Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
I wet lip my lips. “And make-up?”
His expression drew into a concentrated frown and he turned to search the cabinets and drawers. At last he withdrew a small tube and opened it. It looked a little like lipstick but it was silver. Vas brought it to my face and I held my breath as he swept it across my lips, his eyes tracing the curve of my mouth. I peered at myself in the mirror when he was done. The silver was a little futuristic, but it complimented the blue of my eyes, making them appear a shade brighter.
Vas regarded me for a long moment, and I yearned to read his thoughts. “You don’t need much more than that since we’ll be wearing masks,” he said before retrieving two strange looking headpieces. They were black and velvety. A band sat on top of the head while the velvety mask came down over the eyes and nose. I now understood why I only needed my lips painted since my mouth was the only part of my face that was visible. Thankfully, I could see clearly through the eye holes and my vision wasn’t too obscured by the mask.
Vas donned his mask, which was a slightly more masculine version of mine. Lastly, we found some shoes, which again didn’t fit perfectly. They were a size too small and pinched a bit but they would have to do. I went to gather my things from the bathroom, the watch and dagger, before returning to Vas.
He took my hand in his and swept me into his arms. “Here goes nothing,” he said and the next thing I knew we were teleporting from the house. A second later we arrived in a quiet alcove inside the Opal Palace itself. The festivities were in full swing, with clinking glasses, chatter and general merriment filtering through from the main ballroom. It took me a moment to catch my breath after teleporting. My senses were on overload.
“What’s wrong? Are you nauseous?” Vas whispered, furtively glancing around to make sure our sudden appearance hadn’t attracted attention.
“A little, but it’ll pass. Just give me a minute,” I said, glancing at my watch. We now had four hours and twenty-eight minutes to get back to the portal site. I knew Vas could get us there swiftly by teleporting, but that all depended on everything going according to plan at the ball.
A few attendees went by, a gaggle of women decked out in stylish masks and dresses that were even more lavish than the one I wore. The masks came in many styles and colours, some with feathers or taffeta, others made from leather or glittering stones.
Thankfully, the ladies didn’t notice us, and I drew a deep breath for courage, meeting Vas’ eyes. I had my dagger secured discreetly in one of the folds of my dress. All I needed to do was slide my hand in and retrieve it as soon as I got close enough to Red Armand.
“Ready?” Vas asked and I nodded.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Just as I said it people began filtering from the ballroom and heading in our direction. I panicked for a moment then noticed they were bypassing us and walking to an outdoor area. A tall man wearing a yellow mask glanced our way, eyeing us up and down. Did we look out of place or suspicious somehow? His mouth seemed to flatten as he took a step towards us.
Vas acted fast, taking me in his arms and backing me against the wall. I gasped, heart racing, and barely had time to react when his mouth crashed down on mine.
Several questions filled my head at once. One, had the man moved on? Two, had we been pinned as intruders? And three, why did having Vas’ lips on mine make me feel like I was melting away into the wall?
One part of my brain knew he was only kissing me so that the man would leave us alone, but another part was aware of his tongue parting my lips and sliding into my mouth. An electric shock went through me when his tongue caressed mine and a tiny moan escaped me. He backed me deeper into the wall, his broad chest pressing into me, surrounding me. The smooth fabric of his suit against my bare cleavage was unexpectedly pleasurable. I’d never been so aware of the fact that I wasn’t wearing any under things.
His hand came to my jaw, tilting my head back as he deepened the kiss. I was in danger of losing the run of myself completely as my hands travelled over his muscular shoulders and down to grip his upper arms.
The kiss was good.
Better than good.
And that was why I needed to stop it. Summoning all my willpower I tore my mouth from his, my palms on his chest to keep him at bay. Vas stared at me like he wanted to devour me, his breathing ragged. I noticed some of my silver lipstick had come away on his mouth. Absentmindedly, I reached out and wiped it away with my fingers. Vas inhaled sharply, his eyes sparkling.