Page 20 of A Corruption Dark & Deadly

Chapter 5

Scratch that previous statement, Annie thought to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. This is the last place I want to be. On Jericho’s arm at some charity function. She wasn’t entirely displeased with how she looked, however. In fact, the more she stared, the more she realized that she was quite pretty. The gown he had gifted her somehow fit her exquisitely. She wasn’t quite sure how he knew her size but he didn’t seem like the type of person to rifle through her clothes. However, she could imagine someone else doing it on his behalf.

Not that that mattered anyway.

The gown was a silver, strapless dress that gave her small breasts actual cleavage. It was an A-line gown that bunched between her breasts and swept all the way down to the floor like she was some Greek goddess. The material clung to her waist, to her hips, until the skirt flared out just so and trailed behind her in a small train. On her feet were a matching pair of strappy high heels. She was like a small little rain cloud.

Her hair was pulled into a sleek bun at the base of her head, leaving her center part in line. Two long strands of hair framed her face and curled just underneath her chin. She wore minimal jewelry, her simple silver ring on her right pinky and chandelier earrings that matched the color of the dress and caused her neck to look even longer than it typically was. Her eyes were smoky, her eyelashes long, but her lips were a subtle pink, and she wore no blush. She felt vulnerable, exposed, and she was certain the minute she stepped outside, her skin would erupt with goosebumps. But if this was what it took to get a share of her house, she would do it.

When she walked down the wooden stairs, Annie was able to catch sight of Jericho before he saw her. He looked beautiful in a haunting sort of way. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo, probably custom made to fit his frame perfectly. He was fiddling with his cufflinks which revealed how vulnerable he could be, and something inside of her wanted to help him. Which made no sense since she had promised herself she intended to loathe Jericho until her last breath for taking advantage of her brother’s stupidity and forcing her into this less than desirable predicament.

At that moment, she stepped on the third stair from the bottom. It squeaked loudly, causing Jericho to snap his head up, temporarily forgetting his struggle with the cufflink. He openly stared at her, his eyebrows pushed high into his hairline, his mouth making a slight ‘o’ of surprise, emphasizing his sharp cheekbones. He had no qualms with staring at her like she was something he couldn’t quite look away from.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered slowly, more to him than to her.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she felt her cheeks turn pink under his stare but not from the flattery. She didn’t know how to react to someone being so forward with his desire for her.

“You cannot possibly be real,” he continued when she met his eyes and stood next to him.

Annie giggled despite herself. She immediately regretted the action but couldn’t take it back. Nor could she force the stupid grin off of her face if she tried.

His grin transformed into a full-fledged smile. “I think that’s the first time I’ve made you blush because of a compliment,” he pointed out. “Or heard you giggle. It’s a beautiful sound. You should do it more often.”

Without warning, he reached out and curled one strand of blonde hair behind her ear, leaving her look unbalanced. He let his fingers trail over her ear and across her jawline and rested on the point of her chin. Her entire body sprouted out with goosebumps even though her home was permeated with heat thanks to Jericho’s relaxed attitude about the energy bill, and she knew it had to do with his touch. He had soft fingers, the kind that never had to work in their entire life. Surprisingly enough, Annie wasn’t resentful of this fact. It wasn’t his fault he had been born into money.

“You know,” he said. His sparkle disappeared from his eyes as his gaze dropped to her collarbone and darkened. It turned to a dull green as he continued to stare and there was something in that gaze that caused Annie to shudder. She swallowed, her throat completely dry. “We could be late. I could take you back to your room and worship your body. We might not even make it out of bed for the next seventy-two hours.”

Annie felt her pink complexion turn red. “You haven’t even taken me out on a date yet,” she mumbled without realizing what she had said.

His brows pushed up in surprise and he smiled. “Would you like me to?” he asked, tilting his head at that awkward angle.

“I-“ Annie clenched her teeth together before looking away. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

“You are… exquisite,” he told her. He brought up his finger from her chin so it rested on her bottom lip. “I could just… eat you up.”

Annie felt little shocks of electricity sent to her pelvis and her inner walls were starting to get wet. She clenched her teeth together to keep from making any telling noises that would reveal that she very possibly desired the man in front of her.

“You know,” he said, finally dropping his head and taking a step back from her, giving her space where she could finally breathe again. “You are unlike any girl I’ve ever met before.”

“Maybe because I’m a woman,” she said before she could stop herself.

His smile turned into an amused smirk. “Maybe,” he agreed with a nod. “Are you ready to go?”

Annie nodded once. “Yes,” she agreed.

He offered her his arm. “Then let’s go,” he commanded gently.

She looked at it, not quite sure what to do except take his arm like they were from the fifties and were going on their first date.

She took his arm and slid her arm through it. It was surprisingly sturdy and she squeezed his arm just to give herself something to cling to. He opened the front door to their house - her house, she had to remind herself - and the bitter cold air hit her like a wall of bricks. She immediately tensed up and buried her face into his arm unintentionally. Perhaps it would have been a romantic gesture if they had been a couple but she had been doing it to attempt to garner any kind of warmth since her dress was thin and she didn't have a jacket that matched.

"The car's waiting and heated," Jericho assured her as he walked her out. He turned and locked the door even though one of his security guards was stationed inside just to keep an eye on the house.

Annie picked her eyes up and looked out across the driveway. There, waiting for them, was a sleek black Mercedes town car, the driver leaning against the side of the car with the back door open. The car was running; grey exhaust painted the black canvas. She let Jericho lead her to the car and it took everything in her not to sprint to the car. The minute she was tucked safely inside, leaning against the beige leather seats and strapping herself in with a seatbelt, she finally relaxed. It really was heated and she was grateful for it.

"You buckled in?" Jericho asked, quirking an amused brow. He wasn't asking to be sure, he was asking because it seemed odd that she would wear a seatbelt in the first place.

Annie shrugged her shoulders, smoothing out the wrinkles in the skirt of her dress and looking out the window. The leather pressed into her skin, smooth and soft. Her shoulders were relaxed and her muscles eased down.