“No matter how hard I try to forget it,” he ground out. “But you weren’t mine then. Now you are and…”
“And what?”
“I don’t want other men to get an eyeful of what belongs to me.”
Seeing his clenched jaw and balled hands, she suddenly realized the truth.
“You’re jealous?” she said in disbelief.
“What if I am?” He jutted his chin out. “I reckon I have a right to be. Fourteen years I’ve waited for you, Pippa, and I’m not a man who shares. Especially not the woman I love.”
His possessiveness ought to have irked her, but for some reason it had the opposite effect. Her annoyance subsided. Perhaps it was his honesty and the vulnerability he was exposing. She was struck by a keen awareness: she had the power to hurt him…and vice versa. After all, hadn’t she felt the bite of possessiveness when Miss Cunnyngham had exposed herself to Cull?
The present spat reminded Pippa that a relationship was seldom all smooth sailing. Truth be told, Cull had been tirelessly supportive...more than she could imagine most men being. If she wanted space, he gave it. If she wished for help with the case, he provided that too. If she had a humiliating emotional outburst, he took care of her and told her she was perfect.
He was almosttooaccommodating. He focused on her needs and asked for little in return. As if he felt he wasn’t worthy of more…
Perhaps this fight was a good sign. A sign that he trusted her enough to be honest and not hold back his feelings. A sign that they could disagree, get angry, and still be blissfully happy together. Her own parents had locked horns over the years, and she couldn’t think of two people more passionately in love.
Strangely enough, the fight gave Pippa the courage to voice what she’d held back.
“This is a ruse, and I’m only playing a part for the case,” she said. “My heart belongs to you and you only. I love you, Cull.”
“Pippa.”Bright longing flashed in his eyes. “Do you…do you mean that?”
“Yes. And I want to share my life with you.” She held his gaze. “But I won’t make myself smaller to fit your expectations. I’ve gone down that road, and it only leads to misery. Being an Angel is important to me. I would never betray you, and I need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you. And I love you exactly as you are.” He cupped her jaw in his hand. “My perfect Pippa.”
“I’m not perfect…” she began to protest.
His hot kiss claimed her breath. She debated arguing. Yet he overwhelmed her senses, and sighing, she surrendered herself to the joy of being in love.
Cull’s sense of foreboding came back full force upon their arrival at the de Tremblay manor. Set within a dark woodland, the secluded Palladian mansion looked exactly like the sort of place where bluebloods purged their ennui with decadence and debauchery. The torches that lit the drive added to the paganistic ambiance. Statues of the Greek gods loomed over the guests at the colonnaded entrance, as if welcoming them to Olympus on Earth. The elegant windows were curtained to conceal the lewd revelry taking place within.
Cull and Pippa were directed to the servants’ entrance at the back of the manor. A footman divested them of their outerwear and led them to the servants’ dining hall, where other performers were already lined up. Everyone was wearing masks and Grecian-style costumes. Noticing the men ogling Pippa, Cull stayed close to her and issued warning glares.
He trusted her. But he didn’t trustthem.The bastards who coveted what was his.
“Now that is a glower worthy of Hephaestus.” A slender male with winged sandals that marked him as Hermes came up beside Cull, chuckling. “First time, eh?”
Cull narrowed his eyes, gripping the handle of his hammer.
Before he could reply, Pippa chirped, “Yes. And we don’t know what to expect.”
“I’m a repeat performer, and it’s simple, really.” Hermes’s mouth formed a smirk beneath his golden mask. “We’re here to stoke the flames by giving the guests a show. You can choose your own partner…or partners.” He waggled his brows. “Are you looking for a third? The guests love that sort of thing, and the gratuities are excellent.”
Pippa’s eyes grew wide, her cheeks cherry-red against her snowy mask.
A growl erupted from Cull’s throat.
“I’ll take that as a no. Pity, though. Given the size of your…hammer, I think we could’ve brought down the house.” Hermes’s shrug was good-natured. “Off to try my luck elsewhere.”
As the bastard sauntered off, Pippa whispered in a rush, “We’re not going to have to give them a show, are we?”
She sounded concerned. About bloody time.
“Worried, my reckless Angel?” Cull inquired. “And here I thought you were up for anything.”
