Vipers and Virtuosos (Monsters & Muses, #2)(6)

She sits at the corner of the bar staring into an empty champagne flute, right leg cocked on the bottom rung of her stool, revealing pale flesh through the high slit in her dress.

And fuck me, the dress.

Deep, emerald-green silk molds to every curve of her lithe body, and the way she folds her arms over her chest has her tits spilling from the ridiculous neckline.

Light emanates from the chandelier just above her head, casting a warm glow over her honey-colored hair, and even though her face is hidden, she looks like a fucking angel.

An uneasy fish out of water… but an angel, no less.

My gut tightens, twisting with each passing second spent not in her presence.

For some inexplicable reason, I want to taste the discomfort radiating off her skin. Want to be the sole cause of it.

But that’s insane, and I’m trying to prove to the world that I’m not. So, instead of marching over and thrusting myself into her existence, I swallow down my arousal and ignore it.

Gripping my armrests, I blow out a breath and groan loudly, ignoring the immediate swarm of attention the sound brings. I tower over everyone on stage, sticking out like a sore thumb, and while I’m used to those stares, right now, I’m not in the mood.

Besides, she doesn’t look my way, and I don’t like the hollow feeling that sprouts in my chest at that notion.

“You have to donate something.” Liam raises his brows. “We’re trying to improve your image here. Do you know how bad it’ll look if you attend a charity function and don’t actually do anything?”

“I don’t really give a shit how it looks. This was your idea.”

He frowns, pointing an index finger at my chest. “You hired me to fix your reputation.”

My stomach burns, reality clawing at my skin and trying to slip inside. God, you trash a few hotel rooms in a fit of grief, and suddenly you’re the poster child for mental instability.

Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I snatch the laminated pamphlet we were given when we walked in from his hands.

I scan the itemized list, looking for something that catches my eye. Airbnbs, wellness consultations, dates with celebrities—all things I can get any day of the week without dropping half a million dollars beforehand.

“What is this even benefiting?” I ask, tossing the pamphlet back. “Women putting themselves up for celebrities to bid on, like this is some sort of cattle show?”

Liam catches it in his lap, shrugging. “It’s benefiting homelessness.” He pauses, glaring at the paper, and turns it over. “Or… maybe AIDS research? I can’t remember now.”

Folding the pamphlet, he reaches up and tucks it inside his suit jacket, lifting his hand in greeting to someone over my shoulder. His smile lights up his face, fading the second his gaze drops back to mine.

“It doesn’t have to be anything huge. Bid on a random, see how shit turns out.” He nods his chin in the direction of the blonde at the bar. “Want me to find out her deal?”

“No.” The word’s too quick. Too sharp. Liam catches on immediately, a grin slowly stretching across his freckled face.

“You’ve been staring at her all night, you know. Why don’t you just go over? There’s no rule saying you can’t fraternize with guests. Sample the goods before you purchase.” He leans back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other.

I hook my thumb over my shoulder to where Callie stands, likely berating a member of the event staff, if the distraught look on her face is any indication. “Are you saying I should risk her wrath?”

He shrugs. “No, I’m saying that if you aren’t going to buy the girl’s evening, someone else is.”

His comment has me sitting forward, clamping my palms down over my knees as my eyes find the girl again. White-hot jealousy rips a fiery path up my spine, making my stomach clench around itself as a tall man with silver hair approaches her, his hand reaching up to grip her bare shoulder.

Every fiber of my being wants to rip it clean off his arm. Maybe grind it down into mush and feed it to him.

Would serve him right for breathing the same air as someone as exquisite as she is.

A sharp pang tears through my chest, possessiveness unlike I’ve ever known rearing its head inside me. It slithers like slime along my tendons, coating them in thick darkness and damn near pushing me across the room.

My fingers tighten around the armrests of my chair, and I feel a couple of the calluses marring my palm split open from the pressure. The man says something that makes the girl laugh, and I grit my teeth against the urge to do something stupid.

I’m practically vibrating with anger, my insides clenching so hard it feels like I might pass out. My hands shake where they’re clutching the seat, nausea rolling up through my stomach like a cloud of smoke, desperate to be set free.

Even an act as natural as breathing becomes labored the longer I watch the two interact.

I pull my eyes from the bar and push onto wobbly feet. A dense fog collects in my mind as I try to ignore the emotions battling inside me, and I suck in a deep breath, steadying myself.

“I’m gonna go for a smoke.”

Liam sighs, rubbing at his clean-shaven jaw. “Your mother’s going to ask where you went.”

“So, lie.” I reach down, patting his cheek once, twice, adding a bit of extra oomph with the second one. “That’s what I hired you for.”