Page 43 of Poison Vows

Oh God, this is not what I signed up for today…

“I’m not sleeping with your cousin,” I state, somewhat rattled by the judgement in the girl’s eyes. “We don’t have that sort of relationship.”

Or any relationship, for that matter. Unless you count the one of bondage…

The girl tilts her head to the right, as if examining me.

“Then who are you? I’ve known him all my life and never has he ever paid this much attention to a human being before, so much so that he goes out of his way to meet every need.”

My chest starts burning.

Emmett’s attention to detail has been a major turn-on for most of my life.

He’s always been keenly attuned to every need, thinking of the smallest details.

But the truth is, there’s nothing unique about me. Emmett is naturally attentive to our friends too.

“I doubt that,” I mutter, not wanting to believe it. “He’s just a control freak with too much money.”

The girl surprises me by agreeing with me.

“You know, he owns this entire building, booted out every tenant simply because he doesn’t want the stress. Other billionaires have wooed him to try and buy an apartment, but he turned them away,” she says with a chuckle. “But you’re wrong about the control freak part. There’s no one in this world that doesn’t care about things and people the way he does.”

Unease trickles down my back. Emmett really is that way… everyone saw it but me.

“This world is dust and nothing and no one in it matters to him,” the girl says seriously. “Everything and everyone is either something that he can use, ignore, or discard. But never has he done such things for another human being the way he has taken care of you, so again, who are you?”

I grip the edge of the bathrobe I’m wearing and try to regulate my breathing.

“You just said the answer yourself,” I mutter. “All things are either something that he can use, ignore, or discard,” I say, repeating her words.

Pain slithers through my chest, but I ignore it. Now isn’t the time to sink into my depression. I have work to do.

“You should also know that the people my cousin uses tend to be the ones who go to the extremes just to impress him, not the other way round.”

“I’m not interested in pleasing that jerk!”

The girl throws her head back and laughs.

“Is this some type of lovers’ quarrel?” She chuckles, clearly enjoying herself. “When my cousin called, I almost froze up like an icicle with shock. Then I asked who it was for and he said it’s for someone I should do wellnotto mess with.”

“What?”

“It’s true.” She nods, clearly amused and curious. “He even called me at an ungodly hour of the morning and gave me just two hours to get everything! Can you imagine?”

“Uhh…”

“I had to call in favors to some pretty inaccessible places for you. You’d think he’d be appreciative but when I came to deliver everything, I had to practically beg for a peek at you, but he glared at me and told me to go away.”

“Maybe he doesn’t like people?”

“I’m his favorite cousin and I still get the cold treatment! I only managed to convince him to let me stay by offering to set everything up for you for convenience, but even then, he made me wait five freaking hours because he didn’t want anyone to disturb you while you slept!”

“You waited for five hours?” I croak.

“Yup!” she says with a shrug. “I actuallyneverwait for anyone, but I have to say, looking at you now and listening to the way you ridicule my cousin, ha!” She laughs joyfully. “You’re absolutely worth it!”

The glint in her eye makes me shiver. This isn’t someone to trifle with.

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