyes taking in my face with a suggestive smile. “Maybe you should thank me instead.”

I’ve heard enough. Clenching my teeth against the rage surging through my veins, I step in front of Aria, pinning Vivian with a cold glare.

“Fuck off,” I say quietly, not bothering to hide the threat in my voice.

Vivian scoffs and sputters, an ugly shade of red spreading across her heavily made-up face. Then she huffs and stalks off.

“God, she’s right. I’m so gullible,” Aria says in a shaky voice, tilting her chin upward to contain the tears gathering in her eyes. “How could I be so stupid?”

“Look at me, Aria,” I say firmly, taking her face in my hand. I wait for her to raise her eyes to mine before I continue. “You’re not stupid or gullible for trusting her, she’s a terrible person for betraying you. Don’t you dare blame yourself, do you hear me?”

She nods, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Thank you,” she murmurs, resting her head on my chest with a soft sigh.

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer against my body. “Let’s get you out of here,” I say, already steering her toward the entrance, Warren Osla and his watch long forgotten.

Chapter 7

Aria

“I’m so sorry for ruining the night,” I say quietly as I watch Cillian take a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He’d assured me that he was okay with leaving early on the drive home, but for some reason, I feel the need to apologize, like I’ve disrupted an important plan of his.

Cillian pours some of the water into a glass and brings it over to me. “Here you go,” he says, gently pressing the glass into my hand. “Drink up.”

I raise the glass to my lips, letting the coolness of the water take some of the heat off my chest. Seeing Vivian tonight triggered memories that I’ve worked hard to repress in the past few days. I wasn’t ready. I never thought I’d run into her soon, or ever again. Thinking about the encounter all over again, I realize Cillian was right—Vivian is a horrible person, and maybe I shouldn’t have trusted her, but I did nothing wrong. Why do I have to take the blame when I’m the victim here?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Cillian says quietly from beside me.

I set the now empty glass on the counter beside me, then turn to face him, wrapping my arms loosely around his waist. “I’d rather have a kiss.”

Cillian chuckles, his hand sliding around my waist to press me closer. He lowers his head, his lips brushing lightly against mine. “I thought you’d never ask.”

And before I can say anything, his mouth claims mine in a hot, possessive kiss that has me curling my toes and purring like a kitten in heat.

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