Page 26 of Close Your Eyes

I head downstairs to wait for Mayor Thornberg and his wife. As soon as I spot them in the lobby, I breathe in, ready to put on a performance.

“Mr. Thornberg,” I say, extending my hand with a polite shake. “How are you this evening?”

Mr. Thornberg’s smile widens, the faint sheen of his gray hair catching the light from above. “Estella and I haven’t been here in ages. We needed a night out.”

I steal a glance at his wife, standing beside him. She’s clad entirely in black, a vibrant purple boa draped gracefully over her shoulders. Her dark hair is meticulously styled into curls that cascade around her shoulders, adding an air of elegance to her presence.

“Always good to get away,” I tell him. “What are you two planning on doing this evening? We have a BDSM event happening in one of the private rooms.”

“That sounds fun,” Mr. Thornberg says in a noncommittal voice. “Estella, what do you think?”

Her eyes run over me. “Can you join us, Ledger?” she asks with a southern drawl.

I tsk her, wanting to remind these people that’s not what I do here. “I have very pressing matters to attend to elsewhere. But I’m sure you two will have the best time.”

“Estella, leave Ledger alone. I’m sorry about her, she thinks everyone in the club is her little plaything,” Mr. Thornberg says.

I laugh, but there’s no humor behind it. “Let Joey get you both something from the bar.” I nod at the bartender, gaining his attention.

Joey stops what he’s doing and heads over. “What can I do for you, sir?”

Mr. Thornberg and his wife order a drink, and Joey gets to work on making them.

“I’ll leave you both to enjoy your night,” I say the moment I spot Posey.

She’s got two men flanked on either side of her, and the sight of it pisses me off.

I’m pissed off the entire time they come by and shake my hand. I’m pissed off when Posey enters the room for me to babysit her.

This is stupid, and something deep inside me wants to call it quits on this preposterous arrangement.

Maybe if Bane employed better men, they’d be able to watch her.

But I don’t trust them.

I don’t trust anyone but me to watch her, so as soon as the door shuts, I click the lock.

We don’t speak for what feels like an eternity.

I can barely look at her. Not because I’m mad at her, but because I don’t trust myself. I can’t trust that I won’t touch her.

She’s wearing a pretty white dress with pink flowers all over it. Dainty and completely feminine. I swear her hair is longer than the last time I saw her, and she’s got this red lipstick on that draws my attention to her kissable lips.

It’s a complete contrast to the innocent dress. Ruby red lips. Like a fire-engine red. A red that a virgin shouldn’t be wearing.

A red I can picture all over my cock.

I clear my throat as Posey takes a seat on the white couch.

“I looked at flowers the other day. Do you know how many wedding-type flowers there are?”

I shrug, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “What’s a wedding-type of flower?”

“Exactly. It nearly gave me a headache.”

I hate this conversation. The last thing I want to think about is Posey getting married to the devil. Because that’s what Bane is. The devil.

“What did you finally decide on?” I ask because I don’t want to appear like a complete dick. I want to talk to her. Maybe a little too much.