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And then I’m rocked by something more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt. It doesn’t stop right away, either, but goes on and on until my cries of pleasure turn into something else.

I’m laughing, I’m crying, and I can’t control either. The harder I try, the harder the laughter gets, until I’m snorting and my face is wet with tears that soak into my hair. It’s like the floodgates have opened, and I can’t do anything to slow what’s pouring out. It’s cleansing, emptying all the pent-up frustration and fear and doubt until I’m brand new.

Finally, it begins to subside, and once it does my body is pure jelly. When Adrian lifts my feet from his shoulders, my legs flop down onto the bed. “I told you it would be worth it,” he reminds me, laughing softly. “I didn’t know how worth it. Are you okay?”

Am I okay? “I feel like a new person.”

“An interesting response. I hope I didn’t change you too much.” Patting my legs, he stands, watching as I stretch languidly with a happy smile. “I’m sort of starting to like you the way you are.”

It’s funny, but hearing that is the best part of all.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Adrian

“I swear, I feel just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.”

I glance at my smirking brother on our way into the boutique. “You feel like a prostitute?”

“Can you just let me have fun, please? Of course I don’t feel like a prostitute.” Suddenly she chews her lip, coming to a dead stop in the center of the impressive lobby. Everything about the place screams luxury and high class. “Though maybe I am, sort of, since you’re planning on using me to seduce a murderer.”

Her timing couldn’t be worse. One of the store clerks trips over her stilettos when she overhears what June didn’t exactly whisper. “She’s joking,” Theo quickly covers with a charming grin that makes the girl grin back. He knows how to act human when needed.

“Keep your voice down,” I whisper while Theo explains what we’ve stopped in for.

“You know that’s tough for me,” she whispers back.

Yeah, no shit.

Theo motions toward June. “We need something worthy of a masquerade gala for our friend here.”

June holds her arms out to the sides, lifting and dropping her shoulders in a shrug. “Sorry I’m all you have to work with.”

“Sorry?” The girl laughs, then waves a well-manicured hand and clicks her tongue. “We should always be lucky enough to work with such strong raw material. Come with me,” she beckons, crooking a finger.

June shoots me a slightly panicked look. “Come on, now,” I murmur with a smirk. “Julia Roberts didn’t hesitate, did she?”

“I guess that’s true.” She rolls her shoulders back, then squares them like she’s marching into battle instead of being fitted for a dress.

A second girl approaches, just as well dressed and impeccably groomed as the other. Balanced on one hand is a tray holding champagne flutes. “Would you like a mimosa?” she asks us.

“Have you got anything stronger? Whiskey, maybe?” Theo asks.

When all the girl does is look at him like he sprouted a second head, I take two flutes and offer a grateful smile. “Thank you. This will do fine.”

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” she urges, nodding toward a series of velvet-covered sofas and chairs arranged in front of the curtained-off area where June just disappeared.

“‘Comfortable’?” Theo mutters, looking around the surprisingly stark space once we’ve settled in against the burgundy velvet. Sleek, obviously high priced, but with only a few mannequins displaying gowns. “Where are all the clothes?”

“I don’t think they do it that way here. They bring you dresses to try on based on what works for you.” Sitting back, I reflect on how different it was earlier, while we were fitted for our tuxedos. I can’t shake the feeling that my brother didn’t change his mind just because he wanted to help us. Did something happen after we left? What if he wasn’t as disconnected as we assumed and he got orders from someone to follow us?

I know he’ll deny it, so I don’t bother asking. He’ll either betray us or he won’t, but I’m not fully turning my back on him until I know. While we wait, girls carrying dresses over their arms come and go from the dressing area. “Can we see?” I ask.

“I don’t think you’re ready for this!” Suddenly the curtain sweeps to the side and out steps June in an almost-floor-length, curve-hugging gown. The sooty black color makes her skin gleam like a pearl.

“What do you think?” she asks, turning a slow circle that is only slightly clumsy.

“I think it makes you look like a ghost,” Theo decides before I can find my voice. Which could be thanks to all the blood in my body rushing to my dick at once. “You’re too pale for it. Let’s find something with color.”