enterprising type.”
He reached out and grabbed her roughly around the waist. It wasn’t Nick, but she could close her eyes and still get lost in the sensations. And the point was the barter, anyway, right? A means to an end? A few moments where she pretended he was Nick, and then he’d give her the package and she could lose herself in a haze.
And so she closed her eyes and waited for him to touch her.
The touch never came. Instead she heard a howl, then a thud. Her eyes flew open, and the first thing she saw was the guy huddled on the floor, Nick standing over him, looking pissed off enough to kick the shit out of the guy.
“Nick!”
He whipped around to face her, his expression so hard and cold that she shrank back, silent. He yanked the guy up by his collar, whispered something that had fear rising in the guy’s eyes, then shoved him through the door and back into the club.
Then he turned to her.
She pressed her back against the wall and met his eyes, trying to lift her chin in defiance, but not doing a very good job.
“What in Hades are you doing?” he roared.
“Back off, okay? You may be painting me, but that doesn’t mean you’re in charge of me.”
“Not in charge of you? Who do you think made you like this?” Fury bubbled off of him, and he ran his hands through his hair, pacing the alley in front of her as if he couldn’t quite believe he’d said that to her.
“What?” She shook her head, totally lost. “What are you talking about?”
“Is this the person you are, Delilah? Who you really want to be? A girl who’s willing to go to bed with a stranger just to trade for a few hours of oblivion?”
Anger lashed through her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe I liked him. Maybe that guy is just my speed.”
“What? You like bad boys? Trust me, sweetheart, I’m as bad as it gets. You’ve been dancing with the devil and you didn’t even know it.”
His eyes burned into her as he spoke, and she shivered from a bone-deep cold despite the warm night. “What are you talking about?” she whispered.
“I’ve been stealing your soul, Delilah. Taking little bits and pieces for the portrait. And loosening your inhibitions along the way. It’s almost all gone, but you probably already knew that. You’re not the woman you used to be, are you?”
“I… what?” He was joking. He had to be. “Taking my soul? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“For my father,” he said. “I’m telling you the truth, Delilah. Dance with the devil and you will get burned.”
‡
Chapter Ten
N ick stared at her face , wondering if he’d gotten through to her. This wasn’t about the painting any longer. He’d captured most of her soul in the canvas already. Hopefully that was enough to satisfy his father. Because he couldn’t take any more.
Already, he was disgusted with himself. The anger he’d thrown toward her was really directed at him, and him alone. He’d taken something innocent and beautiful and turned it into something harsh, something ugly. His only hope now was that she’d hear the truth in his words and run. Run far and fast with what little bit of soul she had left. Run to her father, even, and see if he couldn’t pull her back from the edge of Hell. Because Nick certainly couldn’t rescue her. After all, he was the one who’d brought her here. And now, because he loved her, he had to let her go.
Loved her.
He did, too. And he hated with a passion what he’d done to her. What his father had made him do in the name of ambition.
He couldn’t go through with it. He couldn’t destroy what was left of the woman he loved. All he could do was urge her to get away. To escape. And let him face his father’s fury on his own.
“You’re serious?” she asked, staring at him like he was some sort of freak under glass. Well, he thought, maybe he was.
“As serious as sin, sweetheart.” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He took a
He reached out and grabbed her roughly around the waist. It wasn’t Nick, but she could close her eyes and still get lost in the sensations. And the point was the barter, anyway, right? A means to an end? A few moments where she pretended he was Nick, and then he’d give her the package and she could lose herself in a haze.
And so she closed her eyes and waited for him to touch her.
The touch never came. Instead she heard a howl, then a thud. Her eyes flew open, and the first thing she saw was the guy huddled on the floor, Nick standing over him, looking pissed off enough to kick the shit out of the guy.
“Nick!”
He whipped around to face her, his expression so hard and cold that she shrank back, silent. He yanked the guy up by his collar, whispered something that had fear rising in the guy’s eyes, then shoved him through the door and back into the club.
Then he turned to her.
She pressed her back against the wall and met his eyes, trying to lift her chin in defiance, but not doing a very good job.
“What in Hades are you doing?” he roared.
“Back off, okay? You may be painting me, but that doesn’t mean you’re in charge of me.”
“Not in charge of you? Who do you think made you like this?” Fury bubbled off of him, and he ran his hands through his hair, pacing the alley in front of her as if he couldn’t quite believe he’d said that to her.
“What?” She shook her head, totally lost. “What are you talking about?”
“Is this the person you are, Delilah? Who you really want to be? A girl who’s willing to go to bed with a stranger just to trade for a few hours of oblivion?”
Anger lashed through her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe I liked him. Maybe that guy is just my speed.”
“What? You like bad boys? Trust me, sweetheart, I’m as bad as it gets. You’ve been dancing with the devil and you didn’t even know it.”
His eyes burned into her as he spoke, and she shivered from a bone-deep cold despite the warm night. “What are you talking about?” she whispered.
“I’ve been stealing your soul, Delilah. Taking little bits and pieces for the portrait. And loosening your inhibitions along the way. It’s almost all gone, but you probably already knew that. You’re not the woman you used to be, are you?”
“I… what?” He was joking. He had to be. “Taking my soul? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“For my father,” he said. “I’m telling you the truth, Delilah. Dance with the devil and you will get burned.”
‡
Chapter Ten
N ick stared at her face , wondering if he’d gotten through to her. This wasn’t about the painting any longer. He’d captured most of her soul in the canvas already. Hopefully that was enough to satisfy his father. Because he couldn’t take any more.
Already, he was disgusted with himself. The anger he’d thrown toward her was really directed at him, and him alone. He’d taken something innocent and beautiful and turned it into something harsh, something ugly. His only hope now was that she’d hear the truth in his words and run. Run far and fast with what little bit of soul she had left. Run to her father, even, and see if he couldn’t pull her back from the edge of Hell. Because Nick certainly couldn’t rescue her. After all, he was the one who’d brought her here. And now, because he loved her, he had to let her go.
Loved her.
He did, too. And he hated with a passion what he’d done to her. What his father had made him do in the name of ambition.
He couldn’t go through with it. He couldn’t destroy what was left of the woman he loved. All he could do was urge her to get away. To escape. And let him face his father’s fury on his own.
“You’re serious?” she asked, staring at him like he was some sort of freak under glass. Well, he thought, maybe he was.
“As serious as sin, sweetheart.” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He took a
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