Did that make it easier to accept? No.
Her phone beeped from her nightstand with a text from Kathy Hawks, Richard’s wife.
Doing okay?
Sabrina typed and erased several responses, finally settling on . . .
Nervous.
Understandable. But you look unbelievable in that dress we picked out. Every man will fall at your feet and worship you tonight.
Sabrina dropped the phone on the bed beside her. She didn’t want every man falling at her feet. She didn’t want her sexual desires. She only wanted Chase.
What if tonight was so spectacular it changed her mind? What if she preferred this worshiped position?
She didn’t want to like it more. She wanted to want to be with Chase.
She closed her eyes. Something deep inside of her tingled. She felt the tug, the pull, to be a part of The Brotherhood. To be around those who knew who and what she was. To become who she was supposed to be. Who she was meant to be.
She shook her head. That’s not who I want to be.
She stood and walked out into the hallway.
Ethan appeared in his bedroom doorway down the hall and looked her up and down. “Aren’t you ready yet? Chase is on his way.”
Liz had moved in with her fiancé, Jon, the previous weekend and Ethan had taken over her old room. He’d tried to get Sabrina to take the bigger and nicer room, but she refused. She liked where she was.
“It’ll only take me a few minutes,” she mumbled and closed the bathroom door behind her, ignoring the questioning look on his face.
She fixed her makeup and hair and returned to her room to dress. As she fastened the halter strap around her neck, she glanced in the mirror and pursed her lips. There was a lot of cleavage showing. Do I want to be sexy?
Part of her did. Part of her didn’t.
“Sabrina, you ready?” Ethan called from the hallway.
“Does it matter?” Sabrina asked, her voice higher than normal.
He chuckled. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah.”
The door opened and she turned.
Ethan’s gaze traveled down her body and he raised his eyebrows. “Holy shit,” he murmured.
“Do I look that bad?” She bit her lip.
“You look amazing!”
“Really?” Sabrina asked, bewildered at the lustful glimmer in his eyes. He was always so calm, so professional, but now he stared at her, eyes wide and mouth drooping open.
“Uh, yeah.” He wagged his eyebrows. “I knew you were a sexy woman, but damn!”
Sabrina’s cheeks burned, and he laughed.
“And that’s what makes it even more appealing.” His face softened into a warm smile.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your complete innocence about it.”
She looked down at the ground and picked at her fingernails. “What if I black out and hurt someone?” she whispered.
“Oh, Sabrina.” Ethan walked over and hugged her. “Richard won’t let that happen.” Before she could respond, someone knocked on the apartment door. “You’ll be fine.” He left the room.
Sabrina turned back to the mirror and adjusted her dress, trying to cover up more of the exposed skin, but it was low cut and had a high slit on the side. Enjoy yourself. Don’t black out. Everything will be okay.
Chase knocked on the door of Sabrina’s apartment and shifted on his feet as he ran his thumbs over the flat, velvet-covered box in his hands. He inhaled deeply several times, attempting to rid his stomach of the killer bees that had nested in there. He and Sabrina hadn’t talked much about tonight since she’d agreed to go. He’d tried a few times, but she turned pale whenever he brought it up.
What if she decided she enjoyed being part of The Brotherhood? What if she decided to become Richard’s Elder-Mistress? The bees grew more aggressive.
She loved him, but were her natural desires stronger than that love?
There was only one way to find out.
Ethan opened the door with wide, blinking eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Chase walked inside and set the box on the table, looking around for his beloved.
“She’s a good-looking girl, Chase.”
“What are you talking about?”
Sabrina’s bedroom door opened, and she walked out. Now he knew why Ethan looked bewildered.
Chase had seen Sabrina dressed for ballet class many times. Tight-fitting clothing was the norm. He knew the shape of her ass, the curve of her breasts, her tiny waist and strong legs, and always enjoyed looking. But as she stood in her doorway wearing that black dress, he could hardly breathe.
The dress hugged her body, emphasizing her hips and narrow waist. His eyes trailed down the inner swell of her breasts, tantalizing him with their luscious curves. It took every ounce of discipline he had to not push her up against the wall and take her right then and there.
When he managed to tear his eyes away from her breasts, he noticed she’d pulled her hair back into a simple bun, dark tendrils framing her face. Her green eyes were wide, and she blinked several times.
“You . . .” He cleared his throat when his voice cracked like a prepubescent schoolboy. “You look beautiful.”
She gave a shy smile and his heart leaped in his chest. That darn smile did it to him every time.
He strode the few steps across the room and pulled her into his arms. She pressed her body against him and he bit back a groan. “It’s a good thing I love you as much as I do,” he murmured against her hair.
“Why?”
“Because if I didn’t, I’d fuck you right here and now.”
She leaned back and stared up at him. “You would?”
He caressed her cheek. “You are the damn-sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” Her cheeks turned pink, and he grinned. “I don’t know how the men will make it through dinner tonight. They’ll all be thinking about you.”
Her brows knit together. “You know I only want you, right?”
“I know.” He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips, ignoring the knot growing in his stomach. She meant it now, but would she still feel that way in the morning? He ran his hands down her silky-smooth back and leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Her voice trembled.
He straightened and retrieved the jewelry box he’d put on the table when he came in. “These are for you to wear tonight.” He handed it to Sabrina and when she opened it, her mouth dropped open.
Inside was a set of exquisite diamond jewelry worthy of an Elder-Mistress—a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. “Chase, I can’t—” She shook her head. “I’ve never worn anything like this.” She ran her fingers along the wreath-like design of the necklace.
He took the box from her and set it on the table before extracting the heavy necklace from the box. “Turn around.”
She did so, exposing her perfect, sun-kissed, silky back to him, and he swallowed hard. He glanced at Ethan, who wagged his eyebrows, eyes glinting with amusement.
Chase suddenly appreciated his friend’s challenging job of keeping her safe, while staying professional. Ethan would never do anything behind his back, but also imagined that Ethan had spent more alone time thinking about her. Chase wasn’t tormented by her amazing presence every moment of the day. Ethan was.