Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

“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.