Chapter 37
brOOKLYN
“Wait, what?”
“A ball,” Kir says casually, like it’s the most normal thing in the world to go to a black-tie formal event—on a fucking Wednesday , none the less.
“It’s a fundraiser for…” He frowns, trying to remember. “HIV research.” He frowns again. “No, that’s later this year. This one might be…dolphins?”
I cock my head to the side, shaking it in amazement. “Are you really invited to so many balls that you lose track which is which?”
“It’s possible.”
“And you want me to go with you tonight?”
He frowns. “Why not?”
I feel my cheeks heat. “I dunno…because I’m not a ball type of girl?”
“And why is that ?” he smirks, adjusting his jacket cuffs. It’s freaking eight in the morning, and the man is already in a suit, looking like sin .
Meanwhile I’m in pj's and a loose ponytail, looking like I just got dragged kicking and screaming out of bed.
“Be…cause?” I shrug.
“Exactly how many balls have you been to, babygirl,” he murmurs.
“None!” I blurt. “That's exactly my point!”
“What would have happened if you’d decided never to try ballet simply because you’d never done it before?”
“Shitty example,” I sigh. “I was fucking terrible at ballet when I first started.”
“Language,” he growls.
…There’s a chance I deliberately inject swearing into my speech now just to hear him say that.
“But you got better.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, after years . But I was terrible the first time, same as I’d suck at going to a ball. Besides,” I shrug, looking down into my coffee again. “I thought we were…you know…”
Kir lifts a brow. “What.”
I sigh. “A secret. I mean…” I trail off, frowning. “Look, I don’t care about it?—”
“ It ,” he says with a small smile. “Riddles aren’t exactly my strong suit in the morning?—”
“The age difference!” I blurt. “It doesn’t bother me ?—”
“I’m terribly glad to hear that,” he says dryly.
I giggle, poking his firm stomach. “And it doesn’t bother me what other people would think. Except…”
“…When it comes to work,” he growls, finishing my thought.
I nod glumly. “You know what they’d say. Well, what some people might say. I’m me , you’re the super-hot, powerful owner of the ballet company I dance for.” I frown. “They’d say I was sleeping with you to boost my career or whatever.”
He lifts a shoulder. “And then there’s what they’d say about me : that I’m merely sleeping with the hot, young, extremely talented dancer as an ego boost or as part of a midlife crisis.”
“Exactly,” I say quietly. “Hence, the secrecy.” I shrug. “Like, we don’t go out. That sort of thing.”
He frowns. “Would you like to go out?”
I frown. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m not sure,” I groan, dropping my forehead to his chest. “But a gala? It seems…kind of public. Don’t these things have photographers taking shots of all the fancy rich people for the tabloids?”
“They do.”
“Well?”
Kir’s lips curl into a smile. “This ball is a masked one . ”
I arch a brow. “Seriously?”
He nods. “So, with that final excuse of yours moot, be ready to go at seven?—”
“I don’t have a dress.” I frown. “I mean, I have tons of clothes, thanks to you. But I mean, a ball sounds fancy to me?—”
“My stylist will dress you,” he says briskly, checking his watch. “If you could be home by five-thirty, that’ll be enough time for them to do your hair, too.”
I stare at him. “I’m sorry, who’s doing my hair?”
“The hair person I have coming to the house at five-thirty,” he says with amusement before he checks his watch again. “Try not to be late.”
I nod. “Yeah, okay…sorry, why do you keep looking at your watch? Are you late for something?”
“Not yet.”
I smile curiously. “So, what?—”
I gasp when he lifts me up and sits me on the edge of the kitchen counter. “What I was making sure of, babygirl,” he growls, lifting my ass and yanking down my pajama pants, “is that I had enough time for breakfast before I left the house.”
I tremble as he shoves my thighs apart. “And what’s for— oh …”
A whimper erupts from my lips as he drops to his knees and curls his tongue around my clit.
Oh, THAT breakfast…
I stare at myself in the mirror.
Holy shit .
I look like a fucking princess . I look like how I imagine Evie dresses when she’s not at work and no one's around to tease her about her Disney princess vibe.
Okay, not quite. But, if I do say so myself, I look hot .
I’m in a black strapless floor-length gown, with a gauzy black floral motif near my right shoulder, and a cascade of delicate, barely noticeable silver sparkles spilling down the side. From the hip down to my knees is fitted like a pencil skirt, then it flares out in a way I absolutely love.
Balenciaga, of course. I’m sure it cost a fucking fortune.
The hair stylist has also worked sorcery , turning my hair into a gorgeous creation held by about a thousand bobby pins in an elaborate but fun style. There was also a makeup artist who came and made me look…well… stunning .
Time to actually go do this thing.
I take a breath and leave my room, walking along the hall and down the curved stairs to where Kir is waiting in the front foyer.
He turns, and I grin when his eyes widen just a little—such a change from his usual stoic expression.
His gaze runs over me, his mouth opening and then closing as he swallows.
“You…”
I frown. “Is it too much? It feels like a little?—”
“You're stunning, Brooklyn,” he growls. “Fucking stunning .”
I blush deeply, looking down. “ Language ,” I grunt, doing my best Kir impression.
He just shakes his head. “This time, it’s necessary.”
I grin as I walk down the rest of the stairs to join him. “Pretty easy on the eyes yourself,” I tease, eye-fucking the shit out of him in his perfect tux.
“This old thing?”
I snort as he smiles and takes my arm, leading me outside.
…Where an actual stretch limo is waiting for us.
I’ve never been in one before, but three seconds after settling into the luxurious back of this one, I’m sure I could get used to it.
Very, very used to it.
Kir hands me a flute of champagne …yes, really…and clears his throat. “I wanted to tell you something.”
I smile curiously. “Oh?”
He nods. “It’s about James.”
Instantly, my face falls, icy cold rippling through me. But then Kir’s right there, pulling me across the seat and planting me firmly on his lap. He holds my jaw, his fierce dark eyes refusing to let me look away.
“I don’t want to talk about?—”
“You’ll never see him again.”
I blink. “What?”
“I mean it. I’ve made sure of it.”
My pulse skips. “Did you…is he…?”
“No. Not yet ,” he growls. “There were some…political issues with killing him. His uncle is the president of the longshoreman’s union, which is how anything and everything gets moved through New York Harbor.”
I nod. “So, if you killed him, his uncle would?—”
“If it was just my business,” he growls, “I wouldn’t care. I’d skin him myself.”
I bite my lip. It’s wild that this man would legit kill for me.
…And actually pretty hot, in a kinda fucked-up way.
“But the union also oversees the logistics of some of my allies, and enemies.”
“And he could have it all shut down,” I murmur. “Which would make?—”
“A lot of people very unhappy,” Kir finishes. “So I did things slightly differently. It would appear James has a penchant for… younger women. As in, you’re about ten years older than his usual preference.”
I stare at him. “Are you serious ?! That's—” I cling to his tuxedo jacket, shaking.
“I had someone I know tell James they were much younger than they actually are, and film him offering them money for sex.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Gross.”
“I agree. So does his uncle.” He smirks. “James has been… removed from New York City and sent to work for his other uncle, in a slightly different industry.”
I frown. “Which is…?”
“The shale oil fields of Northern Yukon, just inside the Arctic Circle.” He smiles widely. “I happen to know a few individuals up there who would love to break up the boredom of daily life by beating a child molester to death.”
The sensation that slowly melts through me is one of pure relief , like a weight has been lifted from my chest, or the shadow that’s been looming over me has suddenly been banished by the sun.
My eyes search Kir’s as I shake my head and press my hands to his chest.
“You did that for me?”
His brow furrows as he takes one of my hands and brings it to his lips. “I will destroy every monster you’ve ever known,” he murmurs. “Without hesitation.”
My heart surges and I melt against him.
“ Thank you ,” I whisper, before his lips find mine.