Dark Thief (The Two Sides of Me Book 2) (14 page)

I’m glad we bathed because there’s no way he will let me now. I stand in front of the full length mirror in the walk in closet staring at my skin, turning and cranking my neck to see my backside. This is going to smudge if I get hot, and smear if I sit down, I think. Oh my god, I hope he didn’t use permanent ink! I bend over and lick my thumb to rub a small place off of my foot and its gone easily…well at least I can be relieved about that!

The dress he’s put out for me is really quite stunning I can’t be upset with his choice, he has exquisite taste. On a large free standing hook hangs a floor length black sequined dress that has a high neck line and long full length sleeves. It’s got plenty of coverage that’s for sure but at the same time very sexy. There is a slit cut all the way up the center of the dress and he has black stockings and a garter belt with panties and bra to match all set out on the island. And as if I couldn’t have handled choosing shoes he’s taken care of that too.

On the floor under the dress are a pair of elegant black stilettos that immediately catch my eye and make my heart beat faster.  He knows I love shoes and he has outdone himself. Delicate rhinestone straps start around the toe and wrap around to the back where the shoe is more enclosed and black, a silver heel ties the look together and I’m forgetting the pen marks all over my body in no time. I slip into the undergarments and just as I’m stepping into the dress Evan enters with only a towel around his waist and damp hair.

“So you get to shower do you?” “Just a quick one. Do you like the dress?”  I notice his change in subject but I ignore it. “Well, it certainly covers all of me.  It’s beautiful though, yes I like it.” I continue to pull the dress up and slide my arms inside, he gracefully steps to zip me and we stand looking in the mirror together. His eyes are bright and full of adoration reflecting back at me.

“I love you, you know.” he says. “Yes I do.” That’s all that is said. I slip my feet into the glorious shoes and do a couple turns to see how they feel, unbelievably comfortable for stilettos, but I’m used to them. I’ve not been working for so long now that I wear heels more times than not. Now what to do with my hair. “Your hair?” he says buttoning up his crisp white tuxedo shirt.  “Yes, it’s kind of a mess.” “Come with me.” He says while he continues to dress tucking in his shirt.

I follow and can’t help but to watch his perfect form ahead of me, every muscle working together fluidly. It’s so difficult to believe he is having such an enormous health issue right now, he looks like a cover model for GQ. In the bathroom he pulls up a high stool in front of the mirror. “Sit.” he gestures toward the seat and I must make some sort of doubtful facial expression because he rolls his eyes and repeats the gesture. I click across the bathroom floor and perch on the stool. He takes out a brush and removes my rubber band holding the mess atop my head and it falls heavily down my back.

He works the brush through every strand, occasionally looking up into the mirror at me, smiling a tiny satisfied smile until it’s as smooth as curly hair gets without a straightener. It’s not the first time he’s brushed my hair but he sets down the brush and picks up a curling iron that I didn’t notice had been heating on the counter.

“Uh…you know how to use that thing? I don’t want chunks of hair being burned off.” He looks at me, disappointed in my lack of faith but doesn’t say a thing, he just continues on with my hair like a professional, separating sections, wrapping them around the iron and slowly moving it down the hair until my head is covered in ringlets. “How do you know how to do that?” I ask looking at the lovely end product. “Practice.” “On whom?”

He sets aside the iron unplugging it and turning it off as well. Looking at my hands in my lap he admits softly. “Cameron. She liked her hair this way.” I’m not really sure how to respond to that, he just gave me his ex-girlfriend/little sister’s hair style. “Oh…does it remind you of her? Do you miss her?”

Neither question do I want the answer to, I asked because I couldn’t think of anything else to say and he looks so sad. “A little, her hair wasn’t blonde or as beautiful as yours and yes I miss her.” I appreciate him being honest. “Thank you.” I say and he turns leaving me there to stare at the hairstyle of a dead woman from Evan’s past.

Sitting there daydreaming about Cameron I suddenly realize I need to pick up the pace. Evan took quite a while with my hair, I still can’t believe he did that, and so well. I grab my makeup and carefully apply evening smoky eyes and a touch of powder. I’m not big on painting my face but the dress and occasion call for it. I find Evan in the living room standing in the semi-circle of windows that look out over the water, one hand in the pocket of his beautiful black tuxedo pants.

We will make a pretty good looking couple tonight, no chance of people ignoring us, he would be recognized even if he dressed like a homeless man so there was never any chance we would remain anonymous. I still feel strange knowing I’m covered in Evan’s signature under this dress, in fact you can see through the hose a little. It looks like I have tattoos all over my legs but its only visible when I jut my leg out of the front slit. He’s lost in thought and I wonder if he’s thinking about Cameron. That relationship was unhealthy to say the least and I wish I hadn’t asked about the hair but curiosity is my weakness.

Sensing me there he pulls himself from his reverie and slowly turns to me, dragging his eyes the length of my body saturating me with desire. “You’ve gained weight.” he’s half grinning and I bristle. “What? That’s not a way to compliment a lady.” “It is if she’s been much too thin and is finally filling out in all my favorite places.” Well again, he has a point. I fidget and pass my pocketbook from one hand to the other.

“Mia…don’t be uncomfortable with me. I love you however you look, but the healthy glow you have and your returning curves…you’re irresistible, delicious, and impossible.” I suddenly have no desire to go anywhere but back to bed, there aren’t enough hours in my life to spend alone with him. He strides across the room quietly on the thick piled carpet and stops in front of me turning me away from him he wraps his arms around my waist nuzzling my neck.

“I’ll take you to dinner and for a drink or two but I promise to bring you home and wash every one of my autographs off of your sweet skin. I grasp his forearms and squeeze my approval of our itinerary. “I could eat you alive right here right now but I’d muss your hair and I worked hard on that. Let’s go now, before I change my mind.” I murmur “Mmhmm” and he guides me by the small of my back to the door where we are greeted by Isaac and Mr. Saint.

Isaac is holding a full length white fur coat, a
fur
coat! I’ve never even seen one in person but I instantly worry about the poor animals who gave their lives to warm my skin. “Ahhh stop, it’s the best of the best faux fur, I know you’re an animal lover baby, I wouldn’t dream of offering you the real thing…although they are much softer.”

I’ll be impressed with his knowledge of me and his mind reading until my last breath. I smile and his face lights up like the ground when the space shuttle launches. It’s so easy to please him, approval, attention, affection…hmmm the three A’s cute. Evan takes the coat from Isaac and holds it for me while I slip my arms in and wrap the faux fur around my body. It’s amazing this isn’t real, I wonder if he’s lying to pacify me but I know he’ll never tell.

Outside on the steps a path has been cleared, not shoveled however it looks like the snow just disappeared from the walk way. “Heated patio and driveway.” he says nonchalantly. “Really? It doesn’t snow that much here does it?” Blown away by extravagance is becoming the norm, the more I learn about the rich the more I discover how spoiled they are… and how spoiled I am.

A black Mercedes sits waiting with the monster SUV parked directly behind and Evan opens the passenger door for me, I slide in. He rounds the car and enters sitting behind the wheel, uh, no way, he just had a seizure I’m not letting him drive! “Evan, you can’t drive after a seizure!” I reach for the door handle but he stops me. “I’m fine and I’m driving.” “You would risk my life? You could kill us both, please Evan listen to reason!”

He slumps in the seat defeated, he really wanted to drive. “I miss driving.” He says. I sigh and take his hand. “I know you do, and after you’re well you can drive me all over the country, all over the world I don’t care but not now…ok?” I start strong but end with a tiny plea. “Yes. I’ll get Isaac. You’ll sit in the back. I’ll help you.”

This is his way of taking back some control of a situation and I watch him unfold from the front seat, he returns in mere seconds at my door helping me out and into the back while Isaac takes the wheel. “It’s a bit of a drive are you tired?” He asks and yes I am, very much so. “Yes, I had quite a work out today, my personal trainer is ruthless.” My beloved smirk occupies his face and he takes a handkerchief from his inside pocket, who carries those anymore? Evan Lawson apparently and it even has his monogram on the corner.

He lays it on his leg to protect his tux from my makeup and pulls me gently down onto his lap. “Lay your head down.”  I do as I’m told gratefully, tucking my free hand between his legs where he’s hard and ready as always. He adjusts my hand away from the swell in his trousers and I can’t help but smile against his strong muscular leg.  ”Behave.” A shiver runs up my spine at his words, I snuggle into him and close my eyes with a teeny tiny prayer I can nap with no dreaming.

“Baby…Mia.” Warm minty breath floats across my face as I’m nudged awake. We’re here already? No nightmares, yes! Evan helps me sit up where I stretch out the stiffness of sleeping in the same position for an hour. I glance at Evan, he's looking out his window at a piece of architecture that I can only describe as art. The front of Dominus is spectacular.

“Drive around.” he instructs Isaac. “It’s so beautiful.” I breathe ducking my head to get a better look out of his window as we pass. “Why are we turning around?” “I want to get out of the car first from my side.” I sit back and look at him tilting my head with question. “I don’t want you crawling across me and I want to exit first and help you out of the car.”

I smile, wow he uses manners and etiquette when he wants to, good to know. Isaac swings the Benz around pulling up to the curb where I can look out my own window at Evan’s life’s work. The building rises high with several floors of balconies that are lit underneath with lacy wrought iron terraces.  Three large archways on the street level are where people are entering and I recognize the architecture as ionic from a class I took in college.

Above each archway are nude, identical half human women statues with elegantly molded decorative bases. I could sit and just admire the outside of the building, no need to even go in. “You like it. Your beautiful blue eyes are sparkling, you should see how alive you look Mia. I think you may be lit up from inside.” he squeezes my hand and tears spring from nowhere. Sometimes his compliments are overwhelming, especially when I’ve never been loved this way before, or any way.

“Hey...” he releases me and cradles my face in his hands, a thumb under each eye to catch matching tears, just two. “None of that.” he rubs his fingers together to remove the moisture and kisses me softly on my lips, cherry red lips to cover my bruise. Consequently he has a dab of red on his mouth and I rub it out with my thumb. “Let’s go.” Isaac is out and swinging our door open, Evan glides out as only he can do and reaches for me, I’m aware of the signatures under my stockings and I shuffle to return my dress to a position where it covers me best.

Yes, he knew what he was doing when he covered me with ink, no one will see one inch of me. Even the parts that could naturally or accidentally be exposed will be kept under wraps by myself, smart man.

The tables that are set for two have the chairs right next to each other and the flower arrangement on the far curve of the round table. Green plants are tucked strategically in places that are pleasing to the eye and there are several busts on pillars that surround the room. The details are overwhelming.  I imagine this is how it feels to be in Queen Elizabeth’s castle, everything screams royal, class and expensive.

There is one thing I can see that has been replicated from the Seattle location, the chandelier there is very similar to the one here. I thought I had seen the most beautiful array of crystals in my life, but I stand corrected, these are more dazzling. The ceiling is dripping with pieces of glass, all intricately cut and hanging at different heights and intervals from each other, casting a heavenly glow across the room.

A woman greets us at the door doing a double take at Evan, did he not call ahead and let them know he was coming? You know…probably not. I’ll bet he never gave any sort of heads up so that he could make sure things were running smoothly in his absence. She’s on it now though recovering quickly she smooths her blush colored skirt and steps to greet us right inside the door.  “Mr. Lawson! What a pleasant surprise! I’m so glad to see you are doing so well and...You’re here…” This woman is scrambling now at the sight of me, mentally trying to understand what’s happening and what to do next.

Evan slides his arm around my furry waist, she eyes the gesture with obvious surprise and rings her hands nervously glancing from me to him. He informs the beautiful Italian women that we need a table for two with another nearby for four. He’s pleasant but formal and why the table for four? “Yes sir, right away, sir.” The hot hostess teeters on her painful looking black heels to a large table where she whispers into another employee’s ear and he takes off like he has a firecracker in his pants. “I should have introduced you, her face is familiar but I can’t place her name. The table for four is for Mr. Saint and Isaac, they have dates so they don’t look so out of place.”

It’s obvious he is frustrated by his lack of memory. “Won’t dates distract them?” “Not these dates, they have been hired to help. So tonight we have four guards instead of two.” Well isn’t that just great? Eight eyes instead of four watching every move I make, every time I go to the ladies room, every drink I order.

I don’t complain though I know he feels bad about the constant intrusion and I know it’s necessary to keep me safe and protected from him, or us from someone else. Firecracker pants returns in mere seconds to whisper in hot hostess’s ear, she approaches again, this time collected and confident. “This way please, we have your private table ready Mr. Lawson and one for four directly across.” He nods and moves his arm from my waist to lace his fingers with mine. Leading the way I realize the guys are being seated too, they must have been right behind us the whole time.

They are accompanied by two elegant looking women both age appropriate for the two men and gorgeous. A little pang of protectiveness comes over me when I see Isaac with another women, not jealous but possessive. He’s become important to me and I feel a connection with him that stems from our relationships with Evan. I know it’s all a set up and the women are just there for show, and muscle apparently, but it makes me uneasy just the same.

Evan pulls out my chair and scoots me to the table before he sits next to me. “I’ve never eaten someplace this fancy.” I whisper leaning toward him. He chuckles and turns his sharp green eyes on me. “Criminal is what that is, you should be spoiled constantly. This is all yours now you know. Everything that I’ve built and worked for my entire life belongs to you.” I scan the room taking in every beautiful crevice and look back at him confused. “I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I don’t need any of this, I just need you.” His hand slides under the table onto my thigh and easily between my legs at the slit of my dress.

He turns until he is facing me in his chair. “What I mean by that.” He pauses to run his fingers along the edge of my garter. “Is.” he moves further until his fingers are skimming my now damp panties and I’m gripping the edge of my seat trying very hard not to fidget. “That you have every entitlement that marriage brings to a relationship.” With that he shifts my panties to the side and slides one and then two fingers inside of me, dragging them out and circling my clit causing me to inhale sharply and dig my nails into the cushion of the chair.

Shock infiltrates my body and the information he’s delivered about this financial decision simultaneously with a very public physical invasion has me confused about which to react to first, nothing’s registering. More, that’s the singular thought I am thinking while he continues to torture me by slipping his fingers inside my sex and dragging them slowly back out. Some sort of sense returns and I grab his wrist to stop him. “Don’t.” he commands low and stern. 

“No,
you
don’t. I can’t sit here in front of all these people and lose control.” I hiss and grip his wrist tighter. “You can, I could make you.” I clench my jaw so tight my teeth ache. “Not one for publicly displaying affection my Mia?” He allows me to move his hand from under my dress. The guests here would have never known what was really going on, it would look to them like Evan had turned his full attention to me and was leaning in to hear me better but I don’t trust myself.

One of the many things I’ve learned making love with Evan Lawson is that I’m not quiet when I climax and that I have no control when it comes to him. It has to stop now or it just won’t. “I...I just. Wait...what did you say about marriage?” I snap back to the here and now.

He purposely and slyly distracted me from his words of finances with a physical assault, such a clever manipulative man. I should not be surprised but I am. “I simply said you are the sole beneficiary of everything I control financially. The marriage part was to help you understand the magnitude of the arrangement, and this…” he slowly slides the two fingers he just had inside of me into his mouth. “Was to soften the shock.”

Fucking hell this man is impossible, my blood is pumping so hard through my veins I’m sure to have an aneurism if there is any weakened area in my brain! Eighty percent of me is on fire for him and wants to drag him to the coat closet we passed on our way in and the other twenty wants to scream at him for manipulating me into accepting this news about his fortune being half mine! “You can’t do that, I have to sign something or have a lawyer or…or…!  You can’t just do that!”

I’m getting loud and a little hysterical, drawing the attention of the people sitting closest to us but I can’t help it. “You need to lower your voice Mia.” Really? He’s worried about drawing attention! He nearly made me come as soon as we sat down and dropped that bomb on me and
now
he’s thinking about me causing a scene! “Stop.” he commands. “I did it because I adore you.  I’m devoted to you. I love you. There has never been anyone in my life that I loved more, not even my Aunt Sophia. You’re my world and I want you to have anything you want, anything you need. If I die I need to know you’re taken care of.”

Stunned into silence our eyes lock, my crystal blue to his sharp green and I see all the pain of his life there. Abandonment, abuse, neglect, fear, confusion, it’s all swimming there in those hypnotizing eyes and my anger dissipates, calm acceptance flows from me and I take his hand and say a little prayer he can feel it transferring from me to him. I tear my eyes from his beautiful face and focus on our hands between us trying to make sense of his announcement. “Mia?” His softer tone draws me from my thoughts. “Ok. I think I understand…well I’m not entirely sure I understand but I want to…and I’ll try.”

He shakes his head briefly closing his eyes while the tension visibly evaporates. “Thank you.” “You are not going to die, stop saying things like that, I mean it. I’m not accepting a dime from you because you’re not going anywhere.” A waiter approaches the table oblivious of the serious conversation he’s interrupting but the murderous look Evan spears him with is all the poor guy needs to abruptly about face and retreat. “That wasn’t nice.” “I’m not nice.” I roll my eyes. “I didn’t leave you my fortune in a will Mia, well I did but that’s not the point. You are right about signing things, you will need to. But when you do, and I know you will, we will be equal partners
now
, not just if I die. I wish you would accept that there is a possibility that I may not make it through surgery, or that it can even be attempted.”

I open my mouth to protest and bitch because he’s not fighting hard enough for his life but he places a finger over my lips to quiet me. “I’m not giving up baby. I’ll try whatever you want me to but only if you accept my demands.” I sigh deeply and realize this is another battle I’m not winning, not even a little bit. I nod in agreement. He leans in to kiss me with abandon. No shame or concern for the dozens of people with one eye on the owner of this restaurant, curious about the new stranger they try to be subtle but I feel their eyes on us. “Evan…Evan, I think we have an audience.” I murmur into his mouth as he continues to kiss me. “Let them watch.”