ble under her bare feet, silence as thick as

er chest. She wore a silk robe the color of blood, one of many Luciano had laid out for her. The gar

was soft.

place was beautiful

a stage. A trick. A velve

n't touched

th his

mported perfumes, velvet-bound books in Italian. In the way his scent still clung to her

s mad

orture-one where she burned

ted he

per

out the way his voice sounded when he told her she was wet. About the way

ated hers

he door pulled he

ould respond

an

no's

nna said, stepping

a studi

ombat boots, with her copper hair tied in a loose braid over one shoulder.

getting a visitor,"

r and talk about wedding night jitters. I'm here because my b

always

ow. "No. But when

the armchair. "Because

use I know what he's capable of

her, unsure of wh

ed herself whiskey at ten in the mo

er than I expe

be strong. I'm

omes with a price. But strength? Real strength? That makes you

eyes. "Are you sayin

But if you don't... he'll crave you

f back in the same black leath

t wait to

t on h

t. Legs cros

s if it were normal. As if being summoned like a we

n't getting

as pl

tti

game, she'd play i

oor o

te, no tie, shirt unbuttoned enough to

cked on her

hout being to

ning," sh

set down a silver brief

ou learning

u like c

s," he said wit

denying me more

e loo

ref

k robe fall open slightly at her

case and stepped ar

ir sh

tall, commanding, and

he cr

face in

issed

not g

s not

s a c

in hunger, in betrayal of every wall she'd tried to bu

en it

lled

nk about that a

walke

d, Isabella was pacing her

had bro

use it h

e wanted it to

could stil

gging for something her

pposed to

fall

t the whisper

came at

equests your presen

into somet

gh

ger

ipped low at the front. She painted her lips bl

d a queen,

candlelight. The room she entered was empty of furniture exce

, one hand in his pocket, g

turn when

u hated silen

she replied, closing

sweeping over

re that

it for

ter," he

the piano a

it

idn't

aid,

, and chose the chair beside him rat

id no

pla

low, haunting melody. It was slow and

ched hi

fin

ec

e or pleasure, dep

ke me as a pian

. "I taught myself co

pped p

ence re

turned

nd touched

ith f

th rev

hed the pulse

t you screams re

brea

wil

eath h

not

llarbone, the bare edge of her

to take you l

Heat spread th

you. Make you forget every ma

her thigh, stopping just be

ant you

ow badly sh

win," she

ready

sto

ed a

her s

ai

t, she di

ecause sh

and forget how it felt when he to