“Did you die?”
“My pussy was soaking wet, Steph. I almost came just from his hands on my thighs.” The raw truth slips out into the dark. “My brain completely short-circuited. If Tyra had not walked in, I would have begged him to push me onto the bed, rip my panties off, and bury his thick cock inside me.”
“Holy shit.” Steph laughs again. “You need to lock your door tonight. Or leave it wide open. Actually, definitely leave it open.”
“I need to survive until the Gala tomorrow.”
“You can survive and still have a little fun with the hired muscle.”
A metallicclickslices through the dark room.
Precise. Cold. Deadly.
I freeze mid-step. My heart stalls in my chest.
“Lucia?” Steph asks. “Are you there?”
“I have to go.”
I pull the phone from my ear. I hit the red button. I drop the device onto the marble counter.
I stare into the dark corner of the kitchenette.
A massive shadow sits perfectly still on the small barstool.
Jude.
He blends into the darkness. Dark cargo pants and a black tactical shirt absorb the ambient light. He doesn’t loom aggressively. He doesn’t pace like a caged animal. He sits with terrifying stillness.
A sleek handgun rests on the marble in front of him. A soft cloth moves methodically over the metal barrel.
“I did not mean to interrupt your conversation.”
His voice is a low, smooth baritone. It vibrates deep in the center of my chest. Grounding. Nothing like the harsh barks of the other two men.
“You did not interrupt.” I cross my arms under my breasts. “I was finished.”
Jude doesn’t look up. The cloth glides along the weapon. The metallicsnickof the slide snapping back into place echoes in the confined space.
“You lie incredibly well.”
The quiet observation lands with pinpoint accuracy.
“Excuse me?”
Jude sets the handgun down. His head lifts. “To your daughter. You told her the giant man was not scary. You lied straight to her face without blinking.”
Amber light catches his eyes. They are impossibly deep. Calm, calculating, surgical. They strip away every layer of Costa armor in two seconds.
“I protect her.” My chin tips up. “I keep her safe.”
“From what?”
“From everything.”
I reach for a heavy crystal tumbler in the open cabinet. Keeping my hands busy hides the tremor in my fingers. Cold water rushes from the silver tap.
Jude stays seated. He doesn’t crowd the sink. He gives me physical space.