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Both making a tidy stream of income from it.
Caden appeared on my other side and zeroed in on Gretchen, his eyes narrowing. He was at least sixteen years her junior, but that wasn’t going to stop him.
“Who’s this?” he drawled.
Her eyes flicked over him. “Nice neck tattoos.”
“Thanks, I’ve got one on my dick if you want to see that too.”
Stuck between them, I was feeling annoyed.
“Back off, Caden,” I warned. “She’s not your type.”
That was a lie. Caden loved fucking women twice his age and he had no qualms about letting it be known he had raging mommy issues.
“What type is she?” he asked.
Gretchen rolled her eyes and tapped the bar for another glass of champagne. “I’m a therapist, but I don’t practice anymore technically. As of right now, I am a dominatrix for my own amusement. I am however very expensive and there’s a wait list, darling.”
Caden’s brow lifted slowly and he cocked his head, leaning in. “I’m open to trying anything once, sweetheart.”
“Caden,” I snapped. “Do not try to fuck my friends. Go torment someone else.”
He disappeared, leaving Gretchen with her mouth hanging open.
“Sweetheart?” she whispered.
“I’m sorry about him, he’s not been domesticated yet.”
Her eyes flickered with irritation. “Maybe I should offer him a space on my list, teach him a thing or two about respect.”
I gazed after Caden, incredibly uncomfortable with the idea. “No use, I’ve had him for ten years and he’s a lost cause. Not very trainable, but highly deadly under the right circumstances.”
She laughed at that and the tension broke. We chatted for a few moments before her date appeared—a senior retired member of the organization—and whisked her away.
It was getting later and I’d had a few drinks and was feeling more relaxed. The lights lowered and the staff wheeled out a huge cake covered in pink roses. I found Clara in the corner and dragged her over to blow out the candles.
I didn’t have to do much persuading. Usually she was too shy to get up in front of people, but tonight she was already drunk. Her eyes glittered and her hair was windswept, like she’d been outside.
Had she slipped away with Osian?
Ugliness reared its head and I pushed it back down. If she wanted to go make out with her future fiancé, she had every right to.
The candles covered the top tier of the cake, smoking slightly. The crowd began clamoring as she leaned over and tried to blow them out. I saw her body sway and I was up on the platform, hands around her waist, in a second.
“I’m not going to fall, Merrick,” she giggled.
“Please, don’t,” I said. “Hold your hair back and try again.”
She gathered her hair and everyone began clapping, urging her on. I felt her ribs expand beneath my hands and she blew hard, managing to take out half the candles.
“Oh God, I’m getting dizzy,” she gasped.
I leaned in and finished the rest. “There you go, now have some cake, cariad.”
Candice hopped up and started carving slices out and passing them around. As I adjusted my cuffs and alighted to the floor, I caught Osian’s stare through the crowd.
Hard, cold.
