Page 34 of No Mercy In Red

“Goodness, Maxine, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She smiled gently, her concern evident.

I sighed deeply, “Close enough. The police visited my office today.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Is everything okay?”

“I think so. Just routine questions, something about murders.” I murmured, sipping my coffee, the bitter warmth calming my nerves slightly. “Just made me a bit jumpy, is all.”

She gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Well, nothing like coffee and carbs to fix that. I’ll bring you a pastry.”

“Thanks, Mel.” I forced a smile, and as she walked away, I heard the café door bell chime.

Connor stepped inside, his dark eyes instantly locking onto mine. My stomach clenched, both with excitement and concern. He wasn’t supposed to be seeing me tonight, he said he was busy with work. He gave me his signature smirk, effortlessly charming and utterly infuriating. He slid into the chair across from me, resting his chin in his hands, watching me intently.

“You look troubled sweetheart,” he murmured quietly, observing my expression carefully. “Rough day?”

I gave him a half assed smile. “Why are you here, I thought you were swamped with work?”

He smirked again. “Yeah, well, seeing you just once a day wasn’t satisfying my stalker needs, you know?”

A laugh slipped from my lips, finding myself glad he was sitting across from me right now.

“So?”

I hesitated. I wanted to tell him, but how much could I share? “Police turned up at my office today,” I said quietly, watching his expression carefully.

His jaw tightened briefly, but he masked it quickly. “What for?”

“Routine check, something about murders, so they say,” I mumbled, my gaze dropping.

Connor reached across the table, gently squeezing my hand, calming the storm raging inside me insanely. His touch was electric, both reassuring and dangerous. I stared up into those beautifully dark eyes, wondering how someone who once terrified me could now feel like my safest haven.

“You’re safe, Max,” he said softly, his voice holding a protective edge. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Little did he know, it wasn’t the murderer I had to be afraid of, I knew her quite well. I nodded slowly, squeezing his hand back, silently accepting his comfort. But deep down, a small whisper reminded me to not trust anyone – not even Connor.

Because in the twisted little game I was playing, I learnt that danger hid in the people I least excepted.

Chapter 27

Max

Ihad spent all Saturday bed rotting, so when the knock sounded at my apartment door, my pulse quickened.

I wasn’t expecting anyone, especially not him – not tonight. But when I swung my door open, my breath caught in my throat, my eyes widening. Connor stood there, dominating the doorway, his broad shoulders framed perfectly by a tailored, obviously expensive, black suit. He looked like a God – dark brown eyes piercing, tousled hair effortlessly messy, jaw sharper than ever, a subtle dusting of facial hair accentuating his rugged masculinity. My gaze traveled down, a thin black tie fastened at this throat, his broad chest, covered in crisp white fabric, stretched tight by his perfectly toned chest, all the way down to his powerful hands gripping a sleek garment bag.

My mouth went dry. God, this man was lethal in a suit. He smirked slightly, that devilish dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth, reminding me of how truly fucked I was when it came to this man.

“Well, now that I’ve ruined every other man for you, its only fair I take you out on a proper date.” He handed me the dress bag, eyes intense as they roamed over me. “Go get ready, sweetheart. I’m taking you out.”

My heart flipped as I took the bag from him, my fingers trembling slightly. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere special. Go get dressed,” he commanded softly, his voice a seductive promise, handing me a pair of strappy black heels. He brushed past me into the living room as I turned towards the bathroom obediently, my heart thundering against my ribs.

I pulled the dress from the garment bag, my eyes going wide at the beauty of it as I slipped it on. I glanced at myself in the mirror, the floor length dress, blood red in colour, fit me like a glove. It had a halter neck, with a plunging neckline that settled in a deep V just above my belly button. The back was incredible, fully open, dropping down to the base of my spine, revealing the small dimples that sat there. The right-hand side of the dress split all the way to my mid thigh, revealing one long, toned leg. I styled my hair to hang loosely around my shoulders in little waves, my make-up sultry to match the dress. A smoky eyeshadow look, complimented with a small eyeliner wing and curled lashes. I couldn’t forget my signature lip, the one I knew drove Connor mad. I spritzed a light shower ofBianca latteperfume on and took one last look in the mirror. I looked beautiful, truly. The dress, the shoes? He had chosen so well.

A knock came at the bathroom door, and I took a deep inhale before opening it. Connor stood there, utterly still apart from the movement of his chest. His eyes darkened to molten black, his jaw tightening as I watched him drink me in greedily – like a starving man who was finally about to satiate his hunger. I had never felt more beautiful, more powerful, more wanted.

“You look exquisite,” he rasped, stepping towards me. His thumb brushed gently over my jaw, his eyes tracing the line of my body beneath the floor-length dress. “How does somebody as perfect as you come to be. You are too incredible to exist in a world as mundane as this, Maxine.”

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