is fingers, dropping onto the

re he scrambled to paste on his usual charming smile.

e was coated in fake honey. "What are you doing here? You hear

her free hand

ried enough absolute rejection to m

other men shifting uncomfortably in their seats

black velvet bo

knew what it was. She had talked about it for weeks, her

to sound authoritative and gentle at the same tim

pped the

satin. It caught the low light of the chan

didn't shake. It cut through the silent room like a scalpel. "I source

ound at his friends, his embarrassme

gaze. "You said

de

, her voice dropping a fraction of a d

slow step i

d I was

e mask was slipping. His pride was bleeding

rrifying, hollow thing th

out one thing, Jus

the necklace out. She wrapped the

e being o

surge of strength, she

n

room as the delicate silver clasp

black hail, bouncing off the glass table, rolling across the Persian rug. One

his mouth slightly open. He had never seen her l

hain and the empty velvet

her chest was spreading to her vocal c

or a response. She walked out the door, h

k Room shattered the seco

d rage. He stormed toward the door. "You walk out that door, you d

't break h

er to hear. "Give it three days. The second her daddy cuts

o soothe Juston's bruised ego. "She w

renaline that had kept her

he had fought so hard to hold back finally flooded her ey

get to the exit. Sh

d the lobby, her vision comp

g stretched out from the l

hard against a s