Monster (15 page)

“But—”

“Please trust me on this, Jenna,” Eden implored, looking at her friend. “I’ll talk to the head of his security team so he can keep an extra eye on you and the baby,” she consoled, making sure the other woman understood her stance on the matter: going to Dominic wasn’t an option. Alex was a nuisance, but he was certainly one they could handle without involving Dominic in the matter.

Saturday evening rolled in like a massive boulder, too fast and weighed with dread and apprehension. Eden could quite literally count on one hand the number of times she’d met Dominic’s family. The initial meeting had been a strained dinner in the first few months of their marriage that had ended quite badly and the second had been at another function, such as the one she was attending tonight, where the members of haute society had looked at her with all the conceit their kind could muster and had found her wanting. And of course there was that little affair she’d had with Lucas Armstrong. Eden wasn’t looking forward to this at all. Nevertheless, she armed herself for the battle she was to about face.

She was meticulous with her appearance, applying only the slightest bit of makeup. The heavy eyeliner and mascara accentuated the golden flecks of her eyes, while the peach stain lipstick gave her a perfect pout. She applied bronzer in all the appropriate places before carefully stepping into the full length, blush pink backless dress she’d finally settled on. It’d been slightly over budget, but with the options she’d been given, this dress had been a great find. It fit her well, the capped sleeves gave it a modest appeal, while the daring swoop in the back added a slight bit of sexiness. The neckline did not permit her to wear a necklace, so Eden kept her jewelry minimal, not that there was much for her to choose from. She wore simple teardrop earrings that were put on display because she’d gathered her hair up in a sleek topknot on her head. Knowing she’d dawdled for too long, Eden took in a deep breath before grabbing her clutch from her nightstand. It was time to face the music.

Standing at the foot of the grand staircase in calm anticipation, he felt her presence even before he raised his dark head to look up. Dominic sucked in a sharp breath as he was momentarily stripped of all cognitive thought. Struck completely by the force of her beauty, he simply gawked. She was the goddess Aphrodite, descending towards him, Ares, who, with a simple word, would wage wars in her name. He wanted nothing more than to kneel at her alter and worship the body she’d deprived him of for far too long. When she looked at him, those spectacular golden eyes luring him further into her spell, Dominic ascended the last step to meet her. Without pause he took hold of her delicate hand within his larger one and helped her down. “You look exquisite,” he said huskily against her cheek, stealing a moment to breathe in her scent.

“Thank you,” Eden murmured unevenly, wholly affected by the unrepentant hunger she saw in his smoldering green eyes, making her feel exposed and threatened all at once.

It continued in much the same manner in the limousine, and though there was ample space to move around, Eden felt fettered by that predatory gleam in his eyes. He sat across from her, his big, dark, brooding, narrowed emerald eyes focused on her, and Eden was reminded of a panther in repose, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. In an effort to preserve her sanity, she averted her eyes from him, but not before her gaze ran admiringly across his physique, swathed in a tailored dinner jacket that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. The white shirt beneath was accented by a black silk bowtie that was every bit as sexy as the man himself. Eden saw nothing beyond the tinted glass of the windows, but she continued to stare anyway, knowing it was a much safer place to look than at the man seated across from her who affected her so deeply. It was truly unfortunate that she found herself so attracted to him, that she was drawn by his raw sexual magnetism that lured her in like gravity.

The silence thundered, crackled with energy that vibrated between them, until he finally spoke, the sound of his smooth, deep voice causing her to jump. “I have something for you.” Her eyes flew back to him, apprehension made her instantly tense as she watched him slip a hand inside the pocket of his suit, withdrawing a small, black, velvet box.

Meeting his burnished gaze with trepidation, Eden immediately knew what it was before he even opened the box. He’d had it cleaned so that the light bounced off the facets of the diamonds and gleamed beautifully back at her. “May I?” He didn’t wait for her to give him permission before taking her hand and slipping it on her finger. Staring at that ring was like staring into a crystal ball as every last bit of memory from their four year marriage came flooding back. A cold and loveless marriage filled with degradation and mental abuse that veined through Eden’s core.

“I think a leash would’ve been more appropriate,” she said with a bitterness that coated her tongue.

“Eden—”

“You forgot to go over my duties for the evening.” There was as much warmth radiating from her as a block of ice. “Am I dancing for your friends tonight? Or will it be me sucking your cock in front of all your guests? Will Bruce be there? How about your father and brother? Will they join in on the festivities? Please let me know, Dominic, so I know what I’m in for. Blow jobs, hand jobs, gangbangs—”

“Enough,” he directed very calmly in the dead stillness of the car. Color slashed his high cheekbones as he pierced Eden with his rapier sharp, green eyes that could’ve drawn blood. “We have arrived.” With that, he threw open the door before the chauffer had a chance of doing it himself and unfurled his big body from the car. He held his hand out to her that Eden completely ignored as she followed him out. When she took a step towards the granite stairs leading up to the brightly lit entrance, he clamped a restraining hand around her arm to pull her back against his frame. Standing just behind her with the
warmth of his breath at her ear, he murmured, “Your cock sucking skills will be relegated to our home only and exercised solely on me. The duties I require of you tonight, dear wife, is to comport yourself like a respectable and doting wife of a very generous benefactor.” In saying that, he took her hand and set in crook of his arm before leading her up the stairs with unmatched finesse.

“Playing your whore would be much more convincing,” Eden grated through clenched teeth, and while she anticipated a response from him, none was forthcoming as he decidedly ignored the comment which only served to further fuel her anger. Nevertheless, she remained at his side as they cleared the main entrance and came into the grand foyer that boasted a massive crystal chandelier high at the center of the vaulted ceiling. There were equally massive paintings lining the stucco walls that were doubtlessly worth fortunes. A red velvet runner stretched from the front entrance of the multi-million dollar home, to the yawning French doors that led to the grand dining room. A number of guests were already there with more arriving by the minute in beautiful cars that queued down the street. A discreet staff of impeccably dressed waiters and waitresses carried out a perfect ballet as they fluidly moved around the room, offering bubbly fluted drinks and hors d’oeuvres to the numerous guests in attendance. There was a bar set up at the far end of the foyer, where guests could imbibe in something stronger than champagne if they wanted. As they progressed further inside the hall, they were detained by several men and while Dominic made introductions and spoke candidly about affairs that Eden did not understand, he was sure to set a large, strong hand at the small of her back in a move that was a clear mark male possession.

“Dominic, lovely of you to come,” Millicent Armstrong greeted, her saccharine voice holding just the slightest bit of malice. She was tall, nearly as tall as her husband who stood practically toe to toe with Dominic’s six foot three inch frame. She was otherwise a delicate woman, and she looked the same as the last time Eden had seen her. Aside from the smattering of freckles across her button nose, there was little blemish on a face that defied time. Her strawberry blond hair that was too bright to be natural had grown longer than Eden remembered, but it still looked amazing and lustrous in the over the shoulder ponytail she’d styled it in. The chiffon dress she wore was elegance itself, with an empire waist that flowed prettily when she walked. Gregory Armstrong hadn’t changed much either; he still maintained that supercilious air that was so reminiscent of the child who stood at Eden’s side. Even so advanced in age, one could see that he’d been quite handsome when he’d been younger. A touch of wrinkles stretched at the corner of those trademarked Armstrong green eyes that still held a devastating glint to them. He had salt and pepper hair that had grown even whiter in the last five years, but it was stylishly cut to suit his face. The black dinner jacket, shirt, trousers and tie were expertly tailored to his big frame, not a thread out of place.

“I wasn’t aware not coming was an option,” he retorted sardonically. “You do remember my wife, Eden.” In saying that, he did not thrust her forward as Eden anticipated he would; instead he kept her at his side, the hand at her back moving around to settle at her hip. Gregory’s gaze raked over her with a thoroughness that made Eden’s skin crawl, and she unconsciously leaned into Dominic, needing his formidable frame to protect her from his father’s lascivious stare. Millicent on the other hand, quite possibly used to her husband’s wandering eye, regarded Eden with a coolness that could’ve frozen a volcano.

“Yes…hello again, Eden. It’s been far too long.”
Certainly not long enough
, the expression on her currently pinched face seemed to say.

“It’s good to see you again, Eden. Now, son, if you will permit me a moment of your time, there is something I wish to discuss with you.”

“Can it wait?”

“It’s a matter of urgency.”

When Dominic peered down at her, Eden mustered up a brave face despite that she wailed at the prospect of being alone with his stepmother. Dominic was many things, but he was infinitely better company than the cold woman standing a foot or so away from Eden. “I won’t be long.” he uttered against her cheek, his breath making her shiver. She watched him stride away and forced herself to keep from running after him.

“Come, Eden,” Millicent offered Eden her arm, while attempting a smile that appeared more menacing than she probably intended. “Let me introduce you to the other wives. If you’re going to be in our circle, you must learn who everyone is.” Right then. So her mother-in-law was attempting to make nice. Well, Eden would play along, but remained guarded. As they walked around the mansion that Millicent explained was a family inheritance received some time ago, and she hadn’t begun the renovations until only a few years ago.

“We’ve restored quite a bit of the original framework. It’s been quite the project, just something to amuse myself with while Gregory is away. It’s become home to our annual charity events.”

“What charity is this dinner for?”

“The less fortunate, dear. The underprivileged families of our city benefit quite a bit from the proceeds of these charities. We only invite those who have the means to give, of course, the price of each ticket alone disqualifies many.”

“How much are the tickets.”

“Twenty thousand a ticket.”

Oh yes, a mere twenty thousand dollars a ticket. No problem. Eden inwardly snorted. She couldn’t even wrap her mind around spending that much money when she had so little of it herself. God that meant Dominic spent forty thousand dollars on them being here tonight. Well, at least it was for a good cause. With Millicent attempting a hand at cordiality, Eden lowered her guard for a moment, grabbing a drink from a passing waiter to better allay the nervous tension tautening her shoulders. There was a group of women gathered near the entrance of the dining room and this was where Millicent ended their miniature tour.

“Good evening, ladies.” They all turned at the all too cheerful greeting, pasting on smiles that were far from authentic. “I do hope you are all enjoying yourselves.”

“Of course, Millicent, your charities are always so very inspired. We were just remarking on the newly attained Matisse on the west wall. It’s quite breathtaking. Will it be auctioned?”

Millicent’s laughter was not a pleasant sound; it had the same effect of nails on a chalkboard. “Of course not, Beatrice, it’s just like you to say something so absurd.” The remark was a thinly veiled insult that even said in jest cut deep, the shallow laughter of the women around them further added insult to injury. The one named Beatrice, thoroughly embarrassed, hid her discomfort behind a tremulous smile after she’d taken a long sip of her drink. “Ladies, please allow me to introduce you to Dominic’s wife, Eden.”

All eyes turned to her and Eden felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She attempted a smile with the hope it wasn’t as terrible as she imagined. “Hello, everyone.” It felt like high school, being invited to sit at the popular table all the while knowing that you did not belong there. She felt out of her depth, swimming among creatures that were more likely foe than friend, ready to make a meal of her. No one said anything for a very long time as they sized her up, staring at her from head to toe, trying to find fault with her, something they could use to detract from her worth. It was the furthest thing from a friendly atmosphere, and though Eden knew she could very well be imagining all this, seeing the disingenuous looks in those eyes as nothing more than her failings, she knew it wasn’t her imagination.

“We did not realize Dominic had married,” this from the matronly woman standing beside Beatrice, who, upon taking a hard look at Eden, had instantly found her lacking.

“Well, it was rather a small affair. Dominic isn’t one for frill. But they’ve been together for quite some time now. How long has it been, dear?”

“Five years.” There was a collective gasp and eyes widening considerably at that response.

“How lovely for you.” It felt like a firing squad, the snarky condescension aimed at her, this time from another woman in the circle with crystalline blue eyes and raven black hair. “Dominic has attended this dinner since its inception, yet this is the first time we’ve seen you in the five years of your marriage, Eden.”