Page 58 of Heart of Stone (Dark Billionaires)

Over the next few minutes, the two of them dressed once more, with the notable exception of Kate’s underwear. Warren had thought her hair would pose the most significant challenge, but Brit had sprayed and styled it to such a degree that it might as well have been fired in a kiln.

Warren felt like a conqueror walking back to the marquee. Pounding music heralded their arrival, with the restrained, polite conversation of earlier having transformed. Guests were letting their hair down on the dancefloor. Bite-sized canapés flowed from the kitchens and alcohol poured freely from the bars. He sighted Alison flirting with a silver-haired man out on the dancefloor and smiled.

Smirking, he leant into Kate. “Dance with me.”

She shivered as his lips brushed her ear, but herfuck meeyes almost had him dragging her back out of the marquee. “I don’t know how to dance.”

Warren pulled her close, until their hips ground together. “Just move with me, kitten.”

The stiffness of her limbs eased bit-by-bit, and by the next song she was grinning up at him. Her body swayed from side to side, but Warren couldn’t keep his hands off her, never forgetting that he had her ruined underwear in his pocket, and that she was bare and bruised beneath the dress.

And that once the party was over, he was going to fuck her until dawn.

When the music reached its peak, Warren was pleasantly surprised when Kate threw her arms around his neck and drew him down into a passionate, possessive embrace. He gripped her back, lifting her off the floor, chuckling when her moan turned into a panicked squeal.

“Put me down!”

“Come over here,” he smiled. “You look run off your feet.”

“I am a bit hot,” she admitted. “And I’ve got a slight headache.”

“Rhys will have some paracetamol.” He led her over to the quietest area of the party: the outdoor lounge next to the casino, with its fluffy cloud pillows and sky blue sofas.

Jensen and Rhys were already on one, engaged deep in conversation. Words likeNew Yorkandmergerwere being thrown about, and Warren knew that Jensen wouldn’t take long to get the others up to date on their business dealings over there.

By contrast, Sarah and Aldous seemed to be having far too much fun on the roulette table closest to them, sitting next to a young woman with chestnut brown hair, who—judging from her exaggeratednoas she slid her stack of tokens back over to the croupier—appeared to have just lost a small fortune.

Warren flagged over a waiter carrying a tray of canapés and, instead of merely selecting one, lifted the tray out of his hands. “And can you bring over a jug of cold water, please? And a couple of large Cokes?”

“Thirsty?” Kate asked him.

He shook his head, placing the tray in front of her. “Eat. The water is for you. You need food. And sugar.” He clicked his fingers to get Rhys’s attention, not wanting to shout in Kate’s ear.

“Ah, I see you two have re-joined the party.” Rhys’s flirtatious smile reached Kate. “Did the aloe vera help?”

There was a pregnant pause before Kate answered in a curiously high voice, her cheeks flushed red with exertion. “The what?”

“Kate has a headache,” Warren interrupted Rhys before he could answer.

“I have some paracetamol you can take,” Rhys offered, as Warren had known he would. Sharing a cell with him for years on end meant that Warren had had a front-row seat to Rhys’s frequent migraines. He’d also known that his friend wouldn’t go anywhere without adequate painkillers.

Kate thanked Rhys, waiting until his attention had returned to Jensen before speaking again. “I don’t need all of this, Warren.”

He frowned. “Did you read the links I sent you?” He dropped his voice. “Including the one on aftercare.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“But nothing.” He pressed a bite-sized Yorkshire pudding into her hand. “I’ve already told you I was too harsh with you, so let me care for you as you deserved to be cared for.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“Do you or do you not have bruises developing on your skin even now?”

Kate chewed. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen them.”

“Listen to me,” he held her chin firmly. “I’m not just going to hurt you because I like it. I’m going to hurt you because you’remineto take care of afterwards. Do you understand? You don’t get one half of the relationship without the other.”

“Okay,” she said quietly, her brattishness receding at whatever she saw in his face.

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