A sharp ringing plugged my ears, the world spinning for a moment.

"Ana?" Jade said.

I snapped out of it, blinking. "Y-Yeah?"

"You heard me right?"

I nodded stiffly.

"So is this choice worth it?

I couldn’t answer.

The words got stuck, and I found myself drifting again, not until Jade held my hand to bring me back, concern in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?"

I fixed my smile. "Yes, and the choice is worth it."

This was for my sister, and it should be. Right?

Jade offered me a sad smile. "Okay."

I could tell she only agreed because she didn’t wanna push further, which I was thankful for.

This was something I couldn’t be direct about. Frankly, I haven’t been direct with her in any of our talks, but she always found a way to understand me.

Her eyes moved behind me, and I turned to find Zade standing there like a mountain.

When did he get so close?

Jade cleared her throat. "All done, Mr. Salvero."

Zade tilted his head before raising my hands. He studied my nails intently and suddenly; it felt like we were stuck in a position where his final verdict would determine Jade’s future.

"Gorgeous..." he murmured, and my heart did flip-flops.

He passed a look at Jade. "I can see why my wife insisted on coming here even though I have the best just one call away."

"What can I say? She loves me."

A darkened look settled over Zade’s eyes, and I quickly spoke up.

"Um, thank you, Jade."

"Anytime, sweetie." She walked to the reception area.

"A friend," he said. "This one is better than the other from the opera."

He was referring to Clara.

I quickly took my hands away from his hold, ignoring the loss of those calloused hands that gave off a bizarre protectiveness.

Why the heck would I feel protective around him? This was the same snake who always put me in the jaws of danger.

"There you have it. You have me right where you want," I said bitterly. "My appointment is over."

"You make it sound like a bad thing, kitten. It’s only a date," he said, amused by my scowl.

"Is it? How am I not so sure you won’t thrust me in a bloody situation?"

"It’s a date. Why would I bring work into it?"

The thought of him speaking about a bloody situation as regular work gave me goosebumps.

I have a bad feeling about this. I always had a bad feeling whenever I was around him, but now it was odd, because I couldn’t explain the sensations invading my body whenever he was close by.

"Right, a date. For the public, I guess. Tell me, is there paparazzi hanging around just waiting for that one photo?"

"Maybe. Besides, this kills two birds with one stone."

"What?"

"This husband of yours just realized we haven’t had an actual date."

A look of disgust twisted on my face. "This wife of yours doesn’t give a shit about that!"

I grabbed my handbag and walked past him.

Smack!

A startled squeak escaped me when his palm landed on my ass. Did he just—!

The desk attendant gasped and then blushed while Jade’s jaw dropped.

I was still in shock when Zade came up behind me. I felt his breath at the helix of my ear, and then came his husky voice.

"Run that mouth of yours like that again, then I’ll give them an unforgettable show right here and now."

I sucked in breath when he pulled me close, the wall of his chest behind me sending a rush of heat through my body.

"Understood?"

He didn’t wait for my reply as he held my waist possessively and walked us out.

I was still mortified because it wasn’t just Jade and the attendant, but other workers were there!

When we neared the Rolls-Royce waiting for us, I finally pulled away.

"Y-You smack my ass!" I hissed, trying to steady my voice from quivering.

"And?"

I gasped, startled by how unfazed he was after literally putting me in a very awkward situation. This jerk!

"Were you embarrassed, little kitten?" he teased with a tilt of his head, and I just wanted to tip it the other way until I heard a snap.

"Y-Yes!"

"Mm, maybe you were..." He took a step closer, and I took one back, but my back collided with the cool surface.

"I’ve often imagined what kind of reaction I’d drag out of you when I bring you to ruin..." A slow smile curved his lips. "With an audience."

I hitched in breath, my cheeks heating up instantly. It wasn’t just about being embarrassed anymore, but a core memory surging forward.

"You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you, kitten?"

Does... does Zade have that kind of fantasy?

A searing sensation crawled across my skin. I... I had always romanticized those dark fantasies, something I didn’t dare tell anyone because I was mortified by what they would think of me.

Zade opened the door, keeping his eyes trained on me as though he could read my thoughts.

"Get in. We don’t wanna be late for our date. We still have one more stop to make."

I did my best to collect myself as I got into the car, trying to rehash what the fuck just happened.

The door slammed shut, and I jolted, finding Zade beside me, flashing me a smirk as he tucked a cigar between his lips.

Did he know? Is that why he said those words to me?

That’s not possible! He may have watched me for a long time and knew everything about me, but there was no way he could have known that.

"For the record..." I found my voice, tilting my chin in courage. "I don’t share that disgusting fantasy."

The only response I got was a thunderous chuckle, filling the space around us, then a flick as he dragged his thumb on the wheel of his Zippo.

Zade took the cigar between his lips and took a drag, plumes of smoke escaping from his nose.

He fixed his ardent gaze on me, which got my pulse racing.

"Liar."