Chapter 6

The muffled roar of the orchestra had faded into a dull, thrumming hum in the back of my head, but the only sound that truly mattered was the heavy, ragged breathing of the man sitting beside me. We were tucked away in the deepest recesses of the private box, a cocoon of plush red velvet and gilded gold trim that separated us from the rest of the world. The air here was thick, charged with the scent of expensive perfume, stale wine, and the undeniable, musky aroma of sex that had been building since the overture began. I shifted on the velvet chaise, the fabric rough against my thighs, and felt the weight of his gaze boring into the side of my neck. He hadn’t moved much during the performance, content to let the soprano’s high notes dance around our private tension, but now that the intermission was approaching, the stillness was breaking. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, a solid, imposing presence that made my skin prickle with anticipation. My heart was hammering against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage, because I knew what was coming. I had promised him. I had whispered