Chapter 87

“Phone her. Promise me, master.”

Mandy’s whisper just before dawn made my nerves tingle. No, she wasn’t snuggled tight to me as I lay in bed. Instead, I held the phone to my ear; her slow breathing filled the speaker. Several more blinks removed additional cobwebs from my brain, and I rolled to my feet.

“Gonna run, slut?”

She giggled under her breath. “No, baby. We’re off early. Charles needs to stop by his office. Love you, though.”

“Love you, too.”

Thus, our surreptitious affair entered a new day. No, didn’t wave as their car roared past on the way to the airport. But the sound held my attention until the very last second. Only once the engine drone had faded did I scroll through the latest texts from Cinder. Each was a little more frayed, a little more desperate.

“Fine, I’ll call her.”

A lonely run, a lonely swim, and a lonely workout led to me tromping past the hot tub. What was the point? A shower and breakfast. Quick scan of the overnight reports. Nothing major, yet.

Couldn’t ask for a better day. The sun was shining; the birds were singing. Despite the cloud-dodging fireball’s best efforts, a light frost sparkled across the lawn. Leafless tree limbs clicked in a strengthening breeze.

No text, I dialed Cinder’s number.

A gasp came from the other end.

“Picking you up in half an hour. Don’t bother dressing. I need entertainment today, and you’re it, slave.”

“My husband is here.”

“Don’t want him, just you. You’re a smart woman, think of something.”

“Yes, master.”

After checking the special room’s cameras and audio, I laid out everything needed for a day of fun. Alright, my pulse was also racing as Yseline’s words and memories of my last time with Cinder sharpened.

“A test,” I murmured. “For both of us.”

A blindfold lay on the passenger seat as I drove toward the Rivas’ home. No sooner had my car pulled into the driveway than the front door eased open.

Vivid green flashed from beneath swaying platinum. An ankle-length robe of pale rose shimmered into view. Atop jutting globes peeked sharpened spikes. My brain staggered; all that athletic paleness amid thin gossamer. A marked similarity to the Queen of the Fae. On some level, had that also driven me to approach the woman now walking toward me?

The sudden glittering of slender gold on her throat snapped me from the haze. No, this gorgeousness was my property, marked as such.

A whoosh as the car door opened, a soft swish as delicate fingers lifted the blindfold from the seat, the suspension’s creak as the alluring beauty sat, and the quiet squeak of leather, all sounded like trumpets from the highest peaks. An expensive perfume, high-end flowery shampoo, and delicate body wash flooded my nostrils ... as did one other scent unique to her.

After closing the door, she sent me a grin. Part of me did not deserve such beaming radiance.

“Open your robe and spread, slave,” I growled.

Hands flew, tearing the material wide as sleek legs thumped against the walls of the passenger side. Her boobs jiggled, calling to me, and my hand roamed, nudging their stiff peaks, or wandering across a trembling belly. As shaky whimpers filled the interior, she arched into my gliding palm.