Page 5 of Craved

He kissed his way up my body until we were face to face again. “Now,” he said against my lips, “let’s get this dress off you.”

Boom. Boom. Boom.

It took me a few seconds to realize that this time, it wasn’t my heart that was pounding, it was the door. The knob rattled.

“Zoe?” said Jean-Michel, low and urgent. “Victorine’s here. In the hotel.”

My stomach dropped.

Rafe bit out a curse.

“Coming.” I released my skirt and dragged the dress straps up over my shoulders, but I’d forgotten about my bra. I swore and fumbled to disentangle it from my bodice.

“Hurry,” Jean-Michel said from the other side of the door. “She’s on her way up.”

Rafe growled. “Give her a fucking minute.”

He spun me around and pulled the dress down so he could refasten the bra, then set the straps back on my shoulders. The panties were a lost cause.

“Lift your foot,” he muttered and jerked the panties over my sandals. He stuffed them in his pocket and rose to his feet.

“Open up, damn it.” Jean-Michel rattled the doorknob again. “She’ll be here any minute.”

I dragged a shaky hand over my head. “I’m sorry,” I told Rafe. “I don’t know how she found out I’m here.”

“Hey. Whatever happens, it was worth it.” His crooked smile slammed into my heart with the force of a fist.

Regret filled me.

It’s just sex.Yeah, he’d made me feel beautiful, wanted, but we both knew it couldn’t be anything more.

I snatched up the stiletto and its sheath and turned to face the door.

Bold. Take charge.

“Don’t worry,” I told Rafe. “I’ll tell her I—”

“Go,” he said at the same time, pulling open the door. “I’ll stall her.”

Jean-Michel took my arm and nodded at the fire exit. “This way. We can take the stairs.”

The elevator pinged. The doors opened and a trio of black-suited men spilled into the hall—two enforcers and Étan, my mother’s current lieutenant—followed by my mother in one of her trademark scarlet dresses.

Jean-Michel swore under his breath. He released my arm and stepped back.

Victorine took in the stiletto and sheath in my hands. Her mouth thinned into a harsh red slash. “I’m sure you can explain.”

A sick panic closed my throat.

She knew exactly what Rafe and I had been doing. With her vampire senses, she could smell the hot, dark scent of sex emanating from us both.

But she wanted to force me to admit it.

“I—”

“Not you.” She sliced a look at Rafe. “Him.”

He gave an easy smile and spread his hands. “There’s nothing to explain, really. I invited the princess up here to go over the final details of the joint venture.”

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