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Chapter 137

Автор: IWriter IWriter
last update Последнее обновление: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Cole spent the next day glued to her email. Just in case Milieu were all “we loved your article so much we got in touch with you straight away even though that literally never happens.”

It hadn’t happened.

So she dedicated herself to being moderately productive, which mainly involved restocking her food supplies and writing, and only fretting about Milieu/daydreaming about Caspian a little bit. Nik woke up hungover in the middle of her afternoon and they long-distance buddy-watched an episode of Supergirl, Cole curled on the sofa, Nik apparently still in bed and not consistently conscious.

She was back in the study and back at work—go her—when Ellery said, “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“Oh my God.” Cole finished having a minor heart attack. “Are you ever going to like knock or warn me before turning up?”

Ellery thought about it for a moment. “No.”

“But what if you get here and I’m bonking your brother?”

“Then I’ll be psychologically tr
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    Cole waved a little awkwardly, since she had no idea what these people had to do with each other, or with Ellery. With the exception of Mikhail, they were all in their fifties at least. John, in his tweedy, elbow-patch-sporting jacket, looked like an academic. And Janet like the subject of that Jenny Joseph poem. Dick peered up from the latest George RR Martin. “Where has Ellery been? We thought she had forgotten us.” “Just been busy,” Ellery replied. “You’ve missed out,” Dick said. “Oh yeah? Highlights?” Flossie reclaimed her seat. “This German couple took Miskha’s spot. But we soon had them put to rights.” Ellery asked, “Musically?” “The Halle, I think. Gave us some smashing Mahler,” Flossie said.Ellery shrugged. “Das Lied?” They nodded. “Eh. Every time she hears that, she's like…hurry up and die already. Don’t hang there in D forever.” John was polishing his glasses on the edge of his sleev

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    What had started out as the worst queuing experience of her life gradually became one of the best for Cole. Not that, in all honesty, there was that much competition. The evening got a flood of last-minute warmth, like a guilty start from the sun just as it was slipping away. She lay with her head on Ellery’s lap and Ellery fed her the rest of the strawberries—at least the ones she could wrest from Unasked for Queue Lady. Cole couldn’t help but notice that lots of other people were drinking wine but Ellery had gone all ascetic on her and only brought water. Probably it was the right call—she wasn’t sure whether her capacity to appreciate classical music would be improved or diminished if she was wankered. And, besides, she was slightly floaty anyway—on the balmy evening air and the brush of heat across her skin and the strange liberation of having nothing to do but wait. They were briefly interrupted by the click-whir-flash of a camera. And Cole startled out of a not-quite-dayd

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    Bellerose’s mouth thinned into a mean little line that didn’t suit him.And Finesilver was still radiating an impenetrable field of trust me, trust me, I’m a nice person. “I believe she feels in some way connected to him.” “Because he follows her around taking candid photos of her?” “Because he has done so since she was fifteen years old. And”—he sighed gently—“on one occasion got her to hospital after an overdose.” Cole wanted nothing more than to wrap Ellery in a tight embrace, although she knew it would be an unwelcome gesture on Ellery’s part. “I suppose,” she muttered, shuffling her feet awkwardly, “he can’t be all bad, then.” Finesilver’s expression shifted slightly, his eyebrow raising in response. “He took photographs first.” Bellerose adjusted the screen, angling it more toward Finesilver and away from Cole. “Let’s focus on the matter at hand.” Finesilver returned his attention to the laptop. “These are the only circulating photographs

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    “Hello, Cole.” “Good evening, Mr. Crux.” “Did you…I mean. I sent you something. I trust it arrived.” Oh bless, he sounded, well, not nervous exactly. But eager and trying to cover it up. And Cole suddenly felt a whole lot better about the coat. “Yes. Thank you. It’s perfect.” “I’m glad you like it.” “Best thing in my entire wardrobe. I won’t wear anything else ever again.” “Anything else, you say? Now that I’d like to see.” Cole gave this weird bleaty little laugh because she hadn’t been properly prepared for flirting. But she rallied. Made what was probably an ill-advised attempt at sultry. “Come round, then. I’ll give you a private viewing.” “You know I’d love to. But I’m waiting for a call from Tokyo, and I prefer to handle such things from my office.” She sighed. “Soon, then?” “I’ll insist on it.” The growl in his voice sent happy little shivers racing down her spine. But it also made her miss

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    Her stockinged feet made no noise on the plush carpets as Cole approached the office. Her nerves were fluttery but holding steady. She felt reasonably impressed with herself as she pushed open Aiden’s door and entered. However, her confidence quickly faltered. Or rather, she fell. She didn’t even know what she tripped over—perhaps her own misplaced optimism—but one moment she was sliding into Aiden’s office, exuding sultriness in her sex coat, and the next she was yelping and ending up in a heap on the ground. “Cole?” If anything romantic had occurred—Aiden’s face lighting up with joy at the sight of her, for example—she was in no position to witness it. His tone sounded surprised rather than horrified, which gave her a glimmer of hope. “Are you all right?” She nodded, rubbing her nose against the carpet. “I meant to do this.” “You did?” “Absolutely. I was just, you know, sitting at home, thinking about you w

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    “Write what?” “Anything you like. How about Aiden + Aiden 4 Eva in a big heart?” That earned her an exasperated look. She prodded him with her foot. “Please? It doesn’t even have to be romantic.” “I’m not literary like you.” “You mean you’ve never stumbled across some words arranged into an order you quite liked? Ever?” “It’s not that.” He picked the pen back up and absently fiddled with it, twisting its lid round and round between his fingers. “I’m afraid I find it rather exposing.” “Aiden, I came to your office practically naked.” “Yes, but you chose to do that.” Oh fuck. He had a point. She was being super pushy—and one person’s risky titillation was another person’s excruciating nightmare. “I’m sorry. Ignore me. You don’t have to.” He leaned down—smooshing their too-hot bodies together in a way that was only okay because they’d just had the best sex ever—and kissed her. “No, I

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    Cole swayed exhaustedly where she knelt. “Well, I'm not. And I don't How many times is you going to ignore me telling you that I love you? Because I do. I really do. And you can think all these awful things about yourself if you must. But nothing—nothing, do you hear me—will make me believe them.” “You can’t love me. You don’t know me.” “You mean, because I didn’t know about this? That’s only because you lied to me about it.” He paced restlessly, up and down that pristine room. This lost creature in Aiden Crux's skin. “I didn’t lie.” “I asked you outright. In Kinlochbervie.” “No. You asked if someone had hurt me. And they haven’t.” “Oh fucking hell.” She rubbed her hands against her burning eyes. “I could have hurt you. Don’t you realize how completely fucked it feels looking back at all the times I’ve pushed you on sex stuff with no clue about what happened to you?” “Well,” he drawled, “I did warn you that I’m a cruel

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    Cole glanced up. “I'm not. I mean, it wasn’t fun. But I trusts you. With the worst of me, as well as the best, and all the squishy ambiguous bits in between.” “Thank you,” he said, unexpectedly grave. “I hope to always honor that trust.” “As I will for you.” He didn’t respond. “So, y’know”—Cole nudged him gently—“your turn.” It took a long time, but he did eventually speak. The words coming slowly and painfully, like razor blades from his lips. “If I tell you, you’ll know what Eleanor said about me is right. That I’m sick and twisted and I ruin everything that’s good.” “She only said that because she was angry.” He shook his head. “No, she said it because it’s true. You see, she learned who she was when she was fourteen years old.” “What happened when—wait. When your father died?” “After that. When she seduced his business partner. His best friend.” Cole genuinely had no idea what to say. To

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    Cole pulled off a truly Ellery-worthy eye roll. “One cigarette a month is hardly going to kill him,” she said. “Is that what he told you? And you believed him?” Natasha asked. Now that she thought about it… he did tend to reach for his cigarettes once they’d sexed. And he’d smoked after dinner. And during Star Wars. And just now in the gCole. Oh fuck. Fuuuuuck.Natasha shook her head at her. “You poor, sweet girl. You don’t know him at all, do you?” “I… I’m in love with him,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I can see why you’d believe that. Aiden can be quite dazzling when he chooses. But you don’t understand anything about who he is. Or the damage you’re doing to him.” She tried to reply, to protest, to defend herself. Defend him. Defend them. But she had nothing. Aiden had de-clawed her with his secrets. Left her powerless and alone. “You deserve better,” Natasha went on softly. “He’s using you like his cigarettes. You

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    “I love it when you hurt me. I love everything you do. And everything you are,” Cole said. And that was when Aiden turned and drew her into his mouth. It was the teeniest bit awkward—he even nicked her slightly with the edge of his teeth, suggesting maybe he didn’t do this all that often. He certainly hadn’t with her before. Not that she’d minded. He made her come just fine. But…wow. He could have been actively terrible and she wouldn’t have cared: Aiden Crux was sucking her pussy. No teasing. Only his tongue sliding tight round her, his mouth soft and hot and perfect.Ohfuckohfuckohfuck. She was…Aiden was… Cole turned her head into her shoulder in an effort to muffle her noises. Which were at least as loud as when he’d been torturing her nipples, and probably even less dignified. Pain was one thing. She could take pain. But she was pleasure’s bitch. Hone

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    His fingers closed around her through her dress and squeezed until she bucked and moaned. Some of the anguish faded from her face, the tight lines of her brow and mouth yielding to desire, and something tender she might have called hope. “Don’t move,” he whispered, as he stepped away. “Okay.” Her heart thumped as eagerly as a puppy’s tail. She loved the anticipation that came with his commands. And she loved pleasing him. Of course, her nose started itching almost immediately. But she was determined and ignored it and held still as he had told her to. Aiden circled the pillar, leaving her standing there like Andromeda. Well, Andromeda if she had a massive erection. Then he drew her hands behind her and she felt the cool brush of silk against her skin.It encircled her wrists. Pulled taut. Oh my God. His bowtie. He was bondaging her with his own bowtie. She made a noise of surprise and exciteme

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    He didn’t quite flinch but he got that look: the closed down, I am a million miles away from you look I knew all too well. “I’ll leave you to enjoy it.” And, with that, he…went away. Again. Cole bit down on a gasp of frustration. She wanted to kick him in the shins. He couldn’t just fix what was probably years of hurt and misunderstanding with a single, and very small, gesture. Also, the fucker had barely spent five minutes with her. But she pushed all that aside and turned her very best and sparkliest smile on Ellery. “So what happens next? Do we all die of the plague?” Ellery sneered at the room. “Mm, here’s hoping.” “Wow, that’s the last time I RSVP to an invitation from you.” “I don’t mean it.” She sighed and with the air of a small child being forced to eat Brussels sprouts added, “Thank you for coming.” “I didn’t know you played the violin.” Ellery shrugged. “I’m brilliant. When I’m not rusty.” “

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    “What do you look for?” Cole asked. “The thing nobody else sees,” He replied, propping his hip casually against a piece of furniture she didn’t have a name for—something ornate and impressive, probably a credenza or vitrine or whatever. “Society photography comes down to one very simple principle. Anyone can take pictures of Kate Middleton and Lady Gaga. The trick is getting a picture of Kate Middleton with Lady Gaga.” “And have you?” “Not yet. But she’s a long way from dead, and hopefully so are they.” Cole laughed. In a strange way, the woman reminded her a little bit of Aiden. The same conviction, the same merciless drive, although focused and expressed very differently. She guessed it was becoming pretty apparent she had a type.But mainly Cole was grateful. Now, when she looked across the room, she met smiles. Flashes of recognition in other people’s eyes. She knew faces and names. She could have joined some of the conversations. Instead of drifting around pathetically. Stil

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