Chapter 6

The hallway of the estate was a labyrinth of shadows at midnight. I'd lain in my silk pajamas for two hours, staring at the ceiling, listening to the muffled laughter of the other girls down the hall. Every creak of the old mansion made my heart jump. When silence finally settled, I slipped out of bed and padded barefoot across the cold hardwood. His room was at the end of the east wing. I’d memorized the route during the estate tour that afternoon, when he'd caught my eye and held it a beat too long. Now my hand trembled as I knocked — three soft raps, barely audible. The door opened instantly. He pulled me inside by my wrist and pressed me against the wood, the latch clicking shut behind me. His guest room was cathedral-like, all vaulted ceiling and tall windows that let in a flood of moonlight. A four-poster bed dominated the center, its dark wood gleaming silver at the edges. "Couldn't sleep?" His voice was rough, the way it got when he'd been waiting. "No." He kissed me, and I forgot the rest of the lie. His hands found the hem of my pajama top and slid