CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Engagement

I pressed the end button on my phone, concluding my conversation with Stan. The press conference would be underway shortly. I probably should have warned Detective Mancini that he would be walking in on a sex party, but if he’d done his research, nothing these people played at should surprise him.

After checking and receiving my black band from the receptionist, I waited in the holding room that featured Lydia’s painting. I couldn’t help but think that she really was the hidden hero of Xavier’s story. That perhaps their idea of legacy held some merit. Charles’s reach in this world continued long after his death. Victoria was created by him when he decided to molest her and then took her child. And to think it all began with Lydia. She was the catalyst. Her obedience—her power. She used the threads of Charles’s, cutting them one by one until she braided them into a rope to hang him with. She was his beginning and his end.

I repositioned my mask that had slipped, obscuring my view of the beautiful artwork. The sound of the door opening drew attention. I scanned the crowd, but didn’t see Victoria in the waiting area. Perhaps there was a secret doorway for vipers.

I entered the room where the ushers lined the walls, recognizing the paneled doors that led to the playrooms. Two hours to kill before the council convened.

Sex permeated the space, but my nerves were too taut to be impacted by it. Champagne, or perhaps something even stronger, might be in order. I approached one of the waitresses wearing nothing but chains, her naked body toned to perfection. I lifted a glass from the tray. She didn’t make eye contact with me and simply sauntered away as soon as I removed the crystal flute.

I took a sip, held my glass in front of me, and gazed around the room. A large body bumped into me, sloshing the champagne over the rim of my glass.

“Oh, pardon me, mademoiselle.”

I would have recognized his French accent anywhere. When I looked into the eyes showcased by the black mask he wore, I wanted to smile but instead played along.

“You should watch where you’re going.”

He reached out, confiscated my glass, and set it on the table beside him. Grabbing my hand he raised it to his mouth, licking the champagne from my fingers, running his tongue down my forearm to my elbow, savoring the trail of sweet, bubbly liquid. “Are you here with anyone?” he inquired in a low, sexy voice.

“No.”

“Perfect.” He bent and kissed me, gathering my dress in his fists. “Such a beautiful woman. Have you anywhere you need to be in the next hour?”

He of course knew the answers to all of his questions. “No.”

“Good. Come with me.” He tugged my hand, dragging me along with him to the far corner of the room, immediately pinning me to the wall with his body. His face buried against my neck. Between kisses he whispered, “I have not told you how proud I am of you. The strength you’ve had in the face of all you’ve had to deal with since entering our lives is without compare. When this is done, I’m going to reward you by taking the burden from you and allow you to surrender to our trust.”

“When this is over, I’ll give you anything you want.”

“There are only three things I need from you. Your trust, your love, and your respect. Out of those I’ll bring forth your desire.” His teeth nibbled my bottom lip. “I’ve missed you. We haven’t had much time together. After this is all done and we settle into a routine, we’ll have a standing date that’s just you and me once a week. It will be important that we work to not only maintain our connection as a family but also to each other individually.” He kissed a line from my lips to my ear.

I moaned my approval. “You know I agreed to marry Xavier, right?”

His breath tickled my ear. “He told me that you said yes to us.”

I exhaled, relieved to know Xavier had told him, and he was still here. Yet, I still felt a vague doubt lingering beneath my surface.

He trapped my face between his palms, forcing me to see the intensity and certainty in his eyes. “Let me answer the question swirling in your mind. When I’m asked to introduce you, I will say, this is my wife, Elaine. I will wear a ring to symbolize my commitment to you…to us. Whether it’s legally recognized or not doesn’t change my commitment. Now stop worrying about it. Unless you don’t want that to happen.”

I smiled, covering the backs of his hands with mine. “No, I do. I think I finally understand why this all feels so natural. We each complete something different in each other, and without all of those parts, we’d always be longing for that missing piece.”

“Exactly.” He kissed me. “Now, you have a stressful night ahead of you. Let me help you relax.” His hand snaked under my skirt. “I’d love to shackle you to that post over there and tease you until you begged me to fuck you, but there is too much at risk tonight.” He pushed his body hard against mine while sliding his fingers into my panties. “I will make sure that our next night together will feature that very scenario. Would you like that Elaine? To give me control?”

In that moment, with all I had to face, there was nothing I wanted more. Sebastian was my security. My escape. I answered him without reservation. “Yes.”

“Good girl.” He shoved my panties down my legs. “Now turn around. Put your hands against the wall, and let me fuck you. That man over there has been eyeing you since you entered the room. I want to show him what he’s missing.” With his hand on my hip, he guided me into position.

To not think about what was coming was welcome, and being enveloped by Sebastian’s body eased my nerves.

He rested my skirt on my hips and eased into me. With us joined, he leaned up and whispered in my ear, “I’m going to take you slowly. I want you to savor us. Close your eyes and concentrate on how we feel. On our connection.” He moaned. “Do you feel that?”

“Yes.”

“How could you ever doubt that we were meant to be together? It’s not just physical, there is something more.” He moved his hips ever-so-slightly, summoning a slow, aching need from deep within.

With my hands braced on the wall, I found that I couldn’t argue with his words. There was something between us. Perhaps it was all forged by Xavier’s insanity, but it mattered little, because we needed each other now.

He curled his hand around my throat and slid it under my chin, forcing my head back. With my back arched, he drove himself deeper. “God, you feel so good.”

His movements were so graceful; it felt more like a sensual dance than fucking. “Another reason I wanted to make love to you now is so you don’t lose sight of how much you are loved when you are in there and know how devastating it would be for all of us if you didn’t return.” He kissed me behind my ear. “This is just a little reminder to put self-preservation before being the hero.”

“You sure have creative ways of delivering a message.”

“You don’t seem to be complaining.”

I groaned with his deep thrust. “Oh, I’m not.”

He continued his slow thrusts until my body couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh, Elaine, that’s it. Let me feel you come.” He reached around with one hand, found my clit, and rubbed it in small circles. “That’s it. Let go.”

I closed my eyes tight as the sensation rushed over me. Drowning from pleasure, his steady rhythm sustained the feeling. The guttural groan that erupted from my throat vibrated against his hand. I pushed myself back against him, yearning to feel him inside me as deep as possible.

“I’ll never get tired of feeling you come.”

Once the final quakes quieted, he increased his rhythm.

I concentrated on his actions and squeezed him tight.

“Fuck, Elaine. So good. Do it again.”

I did as he asked.

The moan that reverberated near my ear sent a shiver through my body. A few more deep, syncopated thrusts and he shuddered from release.

My body welcomed his warmth.

He leaned over my back and kissed my neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” There was no hesitancy to my words.

“You have to come back to me. I need you too much now. Make me that promise.”

“I promise.”

“Good girl.”