Dark Seduction (Vampire Royals of New York #2) - Sarah Piper Page 0,48

“Regardless of my feelings for you, that’s as far as our arrangement goes. If you’ve got other ideas, kindly show yourself the exit.”

“If I’ve got other ideas? You’re the one who practically jumped me! And what was all that, ‘it wasn’t a dream, try as I might, I can’t promise you it won’t happen again’ bullshit?”

“Apparently this is me, trying as I might.”

“You’re driving me insane! You can’t just—”

“Good night, Charlotte. I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, Dorian clicked off the lights and stalked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Charley alone with her guilt, her regret, and an ache between her thighs that would remain forever unquenched.

He’d made good on his word. He’d ruined her for all other men.

She readjusted the ice packs on her shoulders, trying to get comfortable, but it was no use. Her whole body was vibrating from Dorian’s touch, her head throbbing, a single refrain echoing between her ears.

If only… If only… If only…

If only she and Dorian had met under different circumstances.

If only she’d been honest with him from the start.

If only she’d been born to a different family.

If only she’d made different choices.

That last one stung the most, because for the first time in the dumpster fire that was her life, Charley was finally starting to realize her own responsibility in lighting the fucking match.

For more than a decade, she’d been a willing criminal. Ignorantly, yes, but Dorian was right—it’d still been a choice. One she’d make again to keep her sister safe.

But Sasha hadn’t always been a factor, had she? Charley had worked with her father and his crew for years before Sasha arrived, and even though she’d never dreamed of standing up to her father back then, maybe she could have.

Maybe she should have.

Charley closed her eyes, dismissing the pointless thoughts. No good ever came from lingering in the past. All she could do now was move forward.

Tomorrow, and every day that came after, was a new day. A built-in second chance that everyone got, no matter how badly things had turned out the day before.

So tomorrow Charley would do better. She’d work hard with Dorian to dig up the kind of dirt that would silence Rudy for good.

And then, one day at a time, she’d build a new life. A better life.

She closed her eyes, her heart aching with one final realization:

It just wouldn’t be with Dorian Redthorne.

Chapter Sixteen

Dorian always preferred to run at dawn, well before the sun rose high enough to make his eyes ache. In the city, he had to contend with garbage trucks and buses and all manner of pedestrian traffic, even in the early hours. But here in the mountains, his only obstacles were the trees, easily dodged as he threaded his way through the forest.

In the city or the woods, Dorian had been running regularly for decades, and the fresh air and physical exertion had never ceased to clear his head, calming him through even the most challenging business conflicts, stock market fluctuations, and irritable run-ins with his father. But today, even after a punishing twenty-mile run, Charlotte’s blood still pulsing through him like a fiery elixir, her beautiful face was lodged in his mind like a bad dream he couldn’t shake.

Dreadful, conniving woman.

The words came easily, but deep down, despite all the lies and schemes, Dorian knew Charlotte wasn’t a bad person, or even a particularly devious one—just a desperate woman who’d been dealt a shit hand, made a few wrong turns, and gotten herself so deep into the game she no longer believed there was a safe way out.

Dorian was adamant about not letting her back into his bed—or his so-called soft heart, for that matter. But he couldn’t turn his back on her, either.

He’d promised to help her and Sasha, and that was that.

His family, on the other hand…

No. That was a rattlesnake nest he wasn’t quite ready to poke at this morning.

Shaking off the memories of last night’s argument, he revisited his conversation with Charlotte, combing through her story for details he might’ve missed. For something—anything—they might be able to use against Rudy.

Rudy.

Dorian could hardly think the name without seeing red, his entire body tensing for a fight. Most of his hopes were now pinned on Charlotte and Gabriel—that between the two of them, they could unearth something useful. The man had spent the better part of his life committing heists and fencing stolen artwork—likely to demonic clients. There had to be a