Page 22 of The Night Runs Red

She swatted my arm before taking a sip of her coffee. “Who’s our bodyguard this morning?” she asked, looking over my shoulder to where Atlas shifted on his feet at the bottom of the staircase.

“That’d be me,” Jasper called, stepping out of the hallway in a crisp grey suit. The top two buttons were undone, and Brielle’s jaw dropped as she took him in.

I pinched her side. “You’re drooling,” I whispered in her ear.

“And you aren’t?”

Jasper smiled, sliding his hands into his pockets. “You both are. If you’re quite finished objectifying me, I believe we have an appointment to make.”

I opened my mouth to object, but the twinkle in his eye told me not to bother. We’d been caught red-handed. “Yeah, Brielle. Stop ogling my staff,” I muttered, fighting a laugh as she turned to me in shock.

“You little shit,” she whispered, pushing me toward the car waiting in the garage.

* * *

Brielle lounged along the chaise, a glass of champagne in her hand as she eyed my dress with envy. A large chandelier sparkled above us, the light reflecting off the crystals onto the dark navy walls of the fitting room.

“Damn, girl!” she said, whistling low. “You look amazing. Turn around!”

I looked down, doing a small twirl for my cousin. The emerald velvet was soft beneath my fingers, highlighting my neckline and chest as it draped over one shoulder. The a-line gown highlighted my waist before flowing gracefully over my wide hips, the hem pooling along the floor. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been in something so luxurious. It was simple. Timeless. And for once, I felt stunning, loving the shape of my body rather than resenting it.

I was absolutely in love with the way it made me feel. Brielle’s smile was contagious, and it didn’t take long before we were giggling like schoolgirls.

The designer quickly ushered me back to the changing room so she could make the appropriate alterations and show Brielle the design she’d created for her. Rion had been gracious enough to ensure my cousin’s wardrobe was also covered.

A present, he said, to act as a treaty between the two of us.

While I accepted the offering, the truth was that I’d only felt indifference toward my husband since that drunken night. The bruising around my neck had faded quickly, leaving my memories as the only reminder of what had happened. He’d been careful to avoid me at all costs, but that would change the night of the mayor’s party.

I wasn’t sure how we were supposed to act as though we were madly in love when we’d hardly spent time with one another. Could he play the part of a doting husband so easily? Could I be his adoring wife?

Rion didn’t strike me as the type to show affection so easily, but even I was curious to see if we could pull our ruse off in a room full of people. Especially when they were ready to scrutinize every aspect of our relationship.

Once the designer had finished, I retreated to the main room and took Brielle’s place on the chaise. I reached for my drink, watching the bubbles dance inside the crystal glass. It didn’t take long for Brielle to strut down the small runway, showing off her figure in a gorgeous silver dress that shimmered like a thousand diamonds.

I held my hand up to shield my eyes. “You’re liable to blind someone in that thing.”

She twirled dramatically, squealing in delight at her reflection in the gilded mirror. “I know! Isn’t it wonderful? Get up here!”

Brielle grabbed my arm and pulled me beside her, taking out her phone to snap pictures of us. We made funny faces, nearly collapsing with laughter. We’d both had a few drinks, and I let the stress of the past month fall from my shoulders. I deserved this. Hell, we both did. Brielle had been busting her ass at my aunt’s charity for the past six months, working on funding for a home for children who were victims of household violence.

“Did you ever think our lives would end up like this?” I asked, resting my hand on hers as she wrapped it around my waist.

She snorted. “Nope. I thought we’d bust out of the city when you turned eighteen and travel the world. We’d meet hot men—not boys—who’d spoil us rotten. When they got on our nerves, we’d move on to the next ones because,” she gestured down her long body, “look at us.”

A throat cleared behind us, and I glanced up. Jasper’s golden eyes met mine through the mirror as he leaned on the doorframe. His gaze threatened to burn me alive, but I stayed rooted to my spot. We had toyed a fine line since the night in the kitchen. We were friends, nothing more, but there were moments I caught him watching me in a way that made me wonder what was on his mind…or mine.

Like the way he was right now.

I hated how it made me feel—not knowing if it was truly Jasper causing heat to radiate between my thighs, or if it was just because I’d gone so long without intimate contact. The only exception had been the drunken kiss with Rion, and I’d spent every night since then chasing a high I’d been unable to achieve. My fingers alone were incapable of quenching the constant ache.

“It’s time to go,” Jasper said, lowering his voice. I blushed furiously, hoping my thoughts weren’t written across my face.

Brielle’s giggle broke my trance, and we went through the curtain to return our dresses to the seamstress and change back into our regular clothes. “Your gowns will be ready tomorrow morning,” she said in a thick accent. Her wrinkled hands delicately placed a protective bag over them. “The designer is a very busy woman. Do not be late, or I will give them to someone else.”

“You’re not the designer?” I asked, raising a brow. I’d assumed, apparently incorrectly, that she’d been the one to create these beautiful gowns.

Her only response was a sharp shake of her head before disappearing to the back.

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