No wonder Alina is able to dress like a queen at all times. If all her clothes are of this quality, looking glamorous is nowhere near as big of an inconvenience as I imagined.
“You just need one more thing,” she says, smiling at my reflection. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She hurries out of the room, and I stay in front of the mirror, marveling at the way the shimmery gown drapes over my too-skinny body, giving the illusion of healthy curves.
I’ll never be as beautiful as Alina, but I’m definitely the best version of myself.
She returns a minute later with a small jewelry box in her hand. Setting it down on the nightstand, she opens it and takes out a pair of diamond studs and a heart-shaped pendant on a thin gold chain.
“Thank you, but I couldn’t possibly,” I say as she comes toward me, holding the jewelry. “That looks really expensive.”
“Don’t worry. It’s just a little trinket.” Ignoring my protests, she drapes the gold chain around my neck and locks it into place, then inserts the diamond studs into my ears. “There, now the outfit is complete.”
She steps back, and I turn to face the mirror again.
She’s right. The jewelry has added that final touch of polish, the heart-shaped diamond glittering an inch above the faint hint of cleavage created by the bodice of the dress. I look equal parts elegant and sexy, like a modern-day princess about to attend a ball.
If Mom saw me like this, she’d be so proud. She’d make me take a million pictures in dozens of different poses, and she’d set up the best ones as her screensaver and phone background, so she could show them off to her coworkers at the restaurant. She’d—
I blink the sting out of my eyes and turn back to face Alina. “Thank you,” I say, my voice only slightly strained. “I appreciate this.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Her green eyes gleam as she gives me a final once-over. “Let’s go down to dinner. I can’t wait for Nikolai to see you like this.”
And before I can wonder what she means, she heads out of the room, leaving me no choice but to follow.
20
Nikolai
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” My voice is low and pleasant, my expression neutral as I address my sister in Russian. Across from me, Chloe has her head bent toward Slava, talking to him about the food on his plate as if he can understand her, and all I can think about is how much I want to reach across the table and rip that pendant off her smooth, slender throat—right after I throttle the person who gave it to her.
“You asked me to help her get dressed.” Alina’s tone matches mine, even as chilly amusement glitters in her eyes. “Don’t you like the results?”
“Where did you get it?” I drop my voice further as Slava glances at us curiously. Unlike his American teacher, he understands exactly what we’re saying, if not the context of it all. “I thought it was lost.”
“Mom’s favorite necklace? Hardly.” Alina’s smile is as icy bright as the diamond glittering on Chloe’s chest. “She gave it to me for safekeeping. Right before… you know.” She waits for my response. Getting none, she flaps her lashes with exaggerated innocence. “Don’t you like it on her? I thought it was just perfect for this dress—and for your pretty new toy.”
My molars squeeze together, but my outward demeanor remains calm. I now understand what game Alina is playing, and I don’t intend to let her win. “You’re right. It is perfect, and so is she. Thank you for being so helpful.”
Not waiting for her reaction, I turn my attention to Chloe, ignoring the white-hot rage streaking through my veins each time the glimmering stone catches my eye. That pendant is all I’ve been able to see since Chloe came to the table, so now I take in her actual appearance—and as I do, the burning fury inside me transforms into scorching lust.
She’s beautiful. No, more than that. She’s breathtaking, a painting of a Grecian goddess come to life. Like in the picture I saw earlier, her hair tumbles down to her slender shoulders in a cascade of sun-streaked brown waves, and her smooth skin glows with a mysterious inner light. Whatever my sister has done has enhanced the radiance that’s captured me from the beginning, emphasizing Chloe’s bright, tender beauty.
The kind of beauty that all but begs for a despoiling touch.
My gaze trails from her face to her fragile collarbones, then, determinedly skipping over the pendant, to the hint of shadow between her breasts, temptingly pushed up by the tight bodice of her dress. With vivid clarity, I imagine how her erect nipples will feel when I palm those small, delicious globes, how they’ll taste when I suck them. She’ll moan, her head arching back and her slender arms rising to—