Page 92 of Empire of Ache & Ruin

I find myself drawn to her the way I was back at the hotel bar. There’s something so alluring about her when she talks about her world, the one I took her away from.

“I was Swan Queen this year.” Her eyes shine with pride.

“Is that the main role?” Edith sits back to study Paloma the way I’ve seen her do in my boardroom.

She’s curious about the woman who made me do something I swore I would never do. Getting married, falling for someone, was never part of the plan for me.

“I’m sorry to be so nosy. I’m intrigued.” She sips from her glass.

“That’s okay.” Paloma bites her lip then meets her gaze. “The Swan Queen plays the role of Odette and Odíle. The white swan and the black swan. The white swan, Odette, is cursed. The black swan, Odíle, is controlled by her father, the evil sorcerer. He makes her do a terrible thing.” She taps her wrist. “The white swan is forced to spend her days as a swan, and her nights as a woman.” Her eyes sparkle with gold specs as she looks at me. “One of those nights, she meets her prince, and they fall in love.”

The fireplace crackles and fills the room with shadows. And I’m reminded of the night we met, how like Odíle, Paloma was the enchanting seductress. I sip from my drink, then add, “The only way to break the curse is for the prince to fall in love with Odette and marry her. But he must be faithful as well.”

“That’s right.” Paloma smiles as her gaze falls to my lips.

“That’s sweet.” Edith glances between Paloma and me. “It’s like a fairy tale. Like Beauty and the Beast, where she has to fall in love with him to break the curse.”

“Um, not really.” Paloma smiles at the firelight for a breath before she shifts her attention back to Edith. “They both die at the end.”

“It’s a tragedy,” I say.

“That’s awful.” Edith places a hand on her chest. “How is that romance?”

“I think it’s a beautiful love story. Their love is forever. Ephemeral, but also, everlasting because of their sacrifice.” The desire in my little dove’s eyes takes me by surprise. She sucks in her lower lip and her hand slides up my thigh. “She dies for her prince. It’s the only way to set her spirit free.”

I’m enthralled by her passion for something so tragic. “When she jumps in the lake as a human and dies, the evil sorcerer can’t control her anymore.” My mind is flooded with images of Paloma’s incredible pas de deux in the final scene, right before Odette dies, and her prince follows suit.

I feel like an asshole for taking her away from the one thing she loves the most just to bring her here. For days, I waited for her to ask me to take her back to at least finish the winter season. But she never asked. And I was too consumed with desire and fear of losing her to offer.

I squeeze her fingers on my lap, fighting every fiber in my body not to pull her toward me and fuck her the way I did last night. My whole body craves her in ways I didn’t think were possible.

Edith clears her throat. “Archer, when is Freya getting in? I’d like to see her before I go on my trip.”

My gaze is locked onto Paloma’s. And it takes me a whole minute to come up with an answer to Edith’s simple question. I turn to look at her. “Next weekend. Fisher is with her.”

“Why did I think she’d be here tonight?” she asks.

“Because that was the original plan.” I let out a breath, willing my heartbeat to return to a normal pace. “It’s taking them longer than we thought to get her here.”

“Well, I’m sure her students are very unhappy about her leaving for a while.” Edith studies Paloma’s features, reading her immediately. “You haven’t met her?”

“Who’s Freya?” She asks me with a look on her face that says—fish out of water.

“My mother.” I furrow my brows.

This was not how I wanted to tell her. Mom was supposed to be here by now. I had plans to introduce them over a civilized dinner that would help them get to know each other. Who knows, maybe one day they could become friends.

“Is she a teacher?” she asks tentatively.

The pain in her eyes cuts me. “She’s a ballet instructor.”

“She teaches little kids. It’s adorable.” Edith smiles. “She puts on the best Nutcracker every year. I always try to make it to London to catch the show.”

“Your mother is a ballet dancer.” Paloma surveys my face as if seeing me for the first time. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh.” Edith shifts her weight in her seat. “You two need drinks. Let me get the next round.” She hops to her feet and strides to the bar cart.

“It didn’t come up, I guess. With the wedding and all.” I cup her cheek. “I would’ve told you. It’s not a big secret.”

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