Read Online Catherine (Echoes of Ossiria #1) by Vivian Lane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vivian Lane
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pearls.
Catherine’s eyes
widened to comic proportions. “Please
tell me you didn’t buy this just for tonight!”
He scoffed. “Oh, heaven’s no! They’re on loan. If you
don’t want to wear it—”
“No…they’re
beautiful. I’d be honored. Um, will you help me?” She unclasped her cloak, letting it slip off
her bare shoulders, and turned her back to him.
He took the
necklace out of the box and unhooked the clasp, then draped it around her
neck. “Is this too tight?” he murmured,
his breath tickling the fine hairs at her nape.
“It’s fine,” she
said, actively trying not to shiver.
He fastened the
clasp on a link and withdrew back to his seat. “Let’s see how it looks.”
She straightened
in her seat, angling to face him. The
choker was very simply designed—two rows of black pearls in graduated sizes,
the largest centered in the hollow of her throat. With the size and rarity of the pearls, it
had to be worth at least $20,000.
“Exquisite,” he
said, looking into her eyes.
She felt a warm
flush creep up her neck as she re-fastened the cloak. The heat in his gaze was exactly why she
didn’t want to reveal the dress until they were in public. Why had she let Alicia encourage her to pick
something so revealing? They’d done very
well the past few days not having any lusty, tense moments, and now he
was looking at her like that again.
Thankfully, the
limo pulled up to the venue at that moment.
William exited
first, then held out his hand for her. “Milady.”
“Thank you.” She looked around at the other arrivals, most
of them middle-aged or elderly couples dressed to the nines. “Is it always this formal?” she asked.
He waved it
off. “It’s a thing. There’s the concert,
and the party, and a charity auction…an excuse to play ‘Who’s got the biggest
checkbook’. You’ll probably see a few Hollywood
types, too.”
“ Oh. How’d
you get in, then?”
He smirked. “I have my sources.” They passed through the doors and reached the
coat check. He stopped and looked at her
expectantly.
“Oh…yes…” Catherine set her purse on the counter and
took off the cloak, passing it carefully to the clerk, who handed her a
numbered ticket.
“Sir?” he said,
nodding to William’s coat.
“I’m fine,
mate.” He turned to her and released a
low-pitched whistle. “ Well worth
the wait, love. Remind me to tip your dressmaker.” His eyes blatantly raked over her form.
“Yes, fine. Can we
find our seats, please?”
He winked, and
offered her his arm. She accepted, not
looking at him.
There were
whispers in the halls as they headed up to their box. Everyone wanted to know “who the striking
couple was” and “where they came from”.
He soaked it up
while she squirmed inside. She didn’t
like being the center of so much attention, and let out a sigh of relief when
they finally reached their box and the attendant checked their tickets. There were two rows of four seats each. William guided her to the front center two and
took off his coat, laying it on the seat next to him.
“That thing’s
precious to you, huh?”
“Killed someone
for it,” he said, unashamed.
“Very funny.”
“I spent over a
century taking what I wanted, Catherine.” They were high above the orchestra, but could see the entire stage. “Would you like a pair of those little
optics?”
“Oh, opera
glasses? No, it’s not necessary. Thank you.” She smoothed her dress under her and carefully sat down, feeling his
eyes on her cleavage. “Are you going to
do that all night?” she quietly snapped.
“What?”
She glared at
him. “Stare at my breasts. I can feel
it.”
“Hey, you chose
the dress, kitten. I’m only a man.”
“You…! God, you’re
insufferable!”
“And you’re even
prettier when you’re angry,” he countered, his eyes flicking to her heaving
bosom.
She
Catherine’s eyes
widened to comic proportions. “Please
tell me you didn’t buy this just for tonight!”
He scoffed. “Oh, heaven’s no! They’re on loan. If you
don’t want to wear it—”
“No…they’re
beautiful. I’d be honored. Um, will you help me?” She unclasped her cloak, letting it slip off
her bare shoulders, and turned her back to him.
He took the
necklace out of the box and unhooked the clasp, then draped it around her
neck. “Is this too tight?” he murmured,
his breath tickling the fine hairs at her nape.
“It’s fine,” she
said, actively trying not to shiver.
He fastened the
clasp on a link and withdrew back to his seat. “Let’s see how it looks.”
She straightened
in her seat, angling to face him. The
choker was very simply designed—two rows of black pearls in graduated sizes,
the largest centered in the hollow of her throat. With the size and rarity of the pearls, it
had to be worth at least $20,000.
“Exquisite,” he
said, looking into her eyes.
She felt a warm
flush creep up her neck as she re-fastened the cloak. The heat in his gaze was exactly why she
didn’t want to reveal the dress until they were in public. Why had she let Alicia encourage her to pick
something so revealing? They’d done very
well the past few days not having any lusty, tense moments, and now he
was looking at her like that again.
Thankfully, the
limo pulled up to the venue at that moment.
William exited
first, then held out his hand for her. “Milady.”
“Thank you.” She looked around at the other arrivals, most
of them middle-aged or elderly couples dressed to the nines. “Is it always this formal?” she asked.
He waved it
off. “It’s a thing. There’s the concert,
and the party, and a charity auction…an excuse to play ‘Who’s got the biggest
checkbook’. You’ll probably see a few Hollywood
types, too.”
“ Oh. How’d
you get in, then?”
He smirked. “I have my sources.” They passed through the doors and reached the
coat check. He stopped and looked at her
expectantly.
“Oh…yes…” Catherine set her purse on the counter and
took off the cloak, passing it carefully to the clerk, who handed her a
numbered ticket.
“Sir?” he said,
nodding to William’s coat.
“I’m fine,
mate.” He turned to her and released a
low-pitched whistle. “ Well worth
the wait, love. Remind me to tip your dressmaker.” His eyes blatantly raked over her form.
“Yes, fine. Can we
find our seats, please?”
He winked, and
offered her his arm. She accepted, not
looking at him.
There were
whispers in the halls as they headed up to their box. Everyone wanted to know “who the striking
couple was” and “where they came from”.
He soaked it up
while she squirmed inside. She didn’t
like being the center of so much attention, and let out a sigh of relief when
they finally reached their box and the attendant checked their tickets. There were two rows of four seats each. William guided her to the front center two and
took off his coat, laying it on the seat next to him.
“That thing’s
precious to you, huh?”
“Killed someone
for it,” he said, unashamed.
“Very funny.”
“I spent over a
century taking what I wanted, Catherine.” They were high above the orchestra, but could see the entire stage. “Would you like a pair of those little
optics?”
“Oh, opera
glasses? No, it’s not necessary. Thank you.” She smoothed her dress under her and carefully sat down, feeling his
eyes on her cleavage. “Are you going to
do that all night?” she quietly snapped.
“What?”
She glared at
him. “Stare at my breasts. I can feel
it.”
“Hey, you chose
the dress, kitten. I’m only a man.”
“You…! God, you’re
insufferable!”
“And you’re even
prettier when you’re angry,” he countered, his eyes flicking to her heaving
bosom.
She
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