Page 41 of The Cost of Corruption
Liv’s smile only grew.
“Oh, I’m not religious, so I’m definitely not the person to ask,” she said with a laugh. “But if you want my personal opinion, I can’t imagine any god would make so many of us with a burning need for love and then get angry at us for trying to find it.”
For a few long seconds, I sat wordlessly on the edge of the bed, my lips slightly parted, my eyes blinking.
Liv wasn’t just kind and lovely. She was also smart as hell.
Gabriel D’Angelo was a lucky man.
“We’re all finished, miss,” one of the women said, coming out of the closet with an empty rolling rack behind her. “Your new wardrobe is ready for you.”
“Thank you,” I said weakly as the three women made a train out the door and disappeared into the hallway.
Once they were gone, Liv tapped her hand against my leg.
“Come on. We might as well go take a look,” she said. “I can help you pick out an outfit for tonight.”
My eyes widened. “Why do I need one? Did Matteo say he was taking me somewhere?”
“No,” she said, already rising up from the edge of the bed. “But Matteo didn’t buy all these clothes just to have them hang in a closet. Besides, it’s Saturday night, and he never stays home on a Saturday night.”
“Not even when there’s a rival mob boss gunning for his head?” I asked skeptically.
But Liv only laughed. “Oh, sweetie.Especiallynot then.”
Chapter Eleven
CHASTITY
“Holy shit.”
I can’t lie—the breathy exclamation that slipped from Matteo’s lips as I descended the stairs that evening sent an electric thrill up my spine.
True to her word, Liv had helped me pick out an outfit for the night. A simple black dress, the longest in the collection Matteo had assembled for me. But just because it was floor length didn’t mean it was modest.
Not by a long shot.
The halter top still showed a great deal of skin on my shoulders and arms. Not to mention the deep plunging neckline that dipped all the way down to the base of my breastbone, revealing the top swells of my breasts for all to see. If that wasn’t enough, a long slit cut up the skirt, allowing movement but causing my right leg to slip out into the open air with every step.
It was the kind of dress I could have never imagined wearing. Not in a million years. But even I had to admit, a part of me liked it.
A lot.
Especially as I saw the expression on Matteo’s face as I came into view.
His dark eyes were wide. His lips slightly parted as if the sight of me like this had truly surprised him.
I couldn’t blame him.
It had surprised me as well.
Especially after Liv had generously taken the time to help me fix my hair and makeup—two things I’d never had to deal with before.
I appreciated that she hadn’t gone overboard. She’d gone light with the cosmetics, applying just enough to even out my skin tone and bring out my eyes.
My hair she kept simple, pulling it back from my face but still letting it cascade freely down my back. Then, she’d used an iron to put in a few loose curls.
It might have been a basic look by modern standards, but for me, it felt daring.
