Sweet Persuasion (Sweet #2)(74)

He was making it real. Fear raced up her spine. Fear and uncertainty. He was changing the rules and the parameters. How could he expect her to embrace his reality and then turn away? God, she didn’t need it to be more real between her and Damon. If anything she needed the protection that fantasy and escapism offered. There was no chance of her losing her way when things weren’t in reach.

But to expect her to interact with him as if they had a chance, as if things were normal . . . it was the height of cruelty.

Her head spun as panic and distress tightened every muscle. She couldn’t attend as his date, some woman he had a relationship with. No, if she attended, it would be as his slave. There would be no breaching the walls of her carefully constructed fantasy.

CHAPTER 29

Damon returned to the living room after taking several moments to collect himself. He’d been distracted the entire time he was entertaining his guests because he’d been worried about Serena. There were only so many times he could excuse himself to use his cell phone before it went from an inconvenience to outright rudeness.

When he’d heard her drive up, his relief had made him weak in the knees. That pissed him off almost as much as her thoughtlessness. And then he’d seen her pale face and enormous blue eyes, seen the fatigue lurking in the shadows. She’d said the words every man dreaded hearing. She’d been thinking.

He’d worried about her first day outside the fantasy they’d built in the week they’d been together, and rightly so. She’d already started pulling away, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

He tuned in to the conversation as two of the waiters he’d hired for the evening made rounds with trays of hors d’oeuvres and wine. The piano music, usually something he enjoyed, tinkled like broken glass on his nerves.

Part of him wanted to punish Serena for the worry she’d caused him. For a moment he’d considered telling her to undress and come to him nude with only the jewelry he’d given her adorning her skin. None of his guests would be shocked or surprised.

But he wouldn’t embarrass her, had sworn that he’d never do anything to purposely humiliate her, and he damn sure wasn’t into retaliation.

No, he’d deal with her punishment later. If she balked, if she said no, then it would end sooner than expected but the result would be the same whether now or three weeks from now. He couldn’t keep her forever, and the haunted look on her face when she came to his door further drove that point home.

A chuckle echoed over the room, and Damon looked up to see the source of his guest’s amusement. He stiffened when he saw Serena standing in the doorway, not a stitch of clothing on her gorgeous body.

She stared defiantly at him, her eyes glittering with challenge. Not responding to the obvious bait, he set his glass of wine aside and ignored her for a moment while he finished the conversation he was involved in.

He kept tabs on her from the corner of his eye. She stood quietly, but the longer she stood, the more ill at ease she became. When he was convinced she was about to turn and walk back out, he started across the room, his pace unhurried, his expression purposely unreadable.

“Serena,” he said as he came abreast of her. “So glad you could make it. Everyone has been eager to meet you.”

She glanced sharply up at him then twisted her hands nervously in front of her. An impulse decision she was already regretting, by the looks of things. He’d already tried to make things easy for her. He wouldn’t do anything more.

“Come,” he said, taking her arm. As they walked toward the people gathered, he leaned down to whisper close to her ear. “That’s two punishments I owe you now. One for your inconsid eration and one for your blatant disobedience.”

Conversation ceased as everyone looked openly at him and Serena. Warm smiles framed his friends’ faces, but it was for a fraud. They were glad for him when they shouldn’t be. They thought he’d finally found a woman willing to commit herself wholly to him.

He introduced her around, and Serena’s growing confusion was a tangible thing. Her brow creased, and it was obvious the smile she’d pasted on her lips was dangling precariously.

“Congratulations, Damon,” Robbie offered as they approached one of his oldest friends. “Your woman is quite beautiful. You’re lucky to own her.”

Serena glanced back and forth between Robbie and Damon, her lips pursed. Then her gaze settled on the woman standing quietly by Robbie’s side, and Damon saw the instant that understanding flashed.

She tensed and color swept up her neck and into her cheeks. Her mouth tightened and tears crowded her eyes. Damon didn’t give her an opportunity to do much with the realization. Instead, he ushered her onward. She wasn’t going to be thrilled when they came to the next person in line to be introduced. They already were acquainted. But she’d made her choice, and she’d have to live with the consequences.

As they walked toward the window where two men stood, one turned, and he felt Serena go rigid beside him.

“Micah,” Damon said calmly. “I’d like you to meet Serena. I understand the two of you are already acquainted. Serena, you know Micah Hudson. He’s a good friend of mine.”

Micah flashed a smile at Serena and raised an eyebrow as his gaze swept over Serena’s naked body.

Damon bent low so that his lips were a mere centimeter from her ear. His hand curled tightly around her arm even as his finger brushed across the band.