I woke up staring down at my naked body, and the memory of what Jaxon and I had done last night came rushing back like a tidal wave.
How dare he? Who disappears right after I say no to sex?
He could have ignored it. I know he wanted it, his bulge practically screamed it. But no. Jaxon will always be Jaxon. A total psychopath. A manipulative one, at that.
Was this his way of punishing me?
Still, no matter how furious I am, my body betrays me every time he's involved. God damn it.
I should still be mad at him for what he said at the party. But the worst part? He wasn't wrong.
It is about the money for me. And for him, it's about the empire. That's all this engagement is. The sooner I remember that, the better.
I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to freshen up. The cold water helped cool my skin, but not my thoughts.
I wrapped a towel around myself and headed to the wardrobe. But the moment I opened it, I froze.
Everything was different.
Gone were my clothes. Every single one.
In their place were elegant dresses, designer trousers, silk blouses, coats that probably cost more than my college tuition.
There was a note clipped to a hanger. I yanked it off, already boiling.
"I changed your wardrobe with rich and classy clothes and threw out your worn-out, cheap, and poor clothes.
From your fake fiancé."
My hands trembled as I held the note.
"Arrogant, cocky, son of a bitch," I hissed. "Who does he think he is?"
Come to think of it, everything in this room looked different now. Feminine. Comfortable. Like it actually belonged to someone.
Had I been too angry yesterday to notice... or had I secretly wanted him buried deep inside me so badly I missed all the signs?
I picked out a white polo and black trousers, dressed, and stormed downstairs.
"Good morning, ma'am," Madam Pat greeted me warmly.
"Good morning," I replied tightly.
She gave me that wise, knowing smile. "Hope you slept well?"
"Kinda," I muttered.
"Come, sit. Breakfast is ready."
I sat down as tea, bread, and omelet were served. I ate alone, quietly, hoping Jaxon might show up. But he didn't.
When I finished, I went back to my room. Bored. Restless. Frustrated. So I decided to visit Freya.
I knocked on her apartment door. She opened, flushed and sweating.
"Umm... hi," she said nervously. "What are you doing here?"
I raised a brow. "Excuse me?" I pushed the door open and walked in.
She followed. "I... wasn't expecting you."
I gave her a once-over. She was practically glowing. "Okay. Spill the tea. Why are you sweating like a marathon runner?"
Her eyes widened. "I know what you're thinking."
I gasped dramatically. "I knew it!"
"Yeah. Way."
Just then, Luca walked out of her room, looking sinfully hot in casual jeans and a half-buttoned black shirt.
"Hi, Astrid," he said coolly, then glanced at Freya. "We'll talk later."
My jaw? On. The. Floor.
Freya noticed. "Okay, okay. Don't explode. I'll give you all the details once I get dressed." She hurried off, wrapped in nothing but a towel.
We talked for hours. She confessed she and Luca had been sleeping together since she moved in. I was lowkey envious. Why couldn't it be like that for me and Jaxon?
I told her about the party. About Jaxon. The clothes. How everything is twisted with him. She just shook her head and handed me a chocolate bar.
"Girl, you're living a Mafia fantasy," she said.
"It's more like a Mafia nightmare," I muttered.
We laughed, talked about college, her stress at work, my plan to start classes after summer.
Then my phone rang. Madam Pat.
"Miss Wilder, please come up for brunch."
I said goodbye to Freya and made my way back to the penthouse.
Madam Pat greeted me. "Mr. Voxx hasn't come out since morning. Could you call him for brunch?"
I nodded and made my way to his room.
I knocked. "Jaxon? It's Astrid."
"Come in," his deep voice answered.
I opened the door and nearly forgot how to breathe.
He was shirtless, pulling on a black shirt, his muscular chest glistening faintly. My clit literally sang hallelujah.
Every part of him screamed dominance
,broad shoulders, cut abs, tribal tattoo trailing from shoulder to bicep. A faint claw mark lined his left side of his chest, mysterious and sexy. His eyes met mine.
"You gonna keep staring or say something?" he asked, voice low and teasing.
I blinked. "I came to say... Madam Pat said you should come down for brunch."
He finished buttoning up. "Is that all?"
I crossed my arms. "What the hell, Jaxon? You threw out my clothes?"
He shrugged. "They were an insult to your body, and beside they were so worn out and cheap that even the homeless will reject it if given to them.
"You don't get to decide that!"
"I get to decide everything concerning you. This isn't a democracy, Astrid."
"No, it's a dictatorship run by a lunatic!"
His jaw ticked. I walked to the door, yanked it open. "Come eat or don't. I don't care." i slammed it behind him.
Great.
He did come down, eventually. Sat across from me, silent. I was silent too. Freya joined us at Madam Pat's invitation, breaking the tension a little.
Afterward, Freya and I went back to my room. Just as we were about to settle in, Jaxon knocked.
"Get ready. We're leaving at 4."
"Leaving for what?" I asked.
"Don't question me," he growled. "Just be ready."
"I'll decide if I feel like going."
His eyes flashed like a storm. "Don't test me, Astrid."
He turned and stormed off.
Freya helped me pick out a sleek black dress and helped with my makeup.
By 4 p.m., I was downstairs waiting.
Jaxon descended the stairs like sin wrapped in silk. He wore a navy blue tux, black shirt unbuttoned at the top, exposing part of his chest and the intricate wolf tattoo crawling up his neck.
I tried not to drool. Failed.
"Stop staring and let's go," he snapped.
I followed, heart pounding.
Whatever tonight held... I was walking into it with a man who could break me in every possible way.