Say the Word(101)
I should’ve moved away, skirted around him, darted for the door.
Instead, I froze and simply watched as his lips came toward mine. Our mouths were mere millimeters apart when a knock sounded on the metal stairwell door, snapping me out of my lustful haze. We sprang apart just as the entry swung open.
Angela popped her head inside. “Sebastian, we need your opinion on the final proofs. We’re about to send off the first five decades to the publication team for review.”
“Okay, be right there,” Bash called. Angela disappeared back into the office, the door swinging shut behind her with a resounding boom. He turned his head back to meet my eyes, an amused smirk on his face.
“Saved by the bell,” he murmured, his eyes still burning. “Any chance you want to pick this up at my place after work?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to get my breathing under control. “Absolutely not.”
He smirked. “Right. ‘Cause you hate me.”
“Right.” I nodded sharply.
“That’s fine, Freckles. You’re just making this more fun.” He grinned. “See, I’ve got a new strategy.”
I didn’t dare ask what he was talking about, but steeled myself when he stepped close once more and backed me up against the wall with his frame. He pressed a soft kiss against my lips, then whispered a string of words that made me curse myself for my own inability to walk away.
“You might think you’re the villain in my story, Lux, but what you don’t seem to realize is that I don’t care. Princess or Evil Queen, I want you standing by my side when the tale comes to an end. So I’m not walking away — I’m going to wear you down, until you’re ready — no, until you’re dying — to tell me what happened back then.” Another kiss landed on my lips, and I fought off a tremble of desire. “And Freckles?”
My eyes flickered up to meet his searing gaze.
“It’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun.”
***
I was stirred from my reverie by a familiar voice.
“What’s with the horse impersonation?”
Turning on my stool, I quirked an eyebrow at Fae, who’d just arrived at the bar with Simon in tow.
“Excuse me?”
“The long face,” Simon explained.
I rolled my eyes. “Hardy har har.”
They settled in on the stools to my either side and quickly put in orders for their own drinks with a passing bartender. I was still nursing my first glass of Merlot.
“Bad day?” Fae asked.
“The worst.”
“Well, cheer up, chicky. I’ve got good news,” she said, fishing around in her purse for a moment and pulling out a legal-sized envelope. She slapped it down on the bar in front of me, a self-satisfied smile on her face. “Am I good, or am I good?”
“If this is what I think it is, you aren’t just good — you’re freaking great.” I picked up the envelope lightly, hope flaring to life in my chest at the feeling of the thick paper beneath my fingertips.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re all wonderful,” Simon intoned in a bored voice. “Open the damn thing.”
I worked my right index finger beneath the seal, ripping the thin package open with care not to tear anything inside. I held my breath as I reached into the envelope and pulled out a stapled stack of sheets. There were probably at least twenty printed pages, but with just a cursory glance I could tell Fae’s “guy” had come through for us. Big time.
The first few sheets contained a brief history of Labyrinth, which I mostly skimmed through. The final section of papers held the most vital information — a master list of members’ names, dating back fifty odd years. I heard Fae’s audible intake of air and could feel Simon vibrating with excitement as their eyes scanned through some of the figures on the list. My own heart began to race as I saw this was no mere collection of socialites and society members.
No, the monikers that caught my eye were household names — business moguls, multibillionaire technology mavens, United States congressmen, movie stars, political party leaders, and even, if I wasn’t mistaken, the Vice President himself. They were the people you saw on your television every morning when you turned on the news, and every night when you sat down for some mindless after-dinner entertainment.
The leaders of our country were on this list. Powerful, far-reaching people with a vested interest in keeping any affiliation with a place like Labyrinth a secret. The information in this dossier was prized. And it had somehow landed in the hands of three overworked, underpaid, fashion magazine employees at a trendy bar in Midtown.
Suddenly, it didn’t seem like a good idea to be reading it out in public. In fact, it didn’t seem like a good idea to be reading it at all.
“Maybe we should…” Simon trailed off, casting his eyes around the bar at the fellow happy-hour indulgers.
Fae was already reaching for her wallet. “Pay the bill and get the f*ck out of here before anyone sees that?” she finished.
“My thoughts exactly,” I muttered, shoving the papers back inside the envelope and tucking them deep down in the recesses of my purse where they couldn’t be seen.
As soon as the tab was paid, we headed for the door. The three of us waited for a cab, shrouded in an uneasy silence so unlike our typical nonstop chatter, until Fae leaned forward to whisper in my ear.