Not just him but also these foreign feelings swirling like wild birds set free in my chest, trying to fight this sense of belonging, this crippling want. This need to be near a man I was destined to hate. And why the hell did he think it necessary to dress up like that? All gorgeous and refined and ridiculously seductive.
And if I was honest, provoking Cassius had become a dark pleasure. I savored his jaw flexing in frustration, his intrigue—or something else, fascination for me, perhaps. The way he brushed his thumb across his lips as though buying time to think. The way his eyes sparkled when near me and then changed to reflect no emotion at all—he was very good at hiding himself.
I’d learned firsthand how the adults in my family ruled, though. They weren’t intimidated by anyone. They always got what they wanted one way or another. Never seeming to let feelings get in the way. Love was a weakness never to be shown.
All I knew was unraveling. Surviving this, surviving him was down to me. Turning to look back, I felt a rush of pride I’d outrun him.
Continuing around the corner, I crashed into Cassius’s chest, slamming against his hard abs, knocking the air out of me, and leaving me breathless.
When I moved sideways to get by him, he blocked me, forcing me to step backward until I hit the wall.
He pinned me there, placing his hands on either side of my head on the wall to block me in. “You know that was a joke, right?”
“Which one?”
He narrowed his sights on me, seemingly annoyed.
The air crackled with tension. A rush of electricity surging through my body that shivered with the contact of my palms pressing against his chest. The way he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip was dangerously alluring. I stared too long at his mouth, my face flushing with embarrassment. I wanted to press my lips to his. This need raw and this desire so brutal that I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
“You didn’t let me add that I hadn’t cleaned up from the last virgin sacrifice.” He laughed, and small dimples appeared in his cheeks.
The kissable kind. “Fuck off.”
“Excuse me.”
I’m sure Cassius was usually impressed with his Brioni suits—like the one he was wearing now. Finely tailored to highlight his broad shoulders. I’m sure he usually dazzled everyone when he entered a room. Or even when he dragged his fingers through his lush hair in that pissed-off fashion as though this was the only way to keep calm. But here, with me, he was nothing but my captor. One with a stupid sense of humor. He rested a fingertip on my chin and tipped my gaze to his.
“What did you just say?”
“Don’t remember.” I turned my face away.
Again, he nudged me to look at him.
“Did you tell me to fuck off?” He hovered a pointed finger near my nose.
“What are you going to do about it?”
His lip curled at the edge. “Use your imagination.”
“Nice of you to dress up for dinner,” I teased. “But you’re wasting your time. I’m not joining you.”
“Don’t make me dress you, Anya.”
“You wouldn’t—”
He took me by the arm and led me into the room that was meant to be mine. Guiding me across the hardwood floors of the bedroom. Letting go of my arm and opening the closet. I stood there partly amused at his bossiness and partly intrigued by what he might choose.
On the wall was a blank space from where that mirror had hung. The frame was now gone, and we both looked at it as though recalling how I had smashed the glass.
He reached for a hanger and pulled out a lemon-colored dress. Shoving it against my chest. “This one.”
Hugging it to my chest, I watched him take long strides toward the door. Without turning around, he walked out.
The dress was pretty enough, but I was too old for frilled sleeves. An idea swarmed around my mind. Reaching all the way to the back of the closet, I pulled out the sparkly halter-neck dress I’d found abandoned in one of the many bedrooms. I’d tucked it out of sight. Like a raven hiding a shiny object, I’d claimed it. Though I’d not expected to wear it, not really. It had been more out of curiosity for finding another clue about who this man was and the people he knew. It had made me wonder if the woman this belonged to might visit.
Within a minute, I had stripped off my clothes and was looking at my reflection wearing the dress in the dark glass of the window. The clingy material highlighted my curves and pushed my breasts up. A little loose around the hips, but it still stunned with its glamorous style.
The dress probably belonged to an old girlfriend, and it was going to be super awkward when he saw me in it. He’d no doubt be furious and change his mind about making me have dinner with him. I’d take pleasure in seeing him shrink in embarrassment when he saw what I was wearing. He’d realize I knew about his secret lover.