Chapter 3
MIA
W hen I open the door, my breath hitches. Standing on my porch is the most angelic-looking man I’ve ever seen. With ice-blond hair slicked back off his forehead, still showing off the wave of it, and blue-green eyes that sparkle like two lagoons, he could make anyone melt on the spot. He towers over me by at least a foot and a half. I gaze down the length of him, taking stock of his broad shoulders and thick arms held snug inside his expensive designer suit. My heart flutters when he flashes me a grin.
“It’s Mia, right?” He sticks out his hand. “You probably don’t remember me. I’m Aries Thorn.”
I feel my cheeks flush when his hand clasps around mine. “I… um. No, I don’t remember anyone here. I was just a baby when I left.”
He grimaces, remembering something about my past that I don’t have any recollection of. “Such a tragedy what happened to your parents. I’m sorry for your loss.”
I shrug, but I can’t tear my eyes away from his. “That’s okay. I never knew them… Is there something I can help you with? ”
His charm falls right back into place. “May I come inside? I’d love to discuss an important matter with you.”
I shouldn’t let a stranger into my house, but his name is synonymous with Ever Graves. His family is rich, powerful, and well-respected in Melancholia society. I step back and motion for him to pass. “Of course.”
I catch a whiff of something familiar as he walks past me. Something sweet and heavy and pungent. It lodges in my throat and makes me cough for a second. I’ve smelled it before.
“I’d offer you a drink, but I don’t have anything stronger than tea or coffee.” It’s only the afternoon, but I’ve heard how the Thorns like their booze before brunch.
He winks at me. “Have you checked the cellar? That’s where your grandmother kept the good stuff.”
I laugh, forgetting that the people in this town knew her better than I did. It didn’t even dawn on me until now that he’s probably attended parties in this house. This estate is so big, I haven’t even seen half of it in the week I’ve been here. “Show me where that is. I’m still getting the lay of the land.”
He licks his lips, and for a split second, I think I see a ring of light swirl around his pupils. “I’ll lead the way.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. Between the guy I screwed in the bathroom at Duff’s Bar the other night and now this flawless Adonis in front of me, I’m starting to think that Ever Graves only allows beautiful men to live here.
Aries leads me to a door underneath the sweeping staircase. The wood creaks when he pulls on it. He flashes me another grin before descending yet another staircase. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
Butterflies dance in my belly at the tone of his voice. He’s polite yet suggestive, like a man who is doing everything in his power not to let the mask slip. The hairs on the back of my arms prickle as I follow him down the dark passageway .
“Is this the part where you murder me and hide my body in one of the wine barrels?” I’m only half-joking.
He reaches back for my hand, another gentlemanly gesture so I don’t slip, but his grip is a little too firm. “I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for the suggestion.”
I freeze on the stairs, my palm sweating inside his. “Um…”
He bursts out laughing. “Relax, little lamb. Murder is a bit too messy for me.” We reach the bottom of the stairs—I know because he flicks on a light, knowing exactly where the switch is located. It illuminates the room and his face, which is now just inches away from mine. “I’m more of a bury you alive type of guy.”
If it weren’t for that devilish smirk on his face, I’d question if he was joking. He’s playful and charming, but something sinister creeps at the edges of his lips, something dark pulls at his eyes.
I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. The cellar is musty and cool and smells like old library books. “How thoughtful,” I tease.
When I finally tear my eyes away from his face, I gasp. “There must be a thousand bottles down here.”
He wipes the dust off the nearest one and presents it to me. “This is a 1982 Chateau Lafite. It’s worth about ten grand. There are a few thousand others in here just like this one. Different vineyards and years, but all worth about the same and higher. And it’s all yours.”
What in the actual fuck? Now the back of my neck is sweating as well as my palms. “That’s insane. People actually pay that much for wine?”
Aries dips his head to the side, a seductive move that lands its intention. A tiny trickle of moisture leaks out of my pussy. He caresses the bottle in a way that makes me want to be the fucking bottle. “People will pay anything if they want something bad enough.” There’s a hint of ache in his voice.
“What is it that you want?” I ask, my fingers trembling at my sides. I’m overwhelmed by the scents of this room and him and the heat of his stare on me.
He fingers a few more bottles before landing on another and pulling it out from its home on the rack. “To drink this very expensive bottle of wine with you while I tell you exactly what I want.”
It’s strange how Aries knows his way around my kitchen. He pulls out the exact drawer that the wine opener lives in before crossing to the cabinet that holds a set of crystal decanters. I wonder just how much time he’s spent here…
“You have to be gentle with these old corks.” He carefully twists the wine opener into the cork. “They’re fragile and can disintegrate if you don’t get the right angle.”
Despite the fact that it’s just a little after noon, my mouth salivates for a taste. This wine, this moment, is the stuff from fiction. These scenarios don’t happen to girls like me. Not to dirty little orphan girls who can’t even dream because their sleep is possessed by nightmares.
With the cork safely out and in one piece, Aries sets it on the marble counter. “Now, no matter how gentle you are, there’s always going to be some sediment at the bottom. So that’s why I’m going to pour it into here.” He winks and rolls up his suit sleeves before reaching for the crystal decanter.
The veins on his forearms protrude around his chiseled muscles as he grips the bottle. I clench my thighs together as every single one of his movements turns me on. Fuck, I’m such a whore. I feel my cheeks heat when we lock eyes. He knows I want him. Fuck. But I’m sure this man is used to everyone wanting him. He’s universally hot.
“Where did you learn how to do that?” I ask like an idiot.
After he finishes decanting the bottle, he reaches into another cabinet and pulls out two goblets. “My mother taught me when I was six. She loved showing off that trick at dinner parties.”
I nearly choke on my first sip. “Six years old? Holy shit.”
He smiles, but his lips are tight. “There’s nothing holy about my life, darlin’.”
I nod and swirl the wine around in my mouth. I remember seeing someone do that in a movie once.
He holds up his glass. “Look at the legs on that. Fuck.”
I nod again, but I am so out of my league right now; it’s painful.
“See how the wine teardrops down the sides of the glass? This one’s been fermenting for a long time. Higher alcohol content—which means we’re going to get fucked up.” He laughs.
I don’t usually drink much, so after a few more sips, I’m already feeling buzzed. I lean against the center island, thankful that it stands between us. Aries looks and sounds like a very bad idea. He’s not only sexy as hell, but he’s also rich, powerful, and charming. Where I come from, that combination leads to devastation and ruin.
He cocks his head to the side. “You don’t talk much, do you?”
Not when I’m flustered . “I-I’m just tired. There’s still a lot of unpacking to do. Sorry.”
He undoes the top button of his shirt, revealing swirls of ink across his collarbone. “Don’t ever apologize, little lamb. You’re too pretty to be sorry.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat while my traitorous pussy pulses with need. “Um, thanks.” The last time I checked myself out in the mirror, my dark circles were more prominent, and my face was paler than usual. An unfortunate side effect of forced insomnia followed by coma-like sleep spells that can pull me under for days.
He furrows his brow. “I guess we should get down to business, Mia.”
His shift in tone snaps me out of my sex-with-a-stranger fantasy. “Right. Yeah.”
“This property is special. Aside from it being the largest estate in Ever Graves, it’s the oldest. And it’s a lot for one person to manage.” He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he swirls his wine in circles on the counter.
Something prickles the back of my neck. Fear? Uneasiness? “It’s a bit intimidating, but it already feels like home. My grandmother left me a lot of money. Once I get settled, I plan on hiring some people to help out.”
He winces, his lips pursed. “That’s the thing, Mia. No one is going to want to work here.”
I set down my glass and push it away from me like it’s going to bite me suddenly. “What do you mean? Why?”
“Do you know who Draven Blackwell is?” He grips the stem of his glass so tightly that I think it might snap in half.
Fuck. So this is why he came . “I don’t know him personally.” There’s a chill in the air between us.
He takes another big swig of his wine. “Well, I do. Draven Blackwell runs this town, Mia. He has forbidden anyone to work for you. Trust me, you don’t want him as an enemy.”
I grip the edges of the counter to steady myself. My stomach knots, and my knees shake. “I think you should leave,” I rasp.
Aries reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an envelope. “We are offering you three times what the property is worth. You can go anywhere you want in Melancholia. Fuck, you could buy ten houses with the money we’re giving you.”
A quiet rage begins to fester in my bones. The fucking audacity of these people. “This is Harker Mansion. And I’m a Harker. My grandmother wanted me to have it. So with all due respect, fuck you and fuck off. I’m not selling.”
He creeps around the center island, stalking toward me. My breath hitches as I back up against the wall. “You need to leave,” I repeat.
He rests his hands on the wall, boxing me in between his arms as he glares down at me. “Such foul language from such a quiet girl. I think you were just biting your tongue before to hide all that filth.” He leans in closer. “This property is covered in baneberry. Its mere existence infringes on our poison territory. You can either sell it to us or become our biggest competitor. The latter option is a whole lot messier. And as I mentioned earlier, I don’t fucking like messy.”
I catch another whiff of his scent and know why it’s familiar. It’s the same scent I smelled on the veranda yesterday. I take a deep breath and force myself to hold his gaze. “Are you threatening me?”
He licks his lips. “We’re beyond threats, little lamb…” He steps back and adjusts his sleeves, rolling them back down and buttoning them at the cuff. “I’ll leave this here for you to look over. My cell number is at the bottom. Call me when you’ve signed, and I’ll make sure you have the funds in your account before the ink is dry.”
I snicker, my cheeks flaming, but not for the same reason as before. “Get out before I call the sheriff.”
A devilish smirk takes over his mouth, and this time, he doesn’t try to hide the rings of light swirling around his pupils. “No need. I don’t want Sheriff Moss distracted during our golf game tomorrow. He’s a terrible swing as it is.”
Fucking hell. My chest heaves as I watch Aries back away toward the front door. Ever Graves is my chance at a new life. To start over. I’ll be damned if I let the town bullies take that away from me.
In the past, I’ve always backed down. Ran away. Conceded. But for some reason, this time, I want to stay and fight. For the first time in my life, I want something more for myself.
I follow him out and stand on the porch, watching him climb into his black SUV. He rolls down the window before he pulls away. “I expect a call from you soon, Mia.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I call out. But he’s already driving away, laughing as he speeds through the open gates.
“Fuck,” I murmur. The wind howls around me, sending shivers down my spine. I look to my left toward the skeleton trees that line my property. I spot row after row of pink and white flowers. I charge toward the closest cluster. The bushes are full of bright, beautiful berries. Fucking poison?
I take a deep breath to try and calm my nerves, but the scent of the toxin lodges in my throat, and I almost cough up a lung. I stumble back to the porch, angrier than ever. I have no friends, no allies… Just a bunch of old money that doesn’t mean shit in a town full of people who have just as much. Fuck me. What the hell am I supposed to do now?