I run the back of my fingers over her jaw. “Want me to be honest with you?”
She leans into my touch. “Always.”
“You’re rich, you’re beautiful, and you’ve been through enough shit for multiple lifetimes. Take this time off to relax, enjoy the goddamn money, and find a purpose when you feel like you’re ready to try something on your own.” I soothe the lines between her brows with a thumb, then press a kiss there. “Besides, I’m always on the lookout for a chick who’s willing to wash client cars wearing a bikini, and who can give me blowjobs in the backseat whenever I need them. So hit me up when the money runs out and you wanna make more of it.”
Her mouth opens in surprise as she stares at me. Then, she grabs a pillow from behind her, and before I can stop her, she hits me with it – right in the face.
“You’re such an ass!” She hits me again, making me laugh.
I duck and move away, then slide towards the other side of the bed. “I was only giving you some advice!”
She gets on her knees. “To wash cars wearing atwopiece.” She hits me in the back of my head. “Yeah, I heard.”
I barely have time to avoid getting hit before she brings the pillow down on me once more. “You gotta admit: it sounds sexy,” I say, then laugh again when she all but tackles me on the bed.
She’s panting, and so am I. Her dark eyes glint against the silver moonlight as she throws the pillow to the side. Placing her hands on my chest, she straddles me, then presses her pussy against my boner as she settles on my hips.
“I meant the first part, though,” I tell her, then hold onto her waist. “You’ve been through so much; youneedsome downtime to heal and reflect. Try not to think too much about Chase’s decision, because there’s unfortunately no way to change it. He’s an adamant bastard, and as much as I’d like to ask you to fight him over this, I also know it’d be pointless if you did. And I’m not trying to discourage you; I’m only trying to save you the disappointment. That man is ruthless. It’s the reason he’s on top of the food chain right now.”
Cignette fidgets with the fabric of my red vest, lost in thought. “I think you’ve said something like this to me before, but at the time, I didn’t believe you.” She sighs. “I always thought he was the reasonable one out of him and Mom, but I guess I was wrong.”
“A person can only hide behind a mask for so long. Their true colors do eventually reveal themselves, and it happens when you’re least expecting it. All you gotta do, Cigs, is pay attention,” I say, then sit up. “I’m sorry this happened to you, but I know you’ll get through this, too, just like you have with everything else. It’ll pass, you’ll see.”
“I feel like I waited too long to raise my voice against things. That I’ve sort of made it a habit to rely on you for finding my strength and boldness. My weakness and fears made me appear careless to my uncle, and now I’m paying the price for it.”
“Don’t do that,” I say, making sure she’s looking me in the eye. “Don’t fucking blame yourself or question your past behavior. Whatever you did, you did to survive, and that doesn’t make you weak. It makes you strong – helpless against the cards life has dealt you, sure, but strong nonetheless.”
She sucks in a breath, then lets it go slowly before swallowing. Cupping my jaw in a hand, she brings her face close to mine. “Thank you.” She brushes her nose against mine, then kisses me.
My cock throbs as I get a taste of her, and when she closes her lips around mine, I groan. “I’ve got you, Little Swan.Always.”
She kisses me again, and she does it with enough fervor that it drives me wild. Rocking her hips against me, she moves back a little, and when I moan, she smiles and presses her lips to the side of my neck. She pushes her teeth into my skin, making me impossibly hard, then runs her tongue over my collarbone.
I tip my head back, and her lips eagerly travel over the indents of my shoulder, then to the base of my throat. I slide my fingers into her hair and close my eyes, because fuck, this is making me all sorts of hot.
Cignette fists the hem of my vest, and is about to lift it, but I cover her hand with mine, stopping her.
She pulls back and looks at me, and I shake my head at her.
“Not here,” I say, and when she lifts a brow at me, I grin. “Take me to your mother’s bedroom.”
62.
“What the fuck?” I say as I follow Cignette, and glance around at the blatant absurdity that is Miranda’s bedroom. It looks like a Victorian era chamber or something, with white-and-gold furniture, a king size bed, and a vast balcony that’s bracketed by long, beige curtains. There is a wide, mirrored screen directly opposite the bed, and each panel of this screen seems to be foldable, for it has a thick seam that separates one from the other. Talk about self-obsession.
The lights in the room are turned on, and it seems like no one has been in here for days. I mean, who would, right? It’s not like the guards care about it, and Chase is too busy making stupid fucking decisions to visit his sister’s room.
“Uh, Dorran?”
I turn, and Cignette points upward.
I look up, and my brows rise on their own accord when I see that almost the entire ceiling in the room is nothing but reflective glass.
“What the hell kind of sex dungeon bullshit is this?” I say.
“Don’t ask me for details, because I’ve literally stepped into this room for the first time inyears,” Cignette says, then shudders a little as she glances around. “I think I was 7 when I was here last. I was looking toborrowa lipstick, but Mom thought I was intruding on her privacy. She kicked me out and asked me not to enter her room – ever. It’s a small mercy I listened to her onthat, at least.”
I laugh. “I’m curious, though: why does a 7-year-old need a lipstick?”
