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There was a platter stacked with ham rolls and fresh fruit; my stomach tightened at the sight of the food. Olivia skipped across the room and took a seat on a high stool and I followed suit, taking a ham roll and breathing a sigh of relief as I bit down. She smiled and filled a plate with strawberries and proceeded to pick them apart in little nervous movements.
“So why did Duran bring you here?” she asked, cocking her head.
“He didn’t give me a choice,” I said, confused.
“I mean,” she whispered, leaning forward. “Does he like you?”
“You mean romantically?”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
“No,” I said. “And I can’t stand him.”
“Oh,” she said, looking a little crestfallen.
“How did you meet Lucien?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Duran and I.
“I’ve known him for ages,” she said. “But things are different in our world. It’s not quite an arranged marriage, but if I had said no to him when he proposed, my parents would have disowned me. I’d hate to think how much drama and conflict it would have caused between our families.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised.
“It’s alright, most of the women in our world don’t choose their husbands,” she said.
I wasn’t sure what to say to this. Everything about the house and Olivia put me at ease, which was the opposite of what I’d expected when Duran had threatened to steal me away. Whatever darkness followed Duran’s footsteps, the warmth of the house and the bright sunshine coming through the window pushed it to the back of my mind. Surely if Olivia was this reasonable, her fiance would side with me and send me back to my family if I could get a chance to talk with him.
“Do you want a tour?” Olivia asked, setting aside her plate.
“Is that alright?” I asked. “I thought I was supposed to be a prisoner.”
She giggled. “The house is gated. I couldn’t even leave if I wanted to. I don’t think Duran is worried you’re going to escape or he wouldn’t have just dumped you in a bedroom and left.”
“You aren’t allowed to leave?” I asked, following her back into the hall.
“I can if the driver comes along,” she said. “But it’s not safe for me to go around the city without my driver or bodyguards. Lucian is sort of famous, I guess you could say.”
We entered an enormous living room with huge windows looking out over a stone courtyard with an infinity pool. There were three cream couches on the far end, a grand piano, and a stone fireplace to my right. Olivia strolled barefoot across the thick carpeting and I followed her, entranced by the vast space.
“So is Lucian a celebrity?” I asked.
“Sort of, he’s well known with celebrities and politicians,” she said.
“Why?” I asked.
We paused by the enormous windows and Olivia hesitated, blushing a little as she looked over my shoulder. She brushed her hair back, suddenly shy. I turned and caught the sound of footsteps reverberating through the marble hall. Then a tall, dark haired man in a sharp, blue suit turned the corner. He was handsome in a cold, lethal way and when his light, hazel eyes rested on me, a shiver went down my spine.
Duran appeared behind him and I shrank back against the window. His face was stormy, his dark eyes falling on me with flickering derision. Despite my rising fear, I couldn’t help but run my eyes over him. God, he was sexy in his dress pants and white shirt, open at the collar with a trace of black hair visible. The memory of that face rising above me as I pleasured him on my knees made me weak.
I pressed my thighs together and he caught the movement and smirked. Embarrassment flooded my body, battling against arousal and fear. Thankfully I was distracted by Olivia, who moved forward hesitantly to take the tall man’s outstretched hand. He pulled her close, his face still impassive, and slid his hand possessively up her back. This must be Lucian.
“Well, if it isn’t Duran’s little plaything,” he said coolly.
Olivia looked up at him, her head barely reaching his shoulder. “Iris is very nice. We had breakfast a minute ago. Are you hungry?”
Lucian shook his head. “Duran and I are leaving this evening and I expect you at dinner before we go. Make sure to wear shoes this time.”
Olivia flushed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Internally I rebelled against her passive tone paired with his dominate gaze. What kind of traditional people were they? Even my conservative mother wouldn’t have tolerated being spoken to like that. Lucian took Olivia’s hand and whispered something in her ear and she smiled and looked at the ground. Then he swept from the room with her hand in his and their footsteps receded down the hall.
