Oaths and Omissions (Monsters & Muses #3)(17)
“Why would I be trying to intimidate you?” I ask, hooking my fingers inside of my trousers pocket instead. “Need I remind you that this is my pub, and I didn’t invite you here?”
“Yeah, and that must ruffle your feathers. I bet you’re used to snapping your fingers and having people fall over themselves to do your bidding. Does it bug you that you can’t tell me what to do, Mr. Wolfe?”
The sound of my name rolling off her tongue does something wickedly violent to the state of my well-being. A single syllable dancing in the thick air around us, teasing the hair on the back of my neck.
Pushing her feet off the side of the sofa, Lenny pulls herself into a sitting position, turning and extending her legs so the black heels she has on slip between my boots. She arches her back, swiping those golden-brown locks off her shoulder, and peeks up at me through hooded lashes.
My feet turn inward, trapping her ankles between them. “You’d do well not to make such antagonistic assumptions, little puppet. Just because I haven’t killed you yet doesn’t mean I won’t. I’m more than happy to rearrange my plans.”
Defiance flashes in her glassy gaze, and her hand sweeps out, snatching the bottle of whiskey from me. She tips it back against her mouth before I can stop her, throat working as she guzzles the amber liquid.
The opening of the bottle is slightly larger than she seems to expect, though, so some of the whiskey escapes, spilling down her neck and cascading across her chest.
Try as I might not to look, I can’t bloody help it; my eyes flock to her dampened flesh like a prepubescent boy’s would, and she catches me. Lifts her free hand and drags her manicured fingers through the mess, before licking the tips clean.
My cock stiffens, pressing against the fly of my trousers. The entire situation is so wildly inconceivable that I give myself a pass for finding weakness in such an obvious gimmick.
What possible reason is there for the way she’s acting, other than being sent by her father to seduce and destroy?
“Explain yourself.” Being this close to her cinches the nerves in my chest, squeezing until it’s difficult to breathe. “Why are you here?”
“Well, because you dragged me away from the bar.” She giggles at that, sobering a bit when she notices I’m not joining her. “I told you. I came out with my brother and his boyfriend. Neither of them gives a shit about your beef with Daddy.”
Moving closer, I kick her legs apart and stand so my shins are flush with the sofa. Her skirt rides up slightly, revealing more of her toned thighs, but her hand comes down to keep it in place.
Gently, I reach out and remove her fingers from the neck of the whiskey bottle. One by one, I pluck the vessel free, ignoring the smooth texture of her skin as I do so. She cranes her head, fixing her gaze on mine as I take the bottle back.
Surprise registers momentarily on her face as I slide one of my hands under her chin to cup her jaw, tilting her head back so she’s bent almost at a ninety-degree angle.
“No guards? I find it hard to believe your father would let you come out unattended.”
“Clearly you don’t know him.”
“Tell me,” I say, holding the mouth of the bottle inches above her parted lips. My heart ricochets around my chest, bouncing uncontrollably against my rib cage. “How would Daddy feel if he knew where you were right now? If he knew the man who once held his life in the palm of his hand was currently cradling your cheek and fantasizing about just how wet he can get you?”
The first splash of alcohol dribbles down over her upper lip, disappearing through the seam of her mouth. She jerks in my hold, but doesn’t otherwise demand release, and I find that peculiar.
Among other things.
“I imagine he’d get over it once he learned of the nature of our relationship,” she says, her tongue darting out and swiping her skin clean.
“Our relationship?” The movement of her tongue makes me dizzy, and I inadvertently tighten my grip on her.
“People saw us tonight,” she breathes, her warm gaze tangling with mine. I feel her pulse jump beneath my hand, and I press back against it, chasing its beat. “We didn’t see them, but if I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that someone is always watching. Daddy’s gonna find out either way that I was here, and it won’t take very much digging for him to find out we also… interacted at the party.”
“So?”
I tip the bottle again, allowing a droplet to land in the slight dimple in her chin; my thumb inches up, feathering out over her lips before brushing it away.
“So,” she continues, “what do you think the gossip blogs are gonna say? That nothing happened between us? They’ll make up whatever wild stories they can think of for a quick payday. Primrose gossip sells well, for some reason.”
After a moment, my hand drops, and I step away with the bottle at my side. “I fail to see how any of this is my problem.”
Lenny pushes to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest, which still glistens from the whiskey. If she was drugged, her ability to recover is impeccable.
If she wasn’t, then I’m back at square one wondering what the hell she’s on about.
“You like your cushy little life, right? Enjoy your privacy and freedom? I’m sure being in the spotlight would make your… line of work difficult, right?”