Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

OTF Chapter 16 - One Last Night

Chapter 16

ON THE night of the masquerade, Vivienne stood in the doorway as she watched Blake button up his dress shirt. She smiled to herself as he fixed his white bow tie. He was so handsome; she could hardly catch her breath sometimes. Those broad shoulders in that black wool coat, those muscular legs in those pants. She found herself drawn to wrapping her arms around his waist as he straightened his cufflinks. Vivienne grabbed his other set and inserted them into his cuffs for him. Taken by surprise, he smiled a little as he watched her.

"This is my job from now on," Vivienne told him with a mischievous smile. Vivienne was wearing a low-cut evening dress in liquid red silk. Around her neck, she had a camellia necklace with about a king's ransom in diamonds. She planted a kiss on Blake's hand as she finished helping him put the finishing touches on his outfit. "I can't wait to rip all of this off of you, later," she whispered to him.

Blake blushed a little at her salacious comments. She liked the small hints of shyness he displayed now and then. It reminded her of the boy she had met so long ago in River Way.

"Not unless I relieve you of that dress first," he whispered back to her. Blake placed his hands around her waist gently, pulling her close against his body. The warmth of his touch lit a fire in her loins. Vivienne wanted so badly to kiss him again but decided Allison might feel jilted again if she saw Blake show up with traces of lipstick on his lips.

"Let's get going," Vivienne said. As the elevator descended, she wrapped her arms around his waist and continued to smile. So, this was how it felt to be madly and entirely in love. This was what Allison wanted so badly, and yet Allison couldn't seem to give up being Maglania's host for it. Vivienne had spent the last day wondering how Allison fit into her endgame. Was Allison going to go home quietly? Or would Vivienne have to drag her kicking and screaming back home to Lewisville?

As Vivienne sat in the town car beside Blake, she felt him reach over and take her hand. The lights of Manna City glimmered above, and it was truly a perfect night.

After everything she had seen and done, Vivienne couldn't imagine going back home to that small town where she had grown up. She was growing accustomed to the extravagant couture gowns, the endless boxes of spellbinding jewelry and finally, having two of the most eligible bachelors in Manna City at her beck and call. How does one go back to going to school and date a boring oaf like Daniel?

"I feel my power growing," Vivienne whispered to Blake. "I don't think I will need your help tomorrow night. I need to do this on my own. If I need you, I know how to find you."

Blake nodded absently.

"Is something bothering you?" Vivienne asked, noticing that he couldn't meet her eyes.

"Nothing," Blake said, reassuring as though he had been lost in his own thoughts. "I was just thinking about how beautiful you looked."

"Seriously?" Vivienne asked with a roll of her eyes. It was true, the satin lipstick-red dress she was wearing was sexier than her usual jeans and t-shirt, but she doubted that was what Blake was contemplating as he stared out the car window.

"Tell me, Vivienne, if you had to choose between life here with me in Manna City and Allison back at home with your parents, which would you choose?"

Vivienne frowned. She wondered if he was talking about the plan to break the chains again. If they did it, soon — possibly even that night, it would be a blood bath. They would have to immediately kill the other princes, handmaids, guards and then finally Maglania. The problem was, Maglania still had one card left to play, she had Allison.