Текст книги "Take Me"

Автор книги: T. A. Grey

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

Chapter 3

Not even ten minutes ago, if Dominic’s mother or any of his brother’s mentioned the phrase  sanguis vanculo again, he would have slit a throat. Blood bond, just the thought of what he was being forced into made him want to bash heads in. Not that that could ever happen being who he was.

All that anger at having his control taken away vanished though. Everything had changed in the last ten minutes. Because in the last ten minutes he’d watched his soon-to-be bruid, the woman who’d become his blood mate walk into his lounge. He’d never seen her before, just a fuzzy photograph taken in the newspaper from many years ago.

She had a gorgeous mane of champagne-colored hair that fell past her shoulders. He never cared before how a woman wore her hair, nor did he care about the color. Hair was just hair. However, she, his bruid, had hair curling in waves around her. They weren’t even and perfect which told him she wasn’t one to play with her hair for long as some women fancied. He liked that too.

Even from above he could see her eyes. Light blue eyes that were so captivating, so dazzling he could see them from the upper balcony in the shadows where he stood.

She looked tall for a woman, but nowhere near his six foot three. That meant she’d fit well against him, curled into his body as a woman was meant to be. She wore simple, cheap clothes. He didn’t have a fashion sense but even he could see they weren’t up to par with what people of his breed wore. It was a nice change, albeit confusing since her family came from money. Maybe they weren’t as well off as suspected.

That comforted him. He didn’t want a bruid who preferred jewels and furs to simple comforts. Been there, done that, and he had the scars to prove it. He’d stopped trying to get through to his ex-bruid Helena when he called her back to bed one morning. He was aroused and feeling warm all over. He’d wanted to hold her and slowly make her come in his arms. Instead, she had cocked an attitude with him about always needing her when she was busy. Then went and took a forty-minute shower. That had been the final notch that cinched his decision to terminate their blood bond.

Dominic sighed as the muscles in his neck bunched. Their permanent separation was too fresh in his mind. Bitter thoughts of her kept coming back at the worst of times. Such as when he was learning about his new bruid. His new bruid didn’t have Helena’s captivating beauty but she was stunning nonetheless. She had a wild, sultry beauty to her. He could easily picture her writhing above him as she rode his cock with her curly blonde hair beating against her breasts with each movement.

He licked his lips as the image took hold of him. He saw her hips pumping against him, his hand reaching to curl around the long strands of her hair until he pulled her head back to expose the beautiful arch of her neck and the throbbing pulse that beckoned him.

Ah hell. He was too old for lusting. However...it did feel good. His body had heated, his heart beat faster, and excitement flooded his veins. He hadn’t even spoken to her yet. What would it be like when they finally spoke? That’s when he’d really learn about her.

She could be stupid, petty, obnoxious, or have a horribly girly voice. Or a very masculine one, he amended. Whatever horrible trait, or gods forbid, traits she had they probably made her worse than Helena.

No one could ever be perfect.

Time to find out just what was wrong with his new bruid.

Dominic walked silently to the banister then leapt over it. He landed without a whisper of sound. According to her file he was some five hundred and fifty years older than her. She was practically a babe compared to him.

His eyes lingered over the rather substantial ampleness of her ass and agreed–babe indeed. Saliva pooled in his mouth and his fangs threatened to extend.

Being so much older than her meant his senses were superior as well. If he didn’t want her to hear him then she wouldn’t. He walked up behind her and stopped just a hair’s breadth away. Then he slowly let his presence known. It was a subtle tuning in the air. The shifting of particles that accommodated the space he took up. He watched her body stiffen as she finally sensed him. Her breath caught and then she spun around, her briefcase hitting his arm as she did.

Her eyes flared wide. Lovely eyes he wouldn’t mind staring into as he filled her. She’d be drenched wet and tight.

God, what was wrong him? Thinking with his dick wouldn’t do him any good.

I know the problem, said his cock. You haven’t fucked anyone in one hundred and two years.

He sighed. Damn if that wasn’t the truth. And he’d been surviving just fine. Honestly, after that long you quit thinking about. Only every now and then when he caught sight of Helena’s naked body, or caught a glimpse of passion during a movie did his cock harden to remind him how long it’d been.

“Hello, I’m so sorry for hitting you. You startled me.” Her lips curled into a tight smile. Damn shame that—it crushed her rather too full lips. Christ, his cock lengthened. He quickly shut the arousal down lest she smell it. Even some fresh-blooded vampires could smell arousal. It wouldn’t do frightening her, or worse, having her think him an old pervert. Which was too close to the truth.

“Beg my pardon,” he said.

She took a step back from him. He hoped his disappointment didn’t show that she needed space. She did a little curtsy bow which was odd. Her blood was just as blue as his. She shouldn’t be bowing to him. Unless she was trying to put on a good show.

He held out his hand. When she slid her hand into his he brought it to his mouth. A hot bloom began in his chest, warming him down to his stomach before moving further south. The scent of her struck him fast and hard—fresh young woman. His mouth watered again and he felt his eyes starting to close. His arm flexed to keep from turning her arm so he could place a kiss to her the warm flesh at her wrist like he craved.

Her eyes flashed wide, something warm and soft lingering there. She was aware of him. Completely aware in the way any healthy woman would be to an prospective mate. He knew it as certainly as he knew his name. That look told him that with a few caresses he could have her wet and needy for his cock. So simple…so tempting…

“Excuse me?” she said.

She’d been speaking and he’d missed all of it. He forced his lust-filled thoughts away and released her hand with a swift kiss to her knuckles. “I’m sorry, what was that?” His voice sounded like he’d eaten nails.

“I asked who you were.”

“Dominic Blackmoore.” He frowned. Surely she recognized him. Unless, she’d thought him to be one of his brothers. They were similar enough in appearance.

Her lips parted and he loved the flare of surprise that brightened her eyes. He got sick of everyone knowing who he was wherever he went, but she didn’t know him. They’d never formally met and for once the fact of his celebrity status made him feel proud.

“I’m—” she began.

“I know who you are. Won’t you come with me? We can get to know each other?” He wrapped his hand around hers and tugged.

She hesitated but nodded. He took the opportunity to touch her and put her hand over his arm as he led her upstairs.

This was going to be a fantastic day.

* * *

Felicity nearly tripped as the tall, sexy Blackmoore led her up the staircase on the other side of the room.

Holy hell. Holy hell. Holy hell!

This was Dominic Blackmoore? Everyone knew about Dominic Blackmoore. His celebrity status in the vamp society even extended into the human world. She’d heard of him attending society’s fancy galas but she’d never seen a picture of him. She’d heard rumors that he loathed to have his picture taken, and that once when a reporter tried to take his picture the man was beaten to a bloody pulp by Dominic himself. Dominic Blackmoore was said to be incredibly good looking, intelligent, and very manipulative. Since his father died, he was slated to be the next in line for the council’s presidency.

No wonder the man didn’t let paparazzi take pictures of him. If everyone knew he looked like a modern day warrior with his dark skin, thick hair, and tall frame they’d be all over him. He had a physique made for carrying muscle and lots of it. Felicity peered out the corner of her eyes to peek. Yup, it looked like he did.

Get a hold of yourself, Felicity. He’s just another man.

No, he’s not!

He had a strong, aristocratic nose, a jaw so strong she knew if she punched him it’d hurt her and not him. He kept his hair thick and wavy but cut short around his ears and nape. It had a more modern feel to it. Many of society’s wealthy vamps kept to the older ways of long hair and older clothes.

Not Dominic Blackmoore.

He wore a suit as if it was made specifically for him. It fit him that well. His body filled it to perfection and the material was so smooth she was afraid to touch it. In fact, Felicity cringed to think what the dry cleaning bill would cost to have a suit like that cleaned if she so much as sneezed on it. This was not a Men’s Warehouse suit. This was a designer suit that had probably been custom made for him. And damn did it look really good on him.

The suit was black but had thin deep grey stripes running up and down the jacket and pants. The grey was so dark it looked nearly black but had glossiness to it so it caught the light. His black shoes shined with the perfect buff as if he’d just bought them from the store, and he wore a light grey shirt under the jacket that looked incredibly soft. No tie, but he didn’t need one. Everything about him screamed money as surely as if he wore a red neon sign with flashing dollar signs on it.

He had practically held her hand, and he had put her hand on his arm so she could feel the warm muscles underneath. And he had looked at her like he’d wanted to take her down to the rug right there in front of the empty fireplace and have sex with her.

  Yes, her heart beat a mile a minute right now and she could do nothing to stop it. Whatever was going to happen during this interview whether she got the job or not didn’t matter because he’d looked at her like that and nothing could erase that image from her mind.

Men, or anyone for that matter, didn’t look at her like that. Like she was fuel for sexual fantasies. It wasn’t like she was horribly disfigured or ugly but she wasn’t beautiful. She knew that. It was a simple fact she lived with quite comfortably. She’d dated many men over the course of her life time including vampires and even a few mortals who’d caught her fancy along the way. If she wanted a man she could find one. It might take some time for her to find someone she liked but time was nothing. She had plenty of time.

But Dominic Blackmoore, the illustrious blue-blood, had looked at her like she just lit a fire in his gut. Boy did her body answer in return. A pulse had throbbed between her legs and for the first time in a long while she wanted to sleep with a man. Her previous dalliances ranged from one month long to six months. Yeah, that had been her longest. Beth called her ‘too picky’, but Felicity called it ‘choosey.’ After all, an eternity was a long, long time to spend with one person.

Also given that she wasn’t a great beauty and could never grace the cover of a magazine without substantial Photoshop and Dominic still had such an instantaneous response to her made her respect him so much more. Tons more.

“How are you doing this evening?” he asked breaking her out of her thoughts. At the sound of his voice, her ankle twisted and she stumbled on the stairs but quick as a wink, his arm snaked around her waist and set her straight. He didn’t touch her for any longer than polite, only enough to help straighten her out. She was only slightly disappointed.

That voice. He had a deep smoky voice, the kind that’d be perfect for telling long stories in front of a fire or working late night on the radio wooing people to sleep.

“Making a fool out of myself apparently,” she said, her cheeks coloring.

His eyes caught hers. They’d both stopped walking. They were entirely too close with the walls of the stairwell on either side of them. One to his back and one to hers. His eyes were like gold in the center surrounded by a beautiful dark mahogany wood.

The energy shifted around them, crackling like static electricity. Her breath caught at their nearness and all she could do was gaze up into his captivating eyes.

Then a smile broke out on his face and he laughed. He had a slow-building laugh that peaked at a steady rumble. Hell, even his laugh sounded nice. That wasn’t fair. He had a stern looking face as if he never had time to relax but when that smile broke out, he looked younger and carefree. It took her breath away.

“Come on, let’s talk.”

She followed him up the stairs to the second floor of the lounge. More wood touches decorated the floors and the hand carved furniture. A heavy plush rug with a very middle-eastern design took up a big portion of the floor. A dark wood coffee table sat in the middle of it and soft, leather sofas rested around it.

A small bar rested against the left wall with different bottles of alcohol and wines. Across from the bar were the tops of the wooden arches that went up to the ceiling. With nothing but a hand carved railing separating them, she could see the floor below where she’d just been.

Her eyes trailed back to the bar, and Felicity wet her lips. A rich vamp like Dominic Blackmoore probably had his own blood stash. Maybe he didn’t even have to get his from the usual commercial suppliers like she did. Hers was cheap and it tasted good enough, but he probably got his shipped to his house from only the finest of selections.

His eyes didn’t miss her reaction. He walked behind the bar then grabbed a glass. “What do you like to drink?”

She wet her drying lips. Her tongue suddenly felt parched. She’d been running on fumes so to speak. Even her clothes were bagging on her from losing a few pounds. She could go a few days with only some blood but it made her crabby, tired, and weak. She couldn’t eat in front of him since essentially that’s what she’d be doing. How could she take a sip of anything he had and not get that heavy-limbed relaxed feeling throughout her body? That drunk numbness that made everything feel wonderful if only for a little while. That’s how she’d feel if she drank any of the good blood he had. Plus, she tended to get girly giddy. So not the way to get a new job.

“I really shouldn’t drink,” she said gently and took a seat in one of the brown leather chairs. Her eyes rounded as she sat on the plush cushion then slowly sank into it.

His powerful eyes held hers for several moments. She couldn’t look away. Something about his eyes, or maybe, what he was thinking behind those eyes, captivated her.

“Seeing as this is a unique occasion I say we both share one.” He grabbed another glass then started pouring a deep red, thick liquid into it. If her stomach could growl, it would have.

“No, really that’s not necessary, Mr. Blackmoore.”

“Please, call me Dom.”

Her eyebrows rose, then he stood before her holding out a lowball glass with the letter “B” carved into the side. She took it. Instantly the scent of ripe, delicious blood mixed with dark wine filled her nostrils. She breathed it in and would have rolled her eyes back and sighed if not for the man in front of her.

She’d been right on the drink count. This wasn’t the good stuff—this was the fine stuff. Sure you could mix your own concoction of cheap red wine bought at the grocery store with your cheap blood bought from the blood bank, but it didn’t smell like this and Felicity would bet it didn’t taste nearly as good either.

Still she didn’t drink it as he took the seat across from her. His eyes never left hers. It was entirely unsettling the way he watched her. Was this some kind of interview tactic? Maybe he wanted to intimidate her to see what kind of stern stuff she was made of.

Well, she was made of stern stuff indeed.

With a small smile she leaned back into the buttery soft leather chair and held her glass on her leg as he did. His eyes flicked to the drink then back to her face. Just the corner of his mouth quirked up.

“Try it. You’ll like it.”

He said it as if he already knew that. This would be impossible seeing as she’d never tried the drink and just because it smelled good didn’t always mean it tasted as good.

“And how do you know that, Mr. Blackmoore?” She lifted the glass to her nose and inhaled the sweet fragrance of plump red grapes, woods, and the coppery hint of blood. Her tongue turned brittle in her mouth. Her hand started trembling as she set the glass back against her thigh.

The quirk of his lip lifted higher. It was the confident look of a man who had no doubts. “Why don’t you try it and let me know if I’m right or not.”

He lifted his glass and took a sip, not needing to sniff the unique fragrance he probably smelled all the time.

Then a devil wearing a skin-tight leather corset, fishnet stockings and black knee-high boots popped up on her shoulder. It looked quite like Felicity with her wavy blonde hair but this little devil had smoky, heavily kohled eyes, dark ruby lips, and flushed bronzed cheeks. She was a much sexier, much crazier Felicity that she didn’t get to let come out and play much anymore.

Just drink some. You might not get this job but you’ll never get another chance to drink something so good, the devil said.

Felicity waited a tick to see if Felicity Angel would show up, but one second turned into two. Angel was a no show today.

Felicity’s eyes rounded and then she went for it. She didn’t take a little sip as he had done but a mouth full. Instantly, her eyes closed and the sweet, spiced fruity taste coated her tongue then slid down her throat. Warmth filled her starting in her bones then moving out to the rest of her body. Her heart started beating faster. She licked her lips slowly to get any last drops off then ran her tongue across the roof over her mouth and teeth. Her incisor teeth started pointing, turning into fangs at the taste. It was a natural response, she couldn’t help it, but it didn’t do well to impress older vamps that she couldn’t keep her cool with blood.

So damn good...

She could moan and almost did but just barely managed to keep herself in check.

The high-octane blood laced with a hint of red wine went straight to her head. The room didn’t quite spin around before her eyes but it didn’t exactly stay straight. More like tilted to the side. And that heat. Oh god, the heat filling her body making her neck sweat and her panties wet. Her nipples beaded into tender points and all she could think about was how badly she wanted to tear her bra and shirt off so they wouldn’t scrape her nipples.

“Are you feeling well?” Dom asked his voice hoarse.

She might have blushed if she wasn’t already flushing, because he knew. Oh, she’d have time to be humiliated later. He could see her response as easily as if she had started tearing her clothes off.

Right now her body burned so it didn’t matter that he could smell her arousal. Honestly, a part of her wanted him to. That wild, aroused part of her wanted him to know that in this very minute, she wanted his touch. That she’d even welcome it. It’d been too long since she felt the stirrings of desire for a man.

What am I thinking? a part of her screeched. You need this job, not to bang the boss!

Right, she needed a job not a lover.

“I’m sorry. That was a very...potent drink. I think I really need to go before I make a mess of this.” A giddy laugh left her and she saw his mouth tighten. “I mean make more of a mess out of this.”

Her hands curled around the arms of the chair then she pushed herself upright. The room swam only for a moment before straightening, but her limbs felt odd. They felt heavy and limp. They wanted to give out until she laid on the ground relaxed and half-awake in a daze.

Felicity narrowed her gaze on her briefcase sitting by the chair. Damn. Focusing hard, she slowly reached for it. If she could grab it and stand up without tipping over she might just leave with some dignity.

The room started to spin. Suddenly she was flung upright and tall, dark, and gorgeous stood in her face with a scowl that made him more attractive.

“That’s not fair,” she said suddenly.

Shaking his head, he kept a hold on her arms to keep her steady. “What’s not fair?”

“That even when you frown you look sexy.” So addled was she that she didn’t see his eyes darken; or if she did, she was busy ignoring it to embrace the foggy mind the drink gave her.

“What did you say?” he asked in a hoarse growl that went straight to her sex.

Felicity shivered and she didn’t know which one of them moved but one of them moved closer to the other. She wished he’d wrap his arms around her and just hold her so she’d know what it’d feel like. Then she’d be on her way and she could go back to her poor life and remember the one time a man like Dominic Blackmoore looked at her like he’d wanted her more than anything.

She looked up into his dark eyes. “I said... I don’t remember what I said,” she whispered softly, honestly.

Somehow they were even closer. His jacket brushed her nipples like a caress.

“This is too soon,” he said just as softly. His voice like a warning...one he wasn’t going to heed.

“What’s too soon?”

Had his head just dipped in closer?

Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and her pulse skyrocketed as desire filled her veins like hot syrup.

One hand, quite warm she noted, squeezed her arm then slid around to her back. Her heart jumped at the caress.

Her head tilted back as she looked up at him. His hand pressed between her shoulder blades and yes, she wasn’t mistaken, he was nudging her forward.

She went willingly, happily. One aroused woman needing him to put out the fire inside her.

“What’s too soon?” she repeated.

His eyes traced over her face then fell to her mouth. With that one hungry look she moaned. Actually moaned aloud.

A hot blush burned her cheeks.

This was crazy.

Before they’d just been subtly flirting, barely touching but now she’d crossed the line—she made a noise. There was no masking that as something else or playing it off. She’d done the unthinkable.

All of her worries were quickly washed away as his eyes darkened with hunger, his body pressed into hers, and then he spoke right against her lips. “It’s too soon to touch you.”

Her voice wavered. “Oh. Why?”

His hand slid down her spine and pressed into the dip above her derriere and there, with that one touch, he controlled her. He pulled and her body went, pressing fully against his, learning just how hard he was from the unmistakable erection digging into her stomach to his hard stomach crushing her achy breasts. The man had a body she craved to see naked.

His lips stroked across hers in a barely-there touch that left her leaning towards him for more.

“Because you tempt me to go much further than I should, sweets.”

Her eyelids drifted closed at his hypnotic, deep voice. He’d called her sweets. That too wasn’t something you could take back and pretend didn’t happen. She’d actually moaned and he actually thought she was sweet. Her heart melted.

Holy hell, she wasn’t going to stand here wanting for any longer. Devil Felicity reared her sultry head.

Slowly, she pressed her hands over that expensive suit jacket then ran her hands up. Her eyes followed the movements but paused to gauge his reaction.

He looked hungry, tightly in control, but wary at the same time. Hunger for her but wary of “touching her too soon.” Well, she didn’t have a problem with this “too soon” thing. She might have said so if she could voice something elegant at the moment. Instead she needed her mouth for something else.

Her arms finished their journey and wrapped around his neck. She touched his hair, had to know if it felt as soft as it looked. Moving up his neck, she fisted his dark brown locks and bit her bottom lip.

“Perfect,” she whispered. Just enough give to cling to.

I’m not getting this job but who the hell cares, she thought wildly.

His eyes fluttered shut and his breathing hitched, and then they opened and pierced her on the spot. What happened next actually caught her by surprise.

In a lightning fast move, his arm curled hard around her crushing her into him until they were plastered together, then his hand slid into her hair, his fist wrapping around it twice and his mouth slammed down to hers.

Breath caught. Pleasure shot straight between her legs.

Her body responded to the firm press of his kiss like she’d been made to. With a deft move, he swept her lips apart and filled her with his tongue, tasting and stoking the fire in her.

With that one kiss her body was ready for him. She was wet and throbbing between her legs and ready to know what he’d feel like filling her. No more thoughts about a job lingered in her mind, only primitive thoughts, thoughts of raw feelings, and of burning passion.

Another soft moan escaped her. This time she didn’t care. Her grip in his hair tightened as her hips arched against him. He was too tall or maybe she was too short because she needed to grind her hips against his cock but couldn’t reach.

His lips devastated her, sweeping her into a hazy sensual storm where time ceased to exist. Where there was only him, her, and the primitive energy of the world coaxing them to fulfill their duties as beings and lay with one another.

He pulled back pressing soft, but no less ravenous kisses across her lips, her cheeks, up her jaw to her neck where he kissed her rapidly thumping pulse. His ragged breathing sawed against her skin sending a shiver through her body. His hot, wet tongue darted out to taste a tiny bit of flesh before retreating as if wanting to go slow and savor.

“You’ll make a perfect bruid.”

Felicity blinked slowly as the sensual fog lifted.

What?

She couldn’t have heard what she thought she just heard. It had to be the fog surrounding her, combined with the potent brew he’d given her. Did he just say bruid as in a bride as in the woman a male vampire married to for life?

“That’s an odd thing to say,” she said with an uneasy laugh, the fog receding.

He pulled back, that deep frown back in place as his brows pulled low. “Not really, considering.”

Felicity pulled back too. “Considering what?”

One of his dark brows flew up. “That we’re to be mated.”

“Say what?” she said in a sharp voice.

Before he had a chance to answer, the door downstairs flung open and in walked an older woman who looked no less stunning in her age. She wore a fine cream-colored dress with a matching jacket that had one button holding it closed. Felicity recognized Mrs. Blackmoore in an instant.

“Dominic, are you in here?”

Dom shot Felicity a scary look as if his mother’s intrusion seriously pissed him off. He called out, “What is it?”

His mother turned around and gazed up. Felicity cursed and tried to duck out of his arms but he only tightened his grip, keeping her locked snuggly against him.

At the sight of them together, his mother’s jaw dropped open and a deep flush colored her face. “Who is that!”

“My bruid Julianna Greenwich, who do you think? Now get out of here, mother.”

Felicity and Mrs. Blackmoore had about the same response—they both froze in place. Only his mother recovered much, much faster from her shock.

“That is not your bruid Julianna Greenwich. Julianna is waiting in the study for you, where she’s been waiting for nearly an hour!”

Suddenly Felicity found herself the focus of two intense eyes, both russet with a touch of gold in the center.

The touch on her arm became cruel. “And just who are you?” he asked and for the first time she heard him angry, and it sent a wave of fear down her spine.

She licked her lips. “My name is Felicity Shaw. I was invited here for a job interview.”

Even though she barely spoke above a whisper, his mother down below heard every word. “A job interview. That’s the event planner for the mating ceremony, Dominic! You are messing with the help,” she said.

Dominic let her go and stepped away. It was as if an Arctic chill blasted over her at his cold gaze. All the passion that had been between them froze as surely as water in a freezer. Cold touched her where his heat had been and an even colder feeling settled in her chest like a hard knot making it hard to breathe.

“Ms. Shaw if you’ll come down here we’ll get this all straightened away, and Dominic might you see to your actual bruid. She’s waiting in the study.”

Dominic’s gaze stayed locked with hers. God, he looked fucking pissed. Felicity rather understood that. She had just been ready to get naked with him on the expensive rug and he was supposed to be mated with someone else? And he’d thought she was the woman? She had too many questions but couldn’t ask any of them. One thing was for sure, disappointment crushed her like an anvil sitting on her chest.

Dom stepped up close but not touching. “You did this as a game. To play with me, to try a hand at a Blackmoore, for blackmail? Just what did you get out of it?”

He spoke to her as if he hated her not in that warm way he had before. She flinched but held his gaze. “It wasn’t a game. I came here for a job interview.”

“And you thought this,” he thrust his hand out to encompass the bar, her drink, where they’d just kissed so passionately, “was how I conduct an interview?”

Shame washed over her, burning her face red. “Well, no, I mean, I don’t know. How was I supposed to know you had a bruid waiting in the other room? Maybe you should have asked me for my name then! I assumed you knew who I was. This isn’t entirely my fault.”

The corner of his mouth twitched and not with a smile. “I don’t want to see you again. Do you understand me? I don’t ever want to see your face in my home.”

Felicity jerked at his brutal words. They were like slaps across the face. She steadied herself and glared. “Then all you have to do is make sure I don’t get this job, because if I get it you’re going to see me and if that’s not something you can handle then too...fucking...bad. Because now I’m ready to fight for this job in a way I wasn’t before.”