The command was soft, but it left no room for refusal. He shifted closer, eyes steady on me as I leaned forward and took the bite.
I chewed, swallowed carefully.
“So?” His gaze didn’t waver. “Do you like it?”
No I didn’t. But that wasn’t the answer he wanted. I nodded once.
I knew there were others that would consider me weak for agreeing and bending so quickly. But they didn’t see the longer game. A Dynasty merger wasn’t about the love, it was about blood. My submission to him, wasn’t about giving him power. It was choosing how I would mould him around me.
His thumb brushed across my bottom lip. My stomach clenched — there was no food there, nothing to wipe away. Just a mark. Possession disguised as etiquette.
“I accidentally smudged your lipstick,” he murmured.
I leaned forward slightly, lowering my lashes. “Did you?” The whisper tasted soft, practiced.
It burned, but I had to play my part. This was the role. My uncles and Alexander clearly valued a merger with the Vales, or this dinner would never have been staged.
His thumb lingered at my lip, his knee brushing mine beneath the table.
I forced myself to hold the smile, even as my glance flicked past his shoulder.
Luca.
He stood at the bar, a glass in his hand, his eyes locked on me.
Alaricr’s fingers brushed my hair back, coaxing my gaze back to him. I smiled faintly. “Your drink’s nearly empty,” I said. “I’ll get you another.”
He smirked at that, removing his hand from my knee.
I walked toward the bar, every step deliberate, the weight of dynasty eyes on my back. But all I felt was his stare—Luca’s—burning through me, locked and unrelenting.
I ordered Alaric’s drink.
I kept a careful distance between myself and Luca. Even from here, the air was thick with him.
“Who’s the tourist?” His voice was cold.
“Alaric Vale.” My eyes flicked to Luca, and I saw it, the way he was staring at me.
“The fucker is feeding you. In our restaurant. In a building we own.”
It wasn’t just what he said.
“Stop looking at me like that,” I said under my breath, shame already rising hot in my chest.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m cheating on you and Bastion.”
The words physically hurt.
I turned, forcing the mask back on. “This is all I can offer you. A life long affair.”
He said nothing.
My throat tightened. “This was a mistake. Starting this back up again.” The bartender set the drink down between us. I didn’t look at it. “We’re just going to hurt each other.”
“Emilia.” His hand flexed once, I knew it was taking his self control not to grab me. “You walk away from me right now, and I’ll walk over there and drag you from that seat until we finish this conversation.”
