She nodded demurely, at least twenty years his junior, with a hand on his arm.
The golden masked men waited for me in the center of the room. I scanned the space. No Lorelei. Could she be in a private room?
She had to fucking be here. This couldn’t have all been for nothing. Whywouldn’tshe be here? The wealth, the glamor, the weird spiritual undertones—this was everything Lorelei loved, everything Lorelei wanted for herself. Her PicWave trail was clear: she was a member of The Circle.Butwhere was she?
I ignored the stares in my direction. After one more scan, I gave up, and I followed the men into a connected bedroom. A few men and women left the space, leaving only Roman behind, sitting in a tall leather chair by a fireplace. He was no longer wearing a mask.
The door closed behind me before I could flee.
I was alone. With Roman Graves. After he just paid six million dollars for an hour of my time.
“I am not going to sleep with you,” I blurted.
Roman grinned. “I’m not going to sleep with you either.”
“Thatishow consent works,” I hissed, unmoving from my place a few feet in front of the door.
Roman’s eyes sparkled. He stood and approached me, his gaze raking over my body. “Turn.”
I didn’t move.
He tsked disapprovingly at my disobedience, circling me like I was an object in need of careful inspection. “Tell me, Nova, are you wet?”
I stammered, quickly spinning so he was back in my line of sight. “Excuse me?”
Roman’s lazy smile didn’t falter, as if nothing in the world could dim the confidence and power he’d inherited.
His dark hair was slightly tousled, only adding to his unbothered charm. He was attractive, unlike his reptilian brethren in the main room. He didn’tneedto buy unwilling entertainment.
I had a feeling he only did so because it was more thrilling than the thousands of women who would fall to their knees before him if given a chance.
“What has been your favorite activity this evening?” he tried again, undeterred by my uncooperativeness.
“Being fed chocolate,” I answered honestly.
Roman laughed, like I was being funny. His eyes darkened. “By whom?”
I tensed. “None of your business.”
A muscle in his jaw feathered. “Obstinance won’t get you what you want, angel,” he said with a sigh.
“Oh, and what is it that I want?”
Roman sat back down in his leather chair, lightly swirling his whiskey glass before taking a small sip. “Sit down.”
I didn’t move.
“Please,” he added with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “My lap would be preferable, but?—”
I sat down in the chair across from him, the farthest I could be.
“Very well.” He considered me thoughtfully. The darkness in his features gave way to humor, like he was laughing internally at a joke he hadn’t vocalized. “You want to be owned.”
The place between my thighs came back to life with a sudden pulse. I didn’t dare move, but it was like Roman could feel the change.
He inhaled deeply. “Twenty-five is too old to still be hung-up on Mommy and Daddy’s lack of love and attention, Nova.”
I bristled. “You don’t know shit about me. Or my family.”
