Secrets and Lace: A Dark Romance Thriller (Fatal Hearts Series Book 1) (2 page)

“Thanks, Jo. Maybe it is. See you at the meeting.” I opened the door and walked into my office, still gazing at the card. Only my name was typed on the ecru envelope. No address. Why would I be receiving an RSVP in the mail? Everyone was asked to RSVP online, or to send physical wedding-related mail to Silk & Petals, the wedding planning company we had hired to plan the festivities.

My office, like the rest of the
Sage
offices, was decorated in pastel colors and swathed in lots of natural light. A vase of white roses stood on one corner of the smoky glass–topped desk. I crossed my legs under the table and moved my computer mouse so the screen came alive. A photo of me and Miles was splashed across the screen, taken inside the Stephansdom last month in Vienna, Austria.

Work swallowed me immediately, and I forgot about the card. I returned a few emails—most from people congratulating me on the explosive issue—and returned calls. Later in the day I had a routine meeting with the team, and a successful lunch meeting with a big cosmetics firm.

At six, I was ready to leave the office—unusual since I tended to be the last person to go home. But I had a wedding dress fitting to attend. The wedding boutique was a few blocks down the street, so I walked. Tina Daly, my wedding planner, was there waiting for me.

The fitting didn't take long. My taffeta trumpet wedding gown, which had hand-beaded lace appliqués adorning the shoulder straps, fit as though it had melted onto my body.

Afterward, Tina went through details with me at a nearby café, where I sipped fizzy water from a crystal glass. The alcohol from the office celebration was still in my system.

“Do you know yet if your mom will be attending the wedding?”

My stomach twisted. That was one question I wasn’t ready to answer yet. Honesty was the only way out. “I still don’t know. Can I get back to you on that in a few days?”

“Sure, no problem.” Tina closed the silk-covered wedding folder. “I guess that’s it for today. Everything is going according to schedule. I’ve confirmed with all the vendors, and the wedding program is ready. It’s gorgeous. You’ll love it. I’ll send you a copy.” Tina’s hazel eyes sparkled, a perfect match for her personality.

“Thanks so much, Tina. I’d appreciate that.”

We parted outside, and Tina walked away with the folder under her arm and her auburn ponytail swinging like a schoolgirl’s.

As I walked back to the office to get some paperwork I had forgotten, exhaustion pressed down on me. Even with a planner, wedding planning was stressful. Eloping would have been easier. But what was the fun in that? When I married the hottest bachelor in the country, I didn’t want the world to miss it. And one of my writers, Lauri Brandon, had already started writing our love story, which would be published in the July issue, supplemented with wedding photos. Some good news for a change.

When I exited the office building again, a black stretch limousine was parked out front. I forgot about my meltdown in the bathroom earlier and smiled as Ed, Miles’s driver, beckoned me over.

“Good evening, Miss Chloe. Mr. Durant instructed me to pick you up this evening.”

“That’s lovely. Thanks, Ed.” He opened my door and I slid into the back seat. The paperwork could wait. This evening was for Miles and me.

A bottle of champagne was chilling in a silver bucket, and a pair of classic fluffy white bunny slippers awaited me, a note tucked inside one of them.

After a long day, I thought you might need these.

Times like these often made me wonder what I did to deserve Miles. He was so thoughtful and loving—the most romantic man I had ever dated. He made sure to spoil me every chance he got. Although I was thrilled to be marrying a billionaire, I knew he’d be a keeper even without the money.

I kicked off my heels as the driver pulled away from the curb and pushed my toes into the slippers, sighing with relief.

The smile was still on my face when I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, imagining myself on my wedding day, admiring myself in the mirror before the ceremony, my shiny black hair glossy and beautiful. Happiness would banish the shadows of the past that lurked in my bright blue eyes the moment before I walked into my own personal fairytale.

***

I found Miles in the kitchen, cooking dinner. We had a chef, but Miles loved to cook. It helped him relax. Whenever he was able to get away from his stressful tech company, he switched off his phones and stepped into the kitchen. That suited me fine, because I wasn’t much of a chef. In fact, I hated cooking.

“How's my gorgeous fiancée doing?” He pulled me into the circle of his arms, and I pressed myself against his tight chest, feeling his hard abs under his crisp white shirt. He wasn’t wearing an apron; how he managed to keep food from staining his shirt was beyond me.

He tipped up my face and pressed his lips against mine, sliding his tongue into my mouth, forcing my lips open. A shiver of desire rippled through me as I stood on tiptoe. He ran his fingers down my back, chasing the tension of the day from my body. I let go, allowing myself to be seduced by the only man to ever give me an orgasm.

Unable to stop myself from moving on to the next base, I raised my hands and buried them in his thick dark brown hair, my fingertips caressing his scalp. He lowered his hands to my butt and cupped me firmly, drawing me even closer, pressing my lower body against his rock-hard erection, awakening my senses.

He pulled away and looked into my eyes, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “Want to make this the first course?”

“I do.” I giggled and rubbed myself against him.

His lips touched mine again, hungry and fast. In a few ragged breaths, I was up on the marble kitchen island. His pants were down, my lace panties were on the floor, and he was buried deep inside me. I moaned and groaned into his shoulder and he grunted in response.

It didn't take long before I came, as if he was all I had been waiting for all day. When we were done, my silk shirt clung to my body, and I was tingling between the legs, still feeling him inside me. It took a while for the pounding of my heart to quiet.

He helped me down off the island and I straightened my clothes. He pulled up his pants, kissed me on the nose, and returned to the stove. “The second course will be ready in ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll go and change.” I turned and went up the sweeping staircase, walking down a long corridor to our bedroom. I undressed and took a quick shower in the master bath. Ten minutes later I was back downstairs, still wearing the slippers Miles had left me in the limousine. I was refreshed, satisfied, and happy. I pretended to be happy at my job, but with Miles, I never had to pretend. As long as he was around, I was okay. This part of my life was real.

Later that night we made love again before Miles fell asleep in my arms. I was about to close my eyes when I remembered the card Jolene had given me at work.

I got out of bed, careful not to wake Miles, and went to my home office. I stared at the envelope for a long time before I opened it. It was a card, but definitely not an RSVP. This one had the number 30 embossed on the front. I opened the card and something slid onto the polished wooden table. My gaze landed on a piece of lacey material, and my heart stopped when I saw the red stain.

Blood.

The card fell from my hands.

Chapter Three

I was panting by the time I reached Jolene’s office door. I raised my hand to knock, then paused and swiped the sweat off my forehead. It wouldn't be a good idea to make Jolene suspicious.

I took a deep breath before pushing the door open and pretended my heart wasn't in my throat, where it had been since last night.

Jolene glanced up from her computer and smiled. “Morning, Chloe. Are you here for your appointments? You received quite a few calls this morning already.” Jolene reached for a spiral notepad and started flipping through it. She located the page she was looking for, removed it, and handed it to me. I took it, forcing my hands not to shake.

“Thank you.” I swallowed hard. “By the way, who did you say delivered that card yesterday? The one you found on your desk.”

“I have no idea. I went to tidy the boardroom… and when I returned, there it was, next to my cashews.”

I eyed the ever-present glass bowl of nuts on Jolene’s desk.

“You didn’t leave anyone in your office?” Visitors who entered the premises always booked an appointment. No one showed up unannounced.

Jolene frowned. “No. The next appointment wasn’t due for another hour.” Jolene narrowed her eyes. “Is something wrong? What kind of card was it?”

I forced a smile and gave a small nod. “Yes, everything is fine. You were right… just an RSVP.”

“I'm sure you'll be getting a lot of those—” The phone rang and Jolene’s eyes darted to it.

I gave a dismissive wave of my hand. “Go ahead and answer. Please hold my calls for the next thirty minutes, though. I have a few things to take care of.” I reached for the door handle and walked out.

Inside my office, with the door locked behind me, I sat at my desk for a long time, thinking. The person who had left me the card had not wanted to be seen. What kind of person would go as far as sending someone a piece of bloody lace? Then again, the nature of my job meant I had a few enemies. Beyond that, I was about to marry one of the wealthiest men in the United States. There could be lots of people who might want to sabotage my happiness.

Unable to think about work, I pulled out the envelope. I’d stuffed the card back inside last night. I turned the envelope over in my hands, feeling the weight of what was inside.

In the end, I picked up a sheet of paper and made a list of everyone I knew who might want to hurt me. But when the list of names reached twenty, I crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the bin. Furious at being left in the dark, I pulled out the card and the piece of lace and put them into the shredder.

Maybe someone was playing a tasteless prank on me. I decided to stop worrying about something that might be nothing at all. I wouldn’t mention it to Miles. No use worrying him unnecessarily.

I got to my feet and went to the decorative mirror hanging on one wall, where I ran a brush through my hair and refreshed my plum lipstick. I would be a professional and go through my work day under the pretense that I had never received the stupid card.

I called Jolene to tell her to allow my calls through. I was available.

Three hours later, I had my first meeting of the day. Although I did an amazing job of pretending, I was a total mess inside.

I could not stop picturing my own eyes when I’d looked into the mirror earlier. The fear in them had been unmistakable, fear of a kind I remembered all too well from long ago. The body could lie, and words could be deceiving, but eyes were the windows to the truth.

Chapter Four

If only a shower could wash away more than dirt.

I had been standing under the chrome shower head for almost an hour, trying but failing to scrub away the things that terrified me. As I walked out of the bathroom, followed by a cloud of steam, I felt the same as I had when I went in earlier. I’d thought a shower would do me good, but it did nothing.

I unraveled the towel from around my head, and my black hair tumbled down my naked back in ropes of silk.

Miles walked in, followed by the usual invigorating scent of cedar, citrus, and musk. He looked distinguished in a traditional black tux with prominent satin lapels. It gave him the kind of class and appeal only he could pull off. He was clean-shaven, and his medium-length chocolate-brown hair had been lightly gelled and combed back, the lines softened by him running his fingers through. He looked both clean-cut and ruggedly handsome at once, and my heart quickened as I watched him.

He glanced at his Rolex and then at me with a pinched expression. “I thought you would be ready by the time I got home.”

I sighed. If I didn't hurry up, we could end up having an argument over something as silly as being on time. I made a mental note:
Don’t show up late at the wedding.

“The event starts in twenty minutes. Ed is already waiting outside.”

I dried my hair while walking into my wardrobe. “Come on, Miles. What's the big deal? It's just a fundraising event. We’ll get there on time.”

“It's not
just
a fundraising event, Chloe. You know how important these events are to me.”

One of the reasons I fell in love with Miles was because he cared so much about the less fortunate—the sick, the poor, the misunderstood. He not only went to philanthropic events to show his support; he left each one with his pockets thousands of dollars lighter. Sometimes he even got his hands dirty serving soup and handing out donations to the homeless.

Many times, though, it
did
annoy me that he took these events so personally. And we were always going to one or another. We rarely went out just to have fun, not like we used to when we’d just started dating. I didn’t mind donating money, or attending a charitable event now and then, but two to three times a month seemed like a bit much. But then, I knew about this side of him when we got together. I signed up for this.

While I dressed, I heard him shuffling around in the bedroom. He was pacing. I’d have to do my makeup in the car. I got the feeling he was on the verge of walking out the door and leaving me behind.

Normally I didn't mind his strict adherence to time so much, but today I wasn't in the mood. I’d even tried to get out of attending, but it was important to him that we show up as a couple, to show our joint support to the community.

“I'm almost done,” I called out, massaging rich lavender lotion into my arms. I needed a massage badly; I’d have to fit one in soon.

Ten minutes later, I emerged dressed in a long, strapless silver and black evening gown with sequins that blinked when I moved. I didn't have enough time to do my hair the way I had planned, so I dried it and pulled it back in a smooth low bun.