Page 60 of Goldrage
“It was. But we should get you dressed,” he says. “Two minutes before the cameras are live.”
I sit up, panic and satisfaction caught in my throat. “Shit, right.”
He helps me find my shorts, his hands lingering as he pulls them back over my hips. He kisses my knee, my thigh, the insides of both until I have to fight not to drag him down again. But I catch sight of the digital clock.
One minute.
I stand, ready to bolt.
He pulls me in for one last kiss, then says, “Never doubt my love for you. It’s absolute.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I nod and pull away. I run for the door, not looking back because I know I’m out of time.
My legs barely hold me. I’m slick and aching and raw, but I bolt down the corridor anyway, fueled by adrenaline and the memory of Adrian’s mouth on me. I keep my head down, praying no one appears and sees me wild-eyed and radiant in post-orgasmic ruin.
The library is closer than my room, so I duck inside with seconds to spare. My pulse is pounding in my ears as I drop into one of the velvet armchairs by the lifeless fireplace. I click on a lamp and grab a random book off the end table—something old and brittle and unread, its cover flecked with gold. I try to steady my breath.
I pretend to read as a camera lens pans, clicks, records the image of a Harrow captive lost in thought.
My mouth still tingles from Adrian’s kiss.
We’ll be out of here. Soon.
Together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DANTE
Iwatch from the tall windows of the living room as Julian and Lady Harrow climb into the black sedan. They’re departing for yet another Consortium gathering. It’s a small mercy in my otherwise controlled existence.
Julian moves with power, his shoulders squared, chin lifted. Lady Harrow walks beside him, her silver dress catching the afternoon light like scales on a serpent. Both are dressed for whatever horrors they’ll orchestrate or witness tonight.
At least Aurelia won’t be attending.
The thought releases a knot of tension in my back. She won’t be subjected to any more misery tonight. Maybe she’ll get a breather with them gone.
I’d held my breath when Lady Harrow suggested taking her along, saying, “She needs to understand her place in our family.” But Julian had told her “no” firmly. He’d said she needed rest and shouldn’t be overstimulated in her condition.
Thank God he still has that much sense.
Their black SUV disappears down the drive, and I glance across the living room where Bianca is curled on the sofa. She’s scrolling through her phone with the listless energy of someone profoundly bored, occasionally sighing dramatically as if the weight of inactivity might crush her delicate bones.
Lady Harrow had offered to take her as well, probably hoping to use her as another prop in whatever political theater she might be staging tonight. “You really should come, dear,” she’d said. “It’s important for Adrian’s wife to be seen at these functions.”
But Bianca had declined with surprising firmness. “Thank you, but I can’t. I need to stay with Adrian. He can’t be alone while he’s recovering.”
It was disappointing; I’d hoped for some peace tonight. But here she is, hovering.
I lean back on my loveseat, a medical thriller balanced on my lap while my mind wanders to infinitely more dangerous territory. Two nights ago, Valentine had given Aurelia and I fifteen precious minutes together. The memory of Aurelia’s taste still lingers on my tongue like the finest wine, intoxicating in its forbidden nature.
She’d come apart over my mouth. My name was a sharp gasp, her thighs trembling as I pinned her hips and drank her in, every taste and tremor a violent submission.
After she left, her taste on my lips wouldn’t give me peace, so I limped to the shower where I’d have privacy. I pressed my palm to the tile and fisted myself hard, the slick drag of my hand nothing comparedto Aurelia’s velvet heat. She’d tasted of salt and honey, and all I’d wanted was to keep her there, keep her shuddering and helpless in my bed.
Her name ripped from my throat as I came, streaking the tile. I leaned against the wall, still rolling her taste along my tongue. It’d been the first release I’d had since Aurelia and I were last together at Lorenzo’s estate.
This morning, I woke up feeling more peaceful than I’ve felt in weeks. Just those few stolen moments with her has given me back my strength and focus.
