21
Isa
Rafe hung the dress bag on the back of the door, unzipping it slowly until the gleaming white satin came visible bit by bit. I gaped at it, the asymmetrical strapless neckline angular and unique in a way I wouldn’t have expected.
If I’d thought to have the comfort of a black dress to make me blend in, all hopes of that were dashed by Rafael’s choice. The white would stand out sharply against the fawn of my skin and my dark hair. The bottom was asymmetrical as well, and I knew it was very intentional that the leg that would be bared by the dress was the one with the scar.
“I can’t wear that,” I said, shaking my head in protest.
“You will,” Rafe said, turning to me with a smirk. The bag with his tux was laid out over the bed, and he ran a hand over it until he was certain that the fabric wouldn’t crease.
“I wouldn’t even knowhowto wear something like that. What do I do with my hair? Makeup?” I asked, and he smiled at me and touched his lips to my cheek before moving to the door to the room we’d claimed as ours. It was truly more of a suite, with a living area and bathroom to ourselves as well.
Sigrid stepped into the room with a bright smile, waving a hand to welcome in two other women. “This is Zuri and Faye,” she said with a bright smile. One of the male staff members wheeled in a cart filled with makeup and hair products, making my eyes go round as I turned to Rafael with a wide-eyed stare. “Your husband expressed concerns that you might be in need of some assistance this evening. Of course, he neglected to mention the woman he spoke of was his wife,” she chuckled. Zuri smiled at me kindly while Faye went through the process of setting up the vanity in the corner of the bedroom.
“I…” I trailed off, fumbling for the words. I felt out of place with the knowledge that most women probably didn’t need the help getting ready, but behind the tinge to my cheeks, all I felt was relief. He’d taken care of me, knowing I would feel much more comfortable stepping into the event later if I was dressed in armor.
And what was elaborate makeup and a gown but a woman’s version of it, in a way? A pretty armor, but a shield between me and the rest of the party attendees no less.
“Thank you,” I said finally, forcing a smile to my face as I met Sigrid’s eyes.
“Think nothing of it,” she said, stepping forward to take my hands in hers. “Pay me back by taking their breath away when you step into the ballroom on the devil’s arm.” She kissed my cheek gently.
When she walked out, Joaquin filled the gap she’d left, taking up a seat in the living room where he would be able to see into the bedroom and keep an eye on everything that happened. I was suddenly comforted by his presence.
Particularly when Rafael gathered his tux up to drape over his arm. “I’ll be in the next room,” he murmured, catching my chin with his free hand. He leaned down, touching his lips to mine softly and hovering there longer than was appropriate. The heat of his mouth against mine tasted like fresh mint, his breath all-consuming as it flared out his nostrils with his need to restrain himself. I lifted up to my toes, brushing my lips against his in an invitation that never should have crossed my mind with the audience in the same room. He groaned somewhere deep in his throat, shifting his grip from my chin to my jaw and cupping my face to angle me exactly where he wanted me.
The swooning sounds of a woman in the background made me pull away slowly, my cheeks warming with the blush of embarrassment. Pressing my lips together, I looked toward the floor and waited for the moment to pass.
A moment that extended far too long when Rafael’s deep chuckle of amusement filled the room. He leaned forward until his lips hovered next to my ear, and I felt the way that sinful mouth of his tipped up into a smile when it brushed against the curve of flesh. “After all the wicked things I’ve done to you, somehow you still manage to blush over a mere kiss,wife,” he murmured, drawing back and touching his mouth to my forehead one last time. “I’ll be back in two hours,” he said to Joaquin as he departed the room.
Zuri nodded, her face still twisted as if she thought we were the sweetest couple she’d ever seen. I wondered if she would still think that if she knew the truth. People tended to think much less of a romance that was built on lies and kidnapping, but who was I to judge?
I’d fallen in love with my captor, and was in so deep that I couldn’t even make myself regret it.
“Into the shower with you,” Zuri said, grinning in a friendly way as she swatted me toward the bathroom. After exchanging a quick glance with Joaquin to make sure it was safe, I did as she asked.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what waited for me when the shower was done.
* * *
The sight of my dramatic eyes in the reflection nearly took my breath away. I’d always thought them a bit of a muddled green, and the brown chunk in the bottom corner certainly didn’t do much to dispel such thoughts. But the subtle smoky way Faye had done my makeup accentuated them, bringing out the slight angle to them. I looked like me, but somehow not.
“Hold still,” she said, smiling slightly. Where Zuri had been incredibly outgoing and chatty while she dried and styled my hair into loose, fluffy waves, Faye had largely worked in silence while she applied product after product to my face.
“Faye is quite gifted with makeup,” Zuri said, sitting on the edge of the bed and munching on one of the strawberries that had been brought for a snack while they worked. “She could make you look like a different person entirely. A whole new identity.”
“I guess I’m just happy I still mostly look like me,” I said with a laugh.
“You’re beautiful as you are,” Faye said, pursing her lips as she touched a brush to my lips and painted them a deep red. They were the only pop of color on my face, the eye makeup she’d chosen in neutrals with just theslightesthint of purple around my eyes to make the green stand out more. “To hide that would be a crime. Makeup should enhance you, not cover you up. Besides, I suspect your husband might strangle me if I gave him someone else for the night,” she added, smirking as she finished painting my lips.
“Thank you, and I certainly hope you’re right. If my husband wants another woman for the night, my lips might not be the only thing that’s red by the end of the evening,” I laughed awkwardly, ignoring the looks of shock on their faces. To work for people who had a business relationship with Rafael, I presumed they understood the nature of that business wasn’t always squeaky clean.
Though most women didn’t get their hands dirty, from what Rafael and Joaquin had said.
I stood, wincing when Zuri dropped to her knees with my shoes grasped tightly in her grip. I held out a foot, watching as she slid the delicate gold heels onto my feet. My toes matched my lips, painted that deep, velvety red as she clasped the strap around my ankle.
Once that was done, I moved to a corner of the room where Joaquin wouldn’t be able to see me. I dropped the robe I’d dressed in after getting out of the shower. The strapless push-up bra was already uncomfortable around my chest, fitted snugly to hold its place even though it seemed to defy logic. The underwear were seamless, flowing over my body in a way that wouldn’t show beneath the white fabric of the dress.