I rake my eyes over my outfit again and a familiar pang of uncomfortable tightness strikes. I’m not wearing the dress. I grip the hem of the dress and pull it up over my head. I toss it on the bed and retrieve my purple one from its crumpled heap on the floor. I pull it on and instantly I can breathe better.
There’s a knock at the door and I freeze, watching the door handle. It turns slowly before opening and an unknown Unfortunate peers inside. She’s not happy like Portia, her eyes are wide, like she’s seen a ghost.
“Master Kade wants to see you.” Her eyes flick to the other dress on the bed. “If I were you, I’d take the dress, too.”
I nod and she leaves. I swallow hard and inhale. I hold it for a few seconds, until my lungs burn, before exhaling. Then, I grab the other dress and march to Master Kade’s room with my head held high.
∞ Kade ∞
He lets his stare roam her body. Shadows, cast from the fireplace, nestled in the hollows of her cheeks and under her breasts. She wasn’t wearing the dress he’d picked out solely for this occasion and solely for her. Kade had given her time to adjust and two weeks was plenty. He’d wasted enough time taking her thoughts and feelings into account. Now, he was ready to use what was his—and she was an idiot if she thought he didn’t see her dive into a bush earlier today just to avoid him. He saw it. He should’ve dragged her out by her hair and made an example out of her and Portia. Portia knew better than to lie to him. Granted, he never asked her a question, but he didn’t have to. She was guilty by omission.
It was clear from her shaking form that Nine was in no position to seduce anybody tonight. He was going to have to put off his plan until a later date. It didn’t really matter right now, it’ll all work out as long as she’s confident in sex by the time he needed her.
In the meantime, he’d keep her on her toes and make sure she’s doing everything an Unfortunate should. As for the mine situation, Kade decided to dispatch his own people at his own risk. The mines needed to be sorted out and fast, and he’d request assistance from another house when Nine was capable of compelling cocks and minds in favour of his house.
Kade stepped closer. The room was so quiet he could’ve sworn he heard Nine swallow.
“Is there a problem with your dress?” he asked before he tipped the last few drops of alcohol down his throat.
“Yes,” she simply said. She squared her shoulders and angled her head toward him. It was a brave act, but he knew that’s all it was—an act. “There seem to be a few layers of fabric missing.”
Kade couldn’t help himself. He chuckled, dropping his empty glass onto the rug at his feet. “I can assure you there’s no fabric missing. I want those perfect, pink nipples of yours exposed.”
It wasn’t for him. Having her dressed this way was part of his game. She was the juicy slab of meat he was going to dangle in front of lions. By making her alluring and telling them not to touch, he was certain she’d get snapped up by someone he could use.
“I don’t feel comfor—”
“Tell me,” Kade interrupted, closing the distance between them. “What part of your existence is meant to make you feel comfortable?”
Nine visibly flinched, dropping her gaze to the floor. Kade caught her chin and angled her face back toward his. Her skin was soft, even on the tips of his fingers.
“You have twenty seconds to put the dress on, or I’m taking you out there naked.”
He flicked his head toward his bathroom and lowered his hand from her face. Without a word, she dragged herself into the bathroom and shut the door. Kade exhaled and sauntered back to this desk. He retrieved a new, clean glass and filled it with his favourite whiskey. Quickly, his mind fell onto his birthday. Kade hated birthdays—his especially—for as long as he could remember. He felt they were a waste of time and money. Vince was different. Vince loved a good birthday party. He took any chance he could get to drink booze until he couldn’t walk and fuck girls who weren’t in any mind to decide if he was a good guy or a bad guy. Vince was a bad guy. Always was and always will be, and while Kade wouldn’t necessarily refer to himself as good, he knew he wasn’t as messed up as Vince. Vince enjoyed life as a Fortunate. He used it to his advantage whenever he could—humiliation, rape, assault—you name it, he did it. Kade enjoyed being a Fortunate, too, but he knew that although the Unfortunates were a lower class people, they were still people. Vince had lost his humanity a long time ago, when their mother was killed and could no longer guide him down the right path. He was too young to remember her lessons, but Kade remembered them well. Though society had groomed him into the cold man he now was, he was still his mother’s son deep down. He remembered every lesson and every point she ever made.