With a snap of the reins, Trace guides the horse into a slow gallop as my riding lesson comes to an end.
***
“Are you sure you should have worn that dress, or what’s left of it?” Trace grits his teeth, and I know I’ve gotten under his skin.
“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, it’s a designer dress. It’s supposed to have all these cutouts.” I lift my glass of water to my lips to hide my smile. If I’m not enjoying tonight, I’m going to make damn sure Trace is as miserable as I am.
His only response is a scowl and a growl, two things I haven’t seen from him since the first day we met. I was beginning to believe we were making progress, but, as with everything else in our arrangement, it was all an illusion.
The music thumps through the club, giving me a headache, but I refuse to back down. We’re here to neutralize the threat to my family so Elsa and I can go back to our normal lives, whatever we decide those will be.
“I’m going to dance.” I slip away from the table before he can stop me, even though I know there’s no chance he’ll come afterme. Having me flirt and dance with men other than Trace is all a part of the plan—a plan I hate.
I find my two targets—a couple of guys who are acting like God’s gift to women, wearing tight jeans and even tighter designer T-shirts. What those two are doing in a town like Valor Springs is beyond me. They certainly don’t seem like locals.
“Want to dance, cowboys?” I smile using my most sultry voice, making sure to pique their interest.
“Damn straight we do, darlin’.” My smile falters when one of the cowboys calls me darlin’. That’s Trace’s nickname for me, not theirs.
“The name is Ember,” I correct, needing him not to call me darlin’ again.
With a quick glance at his friend, they both stand and lead me to the dancefloor, “Alright, Ember, show us what you got.”
I shift my body so I’m facing Trace, who continues to scowl while sipping the beer he ordered just for show. In that moment, I realize I’m truly just a job to him, because what man in his right mind would let the woman he had feelings for dance with another guy, let alone two guys.
“You’re the Temptress. Show all the guys who controls who. Show them what everybody desires but cannot have.”
My mother’s words echo in my head, and I give in to the instructions burned into my brain for years. I begin to swaymy hips from side to side, letting the music roll over my body. Closing my eyes, I lift my arms over my head and let the steady beat take over as I imagine I’m dancing only for Trace.
The feel of strong hands gripping my waist has me snapping my eyes open, only to come face to face with an almost unhinged-looking Trace. “Enough.” He growls, making my two dance partners back away.
“Chill out, man. It’s about time you claimed your woman.” The smirk on the second cowboy's face is a dead giveaway that he knew I belonged to Trace from the very beginning.
Trace grabs my hand, dragging me through the crowd into the ladies' restroom, where the women shriek in outrage. “Out,” he commands, and they all scatter from the room to obey him. After the last one leaves, he turns the lock on the door, trapping me in the bathroom with him.
“What are you doing, Trace? This isn’t part of the plan.”
“Something I should have done a long time ago.” His mouth crashes onto mine in a kiss that can only be explained as desperate possession. His teeth lightly bite my bottom lip, causing me to gasp in surprise, giving him the perfect opportunity for his tongue to invade my mouth.
Since I’ve never let any of my fake boyfriends kiss me, I have nothing to compare this to. But if I had to guess, I would say this kiss is what fairytales are made of.
I place my hands on his shoulders to help ground myself and enjoy the kiss. But Trace has other plans as he lifts me onto the counter, drops to his knees, pushes up my skirt, and dives tongue-first into my soaking wet panties.
“Is all this wetness for me, darlin’? Or is it from dancing with those guys?”
“You.” I moan, my fingers clutching his hair, holding him where I want him most. “Only for you.”
“Good girl.” He pushes my panties aside with his tongue, finding my clit easily. He begins to suck on it. His hands grip my hips tighter as he devours me.
“Yes!” I shout as his tongue flicks across my clit, faster and faster, until I fall apart, soaking his face with my desire. A loud knock on the locked door brings us back to reality.
“Are you about done fucking her? Some of us need to use the bathroom.” A woman’s voice calls from the other side of the bathroom door.
“Shit.” Trace stands, reluctantly adjusting my panties and skirt back into place as he helps me up. “Go into one of the stalls and take a few minutes to compose yourself.” All I can do is nod. I’m still coming down from the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. He gives me a gentle push toward the bathroom stalls, then walks to the door. “I’m sorry, Ember. I never should have done that. I got a little carried away.” He shifts his gaze to a spot above my head, just as Jack did to Elsa in my father’s study that first day. “It won’t happen again.” With that, he unlocks thebathroom door and walks out, leaving me to hide in a stall until I’m brave enough to leave, while the group of women lining up to use the bathroom shout out their phone numbers or ask if they can be next. It’s too much. I need to leave.
My fight-or-flight response kicks in, and I take the coward's way out, slipping out the back door and down the alley in search of a hotel where I can spend the night. Thank goodness I always carry my phone and credit card in my wrist purse in case of an emergency. I’ll call my father in the morning and request a new bodyguard, one who doesn’t make me dream of a future we can’t have.
“Going somewhere, darlin’? Or should I say Ember?” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, freezing me in place. It takes every ounce of nerve to turn around and face the voice I know isn’t Trace’s. “There’s our pretty little dancer.” Even in the alley’s darkness, I recognize the two guys in front of me—they’re my dance partners from the club. “It’s been a bitch to get you alone these last couple of days with your bodyguard glued to your hip.”
