Flawless Ruin

“I’ve never heard anything sexier than the sound you made when you came.”

Lust crashes through me as he grabs my leg, wrapping me tighter around him.

“Let me hear it again. As loud as you want, Juliet. There’s no one to hear.”

Still tonguing my nipples, he rubs me up against his cock. Gently first, up his bare shaft, hitting all the right places. I can feel his heat, even underwater.

I can’t help rocking on him. Harder, faster.

I fist handfuls of his hair as he licks hungrily at my breasts. He holds me at the small of my back, letting me do all the work, sliding my crotch up and down on him--

“Juliet?”

Breathless, I look around, for a second, surprised to see myself surrounded by tables and waiters as opposed to blue sea and sunshine. I gulp, certain my nipples are poking, hard, through my top. “Yes?”

“I was just asking if you’d like to start with a bottle of wine?”

Caleb would’ve ordered without asking. “Oh, um. Sure.”

My body is so hot. I fan my face with my menu but that does nothing to extinguish the inferno inside me. I push away from the table. “Excuse me. I just need to use the rest room.”

I don’t gauge his reaction as I rush off, but when I get to the bathroom and catch my breath, I wince. I’d used the restroom excuse once before, when Caleb had bought me a personal vibrator to wear when I was at a business lunch with David. That had been so embarrassing.

And here I am, about to embarrass myself once again.

Damn that Caleb.

I hate him. I really do.

And yet…

Just the thought of him, the memory of his wicked touch, is making me ache, slick between my thighs.

Stop it!I fan my face in front of the mirror, then pull out my lipstick and reapply. I don’t look terrible. In fact, I do look smokin’ hot. And David is great. Amazing. I need to block out the past few weeks with Caleb and concentrate on my date.

You can do this, Juliet! Have faith in yourself!

After that little pep talk, I feel better. I turn to leave, just as another woman enters the bathroom. She’s in her twenties, a model-esque stunner with a mane of dark hair, poured into a skintight bandage dress and stiletto heels.

“Sorry,” I say, moving to let her approach the sink, where she carefully reapplies her lipstick. Then my eyes go to the necklace that’s at her throat.

The very familiar-looking necklace.

I pause, hit by another memory. Caleb, leaning closer to murmur in my ear.

“I’m going to fuck you in that necklace.”

I shake my head. I have got to stop seeing that man in every little reminder. Except… When I look closer at the woman, it’s not just my thirsty imagination playing tricks on me. That really is the spitting image of the diamond necklace Caleb had me wear. A diamond choker, with one incredible yellow diamond hanging from the center.

The one that had the inscription Petal hidden on the back when I first wore it, but was missing the inscription when it was auctioned off for charity for a dizzying sum at the gala.

I gape at it until the woman catches sight of me in the mirror. “Can I help you?” she asks, a wary edge to her voice.

“Uh, no,” I say, forcing a smile. “I was just admiring your necklace.”

“Oh, thank you,” she says, casual. “It is nice, isn’t it? Kind of gaudy, but it’s not like I’m going to say ‘no’ to diamonds, you know?”

I wince at the thought of this woman wearing something so beautiful and not even appreciating it.