She walked toward me and stared at my face.
I didn’t meet her gaze because I was too busy looking her up and down, loving every curve. Her flat stomach looked even more petite than usual, which made her tits look even bigger. Her hourglass frame was on full display.
My eyes finally lifted to meet her gaze. “Beautiful.”
All the uncertainty she’d felt in her appearance faded away at the compliment. A smile slowly came through, the confidence returning to her gaze. “I wasn’t sure if I could pull this off.”
I got to my feet and walked toward her, liking her in those heels because we were nearly at eye level, which was a nice change. I stopped in front of her, seeing the diamond necklace around her throat, the top of her chest, and the swell of her breasts. Her makeup was dark and smoky, giving her a sultry look that was so damn sexy. Her lips were painted dark red, the color of her blood, and I wanted to kiss it away until it was all over my lips and the corners of my mouth. “You definitely pull it off.”
The front lawn was lit up with lights, a long driveway from the very beginning of the estate to the mansion at the top of the hill. It was nearly a mile just to get there. My car was in line behind the others, even though we were an hour late, because all of society was there. As we got closer to the valet at the entrance, she started to fidget.
“What are we celebrating?” she whispered, her eyes focused out the window.
I watched couples walk inside in their tuxedoes and gowns, the tall door opening to reveal a peek of the interior. Gilbert bowed to the guests and ushered them inside before he closed the door again. “Being rich.”
We pulled up to the valet, and I tossed my keys at him before Raven stepped out of the car and joined me, her long dress difficult to manage as she rose to her feet. But she made it work and came to my side.
I walked with her beside me, up the stairs and to the entryway.
Her arm slipped through mine, and she came closer.
I turned to look at her, surprised at the affection.
She stilled and looked at me. “Is this okay?”
I’d never done this before, never had a woman on my arm like this. When we walked around Paris, I never held her hand and she never tried to hold mine. My arm never moved around her waist. It just wasn’t natural to me. But most of the women had their arms through those of the men who accompanied them, or the men rested their hands against the women’s lower backs. After a pause, I gave a nod.
She pulled me a little closer when she had my permission. “These heels are not my friend.”
Gilbert greeted us and opened the door. “Sir, it’s so nice to see you.” Then he turned to look at Raven, a slight look of surprise in his gaze before he quickly covered it. He switched to English, knowing she couldn’t understand a lot of French. “You look beautiful, mademoiselle.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
I took her inside, into the crowd under the chandelier. Loud conversations echoed all the way to the top of the third floor. Waiters passed flutes of champagne, along with appetizers. Most of the people were strangers to me, socialites who had wealth passed down through hundreds of years. “I have to talk to a few people.”
“And what should I say?”
“You’re my date.”
“I mean, what if they ask me about what I do and stuff?”
“Tell them you’re a student studying literature, like you were before.”
She nodded. “Makes sense.”
I spoke to a few people I knew, feeling Raven on my arm the entire time. Some of the men were distributors, so we talked openly about shipments, and in this fancy underworld, people didn’t care about breaking the law. If you wanted to be as rich as we were, going against the grain was the only way to do it.
Raven didn’t say much, and when people asked questions, she stuck to the script.
I took her through the crowd to our next destination.
“They just talk about it so nonchalantly.”
“Yeah, that’s how it works.” I spotted Fender with his arm wrapped around Melanie, who wore a gold gown that was cut so low in the front, the opening went all the way to her belly button.
I stopped with Raven. “There’s my brother.”
She saw her sister and stared at her for a while. “Wow…she looks beautiful.”
“Just stand there quietly, alright?”
She didn’t want to stir up that argument again, so she just nodded. “Can I talk to Melanie?”
“I’ll try to get you in a room together. Just let me handle it.”
She nodded.
I guided her to my brother, and once I arrived, the gentleman he was talking to silently excused himself, as if he understood exactly who I was without introduction.
Fender turned and looked at me, his eyes slightly hostile because he recalled our final conversation near the wagons. Raven was directly beside me, and he didn’t give her a single glance, pretending she didn’t exist.
Melanie looked at Raven.
Raven looked back.
But neither spoke.
I kept my eyes on Fender. “Is Napoleon here?”
He raised his champagne to his lips and took a drink. “Somewhere.” His arm stayed around Melanie’s waist, his fingers curling around to the front and coming closer to her bare flesh down the middle. She was decorated with jewels, sparkling like she herself was a diamond. It’d been months since they’d met, and Fender hadn’t lost interest…which was saying something.
Melanie looked at her sister. “You look really nice, Raven.”
Raven didn’t speak and just gave a nod.
Fender still didn’t look at Raven.
“I’m going to put the girls in the parlor so we can speak in private,” I said, knowing Raven would only be able to stare at her sister if the situation didn’t change.
“No.” Fender pulled her closer. “She stays here.”
There was nothing I could do. There was no argument I could make to entice him to let Melanie leave his side. She was the treasure no one else could have—and he wanted everyone to know it.
But Melanie stepped up. “Amoureux, please…” She turned into him, bringing her face closer to his, her free hand moving against his chest and resting on the black fabric of his tuxedo.
He wouldn’t look at her. “You’re lucky that I permit her in our home at all.”
She turned his face toward hers and forced him to look at her, to see the desperation in her eyes, and then she leaned in and kissed him. “For me…”
He abandoned his prejudice instantly, his eyes softening when she kissed him like that. “Alright.” He pulled his hand from her waist so she could walk away. “Just a couple minutes. Nothing more.”
“Thank you, amoureux.” She squeezed his hand before she stepped away and moved to Raven.
Fender turned his gaze on me, his affection falling once he looked at me instead of her. “Take them.” He brought his glass to his lips and took a drink before he stepped away to talk to another guest.
I escorted them away from the main room and into the hallway where there was an open room with couches. I nodded inside. There was no door because it was just an extension of the grand entryway, but there was no one nearby, so they wouldn’t be overheard. And even if they were, no one would care.