Nervous, I raise my fist and knock in a rhythmic pattern. Seconds later, the mirror unlatches from the wall, revealing a tall man in a pin-striped suit and fedora.
An echo of jazz trails out from within the doorway as the man looks me over, then offers a warm smile. “Miss Winslow. Welcome home.”
My mouth opens and closes as I try to make sense of his greeting. “Home? Wait. You know who I am?”
“You’ve been number one on the guest list since the first night we opened.”
My heart swells, both with love and sadness. Tears pool in my eyes. All this time, I thought Felix hated me.
I look back at Ally and Dan. “Thank you for being with me but I need to enter alone.”
“Of course. Keep us updated,” Ally answers for the two of them. “Good luck.”
As soon as I step through the doorway, the mirror clicks shut behind me and the doorman. We’re enclosed in darkness, all but for a sinful red glow seeping up from the base of a spiral staircase.
“Let me escort you to Mr. Blackwood.”
I nod and grip the railing, following the doormandown the staircase. The farther we descend, the louder the jazz becomes, the tune smooth and sensual. I can hear voices too. Lots of them.
By the time I arrive on the bottom step, I’m bathing in red light. My breath hitches when I find the source of the light—a neon sign perched above the only doorway down here.
The Scarlet Mirage.
A single tear escapes down my cheek. I hear Felix’s voice in my head, reading the letter he wrote me from Westbridge.You always said I was a mirage. But you’re the mirage, Harper. My beautiful scarlet mirage.
He… named his speakeasy after me?
The doorman was right.Home. I’ve never stepped foot inside this place, but home is exactly where I am.
I brush away the tear and smile, no longer nervous about what awaits me when I step through these doors. Forgetting the doorman’s company, I rush through the entrance, barely taking in my surroundings, desperate to find Felix.
I scan the crowded venue, searching for him. Each patron is a blur of sparkly frocks and suits, some people sitting around tables, others dancing to the live jazz band. A lady brushes past me, laughing with her friends. Couples are kissing in booths and flirting at the bar. There’s so much to observe but all I care about is finding one person.
My heart leaps when I see him, perched up high, sitting on a throne of all places. The sight makes me laugh, because this is so like Felix. The Scarlet Mirage is his empire and he is the king.
My laughter dries up when I notice the group of beautiful women surrounding him. Some are draped over his armrests. A few sit at his feet. They’re glowing, purring over their position with him. But he doesn’t seem interested. Bored, if anything, as he watches over his venue.
My breath catches as his gaze roams the crowd, slowly creeping in my direction. His eyes slide right over me, unseeing. A second later, they flick back. He jolts upright, staring at me with shock and disbelief and as though all the air has been knocked from his lungs.
One of the women whispers something into his ear, but he doesn’t respond. Felix doesn’t seem aware of anyone or anything except me. His green eyes have me pinned, hopeful but cautious.
I can’t contain my happiness. A smile blooms across my face, wide and unstoppable, assuring Felix of my answer.
Suddenly, he’s smiling too, understanding my choice without needing to hear it.
Felix is on his feet in an instant, brushing past the women around him like they don’t exist, darting through the crowd for me. The space between us shrinks, and then?—
His hands are in my hair. His lips are on mine, kissing me hard and fast. There are no words. No hesitation. Just heat and hunger and years of desperate longing poured into a kiss that makes the entire room disappear.
“I didn’t think you would come.” Felix speaks through kisses, breathless and raw. He’s shaking. We both are. “I didn’t think you would choose a life with me.”
“I’m here and I’m yours forever.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
FELIX
She chose me.
