Addison’s stomach rolled at the thought of being on a boat, and the spicy salmon rolled with it. She got violently seasick. Taking a sip of her water, she made a mental note to pick up motion sickness medicine at the pharmacy.
“We’ll fly to Odessa in Ukraine. A car will meet us and take us to the port, where we’ll catch a boat to the castle,” Paige said. “It’s a three-day party before the auction. Reportedly, there’s lots of debauchery to be had. If either of you is squirmy about nakedness or sex, you need to get over it quickly.”
Don’t look. Don’t look.She looked.
Devon’s head tilted back as he chugged water, his Adam’s apple working up and down as he swallowed. His other hand was clenched so hard his knuckles had turned white.
What exactly did debauchery entail?
Caught up in her musings, she didn’t look away fast enough when Devon lowered the water bottle. His gaze caught hers, and the heat in his eyes scorched her. She wasn’t the only one wondering what debauchery entailed.
“We’ll use those three days learning the layout of the castle and grounds, filling in the gaps in Angie’s rendered floorplan. We’ll retrieve Braedon and Michael before the auction.”
Paige’s voice snapped Addison out of the sudden and sensual staredown with Devon. Braedon. Head in the game.
“The information we received indicated the women attending the auction are powerful,” Angie said. “They’re independent and rich, and it’s not unusual for them to be serious powerbrokers within governments and international companies.
“They never attend with their husbands, even if they’re married. They attend with security or lovers. That’s it. You can’t give the impression that Paige and Addison are in any way not what they appear to be.”
“What’s that?” Addison asked.
“Paige, you’re going to be you—no worries there,” Graham said.
Paige pointed at Graham. “You can be my security. I don’t even want to pretend to kiss that hairy face.”
“Addison, you’re a rich, bored heiress in need of a new sex toy,” Graham said.
“Don’t they sell those on Amazon?” she asked. That’s where she got hers, anyway.
“Yes, but not the living, breathing kind,” Graham said. “Devon will be your security as well.”
Graham picked up his burger and concentrated on taking a huge bite, so he missed the glare Devon shot his way.
“Addison, you and I are going shopping this afternoon. We need to get you some clothes. And a haircut,” Paige said.
Angie jumped up and down, clapping her hands. “Can I come?”
“What’s wrong with my clothes? Or my hair?” Addison ran a hand over the top of her head.
“If you’re going to be a rich heiress, you need rich clothes and a fancy haircut. At the very least, they need to be rich-looking,” Paige said.
“Why can’t I be a miserly heiress?”
“We can play that off, but you’re still going to need a few dresses.”
“We have an early morning departure,” Graham said. “Take care of what you need to take care of.”
* * *
“Admit it, you like the dress,” Paige said.
Addison turned to admire the back of the dress in the three-way mirror. Or the lack of the back of the dress. The sleeveless, deep blue shift had a boat neck and fell straight to the floor with a thigh-high slit on the side. From the front, it was demure and understated…until she turned around. Her entire back, down to the hollows in her lower back, was completely bare. If she twisted the wrong way, she felt air on the top of her butt crack.
“I like the dress.”
“Good. Try on the black cocktail dress next.”
Paige had told her they couldn’t be seen in anything mass market, so she’d followed her to King Street and the little boutique store. They’d been there for an hour, trying on dresses, pantsuits, and various ensembles. Addison was exhausted—shopping was not her thing and she was sure the growing ‘to buy’ pile would cost more than she’d spent on clothes in the last five years.
