Grabbing my mask, I slip it on and throw my hood up. I kill the engine and step into the cold, rushing toward the building while keeping an eye on their locations through my cameras.
It may only be twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit outside right now, but I’m not freezing. The adrenaline and excitement are warming me to the core.
Regardless, I hustle toward the front door, grabbing it firmly. It’s locked.Shit. But it’s okay; I have another way.
I quickly insert my key copy and let myself in, my eyes glued to Serena’s location. My heart is hammering out of my chest as I walk into the warmth and silently shut the door behind me.
In three long strides, I reach the bathroom. Using one of the lobby chairs, I prop it beneath the door handle, like I’ve practiced before, and lock Kerrigan inside.
A moment later, the handle jiggles, but it doesn’t matter; that chair isn’t moving. Serena can let her out when we’re done. Checking my phone, I see she hasn’t moved from collecting candles.
My stealthiness is undervalued because of the music singing through the speakers. I would find it annoying if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s muting Kerrigan’s voice, now calling out for Serena.
Approaching the open door to the conference room, I stop just outside of the threshold, out of her sight line.
She’s started dancing to the music, her back to the door, and I take full advantage of the noisy surroundings. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I step forward and slip inside of the entrance, enjoying her without a screen between us.
Her hips are swaying back and forth as she sings along to the song while gathering items from the table. I lessen the distance between us to three feet in three seconds and four fast strides.
She has no idea that I’m standing right behind her.
Widening my stance, I take the moment to study her through the mesh of my mask.
God, that dress was made to be worn by her, just like my hands were made to take it off … roughly, desperately, every second without touching her more torturous than the last. But once I finally peel every thread from her body, the real fun will begin.
Her body moves fluidly to the rhythm as she finishes cleaning up the table.
Much like a good hockey player can anticipate a goal coming, I can feel the air thicken as she lifts the clear tote into her arms. Her spine straightens, and I take a step forward, my fingers reaching out toward her.
Not wanting to cause her too much of a mess by spilling the tote’s contents all over the floor, I reach forward with my right hand and wrap my fingers around her waist before she turns, closing the distance between us completely. I pull her body flush against mine with a hum.
A mix of a shriek and a gasp bubbles out of her, and she drops the tote in surprise. It thuds to the table at the same time my left hand wraps around her throat, pinning her in place.
“Little Cupid,” I greet her with a husky whisper, flattening my right hand on her stomach.
“How’d you get in here?” she asks without trying to turn and face me. Her voice is steady, but I don’t miss the uptick in her heartbeat, her carotid thumping aggressively against my fingers.
“The door was open.”
Angling her head, I get a view of half her face, able to see the squint in her eyes and purse of her lips.
“Liar. It was locked. Were you at the party? Unmasked?”
“No.” My honest answer surprises me, but I don’t want to lie to her more than I already have about who I am.
“Then how did you see me? Did you have a spy here?”
“Something like that.” I change thesubject, not wanting to give away too much … not yet. “Forget it. Did you miss me?”
She swallows hard before her lips lift into a playful smirk. “Maybe.”
While I may have entertained her initial questions, that doesn’t change the reason I’m here—to remind her who’s in control, like she asked me to.
An image of that guy eye-humping her flashes in my mind, and my blood boils. I know she didn’t flirt back. But that doesn’t ease the murderous feeling deep in my bones.
Tilting her head back, I force her gaze to look straight up into the mesh hearts covering my eyes, the top of her head pressed against my chest. She somehow finds my stare effortlessly, as if she can see behind my mask. “Try again.”
Her lips purse once, and a challenging gleam flashes in her eyes. “And if I don’t?”
