"I prepared everything... just for you."
Vivienne's voice was breathless, her eyes shining with the hope of a devotee offering a sacrifice to her god.
Alex didn't answer immediately.
He stepped forward, closing the final inch of distance between them. He reached out, his hand sliding around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. He felt her tremble... not from fear, but from the sudden, overwhelming relief of finally being touched after two days of starvation.
He looked down at her, his eyes scanning the lace, the candles, the carefully staged scene.
"For me?" Alex repeated softly, his voice a low, vibrating rumble in the quiet room.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward the heavy velvet curtains hanging against the wall. The curtains that had been left just open enough to allow a view from the outside.
A cruel, knowing smirk curled his lips.
"Or did you prepare this for your little daughter?"
