“I do,” Claire divulged. “The house has an ancient sort of
ballroom. More of a big space for entertaining. I’d rather have
my privacy, so it’s been empty over the years. If you could
prove to me that I have your cooperation, I could call someone
to see to it. Have it tuned and then you could play.”
Haley’s eyes lit up, but she quickly lowered them and
looked at Claire through a thick fringe of lashes. She had
every right to be suspicious. It wasn’t an olive branch. It was
Claire forcing Haley’s submission through any means
possible. Yes, she was goading her. No, she wasn’t playing her.
Claire never went back on her word.
Claire watched the pulse thrum at Haley’s neck. Such a
long, slender, pretty neck. She wanted to sink her teeth there,
bite her just enough that the sting enhanced the pleasure.
Haley’s head jerked up like she could sense the power of
Claire’s thoughts. It had been a long time since Claire couldn’t
make herself stop. Stop fixating. Stop focusing. Stop thinking.
She’d always been very good at shutting down. Haley stared
through her, like her eyes could see everything, straight down
to the most sordid, fucked-up parts of Claire. The parts she
kept hidden from the world behind a polite veneer of manners
and wealth. A bitter taste flooded her mouth.
She stood up quickly, her heels digging into the woven rug
surrounding Haley’s palatial bed. “I want you to apologize to
Snake, when you’re ready, because I want you to mean it. If
you can’t mean it, then you’re to say nothing.”
“You mean stay silent?”
“That’s right.”
Haley laughed. “That’s stupid.”
Claire silently fumed, but Haley waved off the black spell.