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A prickle irritated her nape and she frowned at the sudden, unwelcoht, she didn’t want to be one of the guys She was a woive in to most parts of her femininity after the disaster that was Thomas And nohen he was about to become a free man, unleashed on hapless women he would victi he’d stolen frooddaotten it done with But Thoton controlled her from behind bars every bit as usted her most of all
Eliza pulled up to Joie de Vivre in the "swanky" part of Westhei about the businesses, and even buildings, looked so new and shiny to practically scream wealth, power, influence In other words, swank And it was definitely a place she didn’t belong
Reluctantly, she got out of her car, opting to have parked a block away rather than use the valet service Sterling had installed for the occasion When it was tiet the hell out before drawing undue notice, the last thing she wanted was to have to wait in line for her car Kind of defeated the purpose of fleeing in the first place
She glanced critically down her body, biting her lips in vexation Oh the dress fit Even her heels fit, and they were the likes of which she’d never be caught dead in, but she’d fallen in love with theant box they’d arrived in Apparently it was get-in-touch-with-Eliza’s-feht
She shimmered in silver from head to toe Even her shoes sparkled and twinkled when they caught the light just so The dressed was extreive the illusion of flowing littery flash that enchanted her
The thincaress Much like aher breasts
Nohere the hell had that thought coed to Sterling?
Her cheeks were blazing and she subconsciously ducked her head in case she ran in to anyone she knew on the walk to the studio
The dress was ain, when it wasn’t on her! By er would likely think the dress plain, dull even, that it covered far too ht the sa her outfitted like a traht quickly evaporated when she’d put on the dress to get ready tonight On the right person, the dress turned into a study in seduction It outlined in stunning clarity just how large her breasts were, their shape, size She prayed it wouldn’t be cold inside the gallery because if her nipples puckered, she alking out and when she got ho it after tonight anyway
In another time, under different circumstances, if she’d had such an opportunity to wear such a beautiful, provocative dress, she would have eloried in it She would have had fun with it and enjoyed herself Maybe even done a little flirting But then, she thought she would forever be free of Tho past, and she’d been more than ready to finally e forward to a future, so Firood friends and coworkers--the very best kind of people--she’d relaxed, beco thatassociated with hiet the fuck over it, move forward and finally step into the sun
How stupid and na&ius she’d sworn never to be a victi? You could never outrun your past because it inevitably caught up to you when you least expected it And there was no such thing as absolution Not for the wrongs she’d committed, had been complicit in There was always a price to pay for the mistakes you made She could delay theet through and then torief consu at DSS Her plans were co she needed, weapons and intel she’d athered, careful to ensure no one, especially Dane, ever discovered all the things she’d so carefully collected starting theshe’d received the call froet to see Ari, Ra--say goodbye, even if she didn’t voice that farewell She’d see them, commit their faces, their love, loyalty and friendship tocloser to the gallery Except Gracie She had to avoid Gracie at all costs Si her from afar would have to suffice Later When she had oodbye
Then to, she’d see everyone she’d worked with the past several years, including being introduced to the new recruits, proof of DSS’s--and Caleb, Beau and Dane’s--co only the best and assecurity syste that it was already a packed house Deciding to be "fashionably late" had been a good idea after all Less chance of being cornered by too rown accustomed to over the past week Her nerves were so frayed that there was no way she’d be able to withstand a full-scale assault from all the people who mattered to her Just like sheto draw any undue attention to her entrance
No such luck
As she did a quick survey of the roo and she froze when she saw his eyes solidly fixed on her He’d evidently clocked her thefor her--had he? And he stared at her with those piercing dark eyes that never et worse than the fact he’d obviously been keeping an eye out for her arrival, he began shoving through the crowd not even caring that he was being rude and pushing people out of his way And he wasa beeline for her