Page 50 of Lust and Honor

The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Aren’t women supposed to know that stuff already? Or you expect me to teach you how to seduce me?”

I just glare at him, biting back my fury. It seems my expression amuses him.

“Though I’m sure you already know how. But if you ever need a refresher, I can give you some private lessons.”

“You’re abusing your power over me,” I snap. “You expect me to trade my body for my basic rights?”

His voice turns menacing. “You have no rights, my strawberry, unless I give them to you. Like it or not, your life’s different now, and it’ll never be the same again. And yes, darling, I’d happily take what you offer and, in return, make your wishes come true.”

I glance at Aurora, lost in her own world, and whisper under my breath, “Like it or not, you’re a bastard.”

His eyes turn cold, his jaw tight. He rises to his feet and takes a slow step toward me. The air shifts the second he moves closer, and I curse my big mouth. He leans over me, grabbing my chin to force my gaze to his.

“Don’t mistake my good manner for weakness. Watch your tone. Know your place, or I swear you’ll learn the hard way how careful you need to be when you talk to me.”

He squeezes my chin so tightly, the threat in his voice so real, that tears well in the corners of my eyes. His thumb, still gripping my chin, slides across my lip as he adds, “Be with me, and I’ll reward you. Give yourself to me, and I’ll make your life feel like paradise.”

He’s blatantly saying, Sleep with me, and I’ll make it worth your while. I jerk my head free from his grip and hiss, “I’m not one of your whores you can buy off with cash—”

I stop myself before I say something that’ll really piss him off.

He smirks. “A woman’s got two paths in life: become a whore or marry well. Look deep enough, and they’re the same. So don’t act like you’re above them.”

He straightens. “Pay the price for what you want, or rot in this house for the rest of your life.”

Before I can respond, he cuts in, “Yeah, I said you can leave whenever you want. But remember, the second you step out that door, Aurora’s no longer in your life.”

With obvious satisfaction, relishing how he’s cornered me, he walks out of the kitchen.

***

I’ve been staring at myself in the mirror for almost five minutes now, and I still can’t figure out what’s missing from my makeup. The smoky eyes look good, and my blush and lipstick match perfectly. Eventually, I realize the problem isn’t the makeup at all. It’s my hair.

There are still a few days left until the birthday party, but since this will be the first time I’m stepping into a circle of people I’ll probably be dealing with for years, I want to look flawless.

That’s exactly why I bought the most ridiculously expensive dress I could find, and why I’m standing here now, practicing different looks until I find the perfect makeup and hairstyle.

I run the flat iron through my curls until they’re completely straight, then pull them up into a high, sleek ponytail with extra volume. After one last look in the mirror, I decide I finally look right. Elegant, but still sexy.

A thought slips into my head before I can stop it.

How’s Maxim gonna react when he sees me looking like this?

So far, he’s still acting like a damn iceberg, waiting for me to throw myself at him so he can graciously reward me with a little attention.

Yeah. Not happening.

My phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts. Emily’s name flashes across the screen, and I answer immediately.

“Hey!”

She sounds warm as always. “Ava, sweetheart. How are you?”

“I’m good, Emily. Thanks.”

The last time I called her Mrs. Bruni, she frowned and told me I wasn’t her employee anymore and needed to call her Emily from now on. At first, it felt wrong, but somewhere along the way, she started feeling more like a friend.

Her tone softens even more.