Page 29 of Reaper’s Wrath

“I’m terribly sorry, you’re right. A sale would imply you got something in return, and in this case, you get absolutely nothing but a limp dick and misery. Impressive.”

I suck in a lungful of air from his verbal lashing. “How dare you judge me.”

“Or maybe it was about the gown,” he continues, ignoring my outrage. “Maybe with no prospects in sight, you were desperate to buy a fancy dress and walk down that aisle with anyone who would take you.”

“The marriage had nothing to do with the stupid dress or any other nonsense you’ve cooked up. You don’t know anything.”

“Perfect, because I’m fucking sick of seeing you in this thing.” He slides his fingers beneath either side of the deep V neckline of my gown and wrenches the fabric apart, tearing the dress straight down the middle. It slides off my shoulders. He tugs the sleeves the rest of the way off until the gown pools at my feet, leaving me in nothing but my panties and heels.

I’m stunned speechless.

I think he may be too, because we both stand silent, aside from the heaving of our rapid breaths.

As my thoughts recover, I lift my chin defiantly. I refuse to hide myself from him, if only because that’s exactly what he wants. If he thought he could terrify me into submission, he’s got another thing coming. I don’t know where this reckless courage is coming from, but it’s endless. I can’t contain it.

When I look at Elio, I see a man I’ve known my whole life. A man I’ve trusted. My brain refuses to sever that connection.

“Feel better now?” I ask with haughty indignation, hands perched on my hips.

“Much,” he murmurs while his hungry gaze devours my body.

As if needing to prove I have in fact lost my mind, my treacherous body preens in response. My nipples pebble so tight they cause my spine to stiffen with restraint.

Dear God, am I turned on by violence?

I never would have thought that, but I have no idea how else to explain my body’s reaction to this moment. My body’s reaction to him.

“It was you in the dressing room, wasn’t it? And out front of my house. That’s why I—” I snap my jaw shut.

“Why what?” he demands in a low rumble.

Why I was suddenly attracted to DiAngelo. I want to know for sure that it was Elio, but I don’t want to admit how he made me feel, even if it was him. I don’t have any idea how my body knew when my brain was clueless, but it did. I simply don’t react to DiAngelo the way I do Elio.

“Nothing. I just … sensed a difference, that’s all.” I shrug off his question. There’s no way in hell I’m confessing to the rest of it out loud.

I want to ask if I’m the only one he’s tricked, and whether there were any other instances when I was unknowingly talking to him instead of his brother, but all thoughts evaporate when I see Elio begin to lift his hand.

He’s going to touch me.

I’m mostly naked, and he’s going to touch me.

What’s he planning?

Will he graze his knuckles along the underside of my breast?

Or maybe he’ll drag his calloused thumb across my nipple.

Will he stop at a touch?

Do I want him to?

My breathing grows shallow with anticipation as the man who is so familiar yet so foreign comes closer and closer…

Except I completely misread his intent. I failed to realize his downcast gaze wasn’t locked on my breasts. He was focused even lower.

Excitement extinguishes with a frigid hiss of cold water when his finger slowly traces over the longest of my scars that extends up above my belly button.

How could I have forgotten?