Page 98 of Silk and Sirens

Her expression shifted, that earlier jealousy flashing across her face so clearly I fucking revelled in it.

“Caden—”

My fingers squeezed slightly. “Answer the question.”

Her cheeks flushed, those full lips pressing into a stubborn line. “No.”

“Why?”

She let out a cute little growl. “What do you want me to say? That the idea that she gets to touch you drives me fucking crazy? That you’re mine?”

Yes.

“Yes.”

“You’re delusional.”

I chuckled darkly, using my grip on her throat to pull her closer, forcing her head back until my lips ghosted over hers. “You have no fucking idea.”

I didn’t give her a chance to argue, instead crushing my mouth to hers in a deep, possessive kiss, swallowing her soft moan as I claimed her completely.

Chapter 40

Aeris

I barely killed the engine before I was out of the car and climbing the stone steps to Selene’s cliffside estate. Wind tore in from the sea below, sharp enough to sting my cheeks, but it did nothing to cool the unease simmering beneath my skin.

Two of Selene’s men stood guard on the porch, arms folded across their chests as they watched me approach. “You’re expected,” the one on the left grunted, whom I didn’t bother to acknowledge as he opened the door.

The warmth of the house wrapped around me as I stepped inside, heavy with the scent of the sea, cedarwood, and expensive perfume. Voices drifted from the study down the hall, sharp and tense.

I found Selene behind her desk, her expression carved from ice, while Vivienne leaned over the polished wood, palms braced against it.

“It wasn’t my fault, Mother,” Vivienne snarled. “I⁠—”

“You weren’t supposed to hurt him,” I snapped before I could stop myself, forcing both of them to turn.

Vivienne straightened immediately, fury flashing across her face. “And you weren’t supposed to interfere.”

“You almost killed him.”

“He was⁠—”

“Girls,” Selene interrupted smoothly, though the single word cracked through the room like a whip. “Enough.”

She rose from her chair with unhurried grace, dark eyes flicking from Vivienne to me. “Aeris, what happened?”

“Mother,” Vivienne hissed in disbelief, but Selene silenced her with a single look.

I swallowed carefully. “He was barely breathing, so I called Sebastian.”

Selene’s brows lifted slightly as she rounded the desk. “You called the Beast?” she asked, her voice so cold it could’ve frozen the room solid. “Was he aware of what Vivienne had done?”

My heart raced, but my expression didn’t falter. “I didn’t tell him Vivienne drugged him,” I said evenly, “but Caden remembered.”

“He wasn’t supposed to!” Vivienne screeched, and for the first time since I’d known her, genuine fear crossed her face.

Selene stopped beside me, contemplative for exactly one second before she turned and struck her daughter across the face. The crack echoed through the study, loud enough one of the guards rushed in at the sound, only to freeze in the doorway.