"You're beautiful," Jack murmured, his voice carrying intimate warmth that made her melt. "Truly breathtaking. One of the loveliest women I've ever encountered."
"Jack..." she breathed his name like a prayer.
His grip on her chin tightened fractionally. Not painful, but firm. His red eyes bored into her with a dangerous intensity.
"It's a shame," he continued, his voice shifting from warmth to ice in the space between heartbeats, "that you chose such poor men to serve you."
Starfell froze. Her eyes widened fractionally, confusion replacing anticipation. "What?"
"I'm going to bankrupt you," Jack said subtly, his tone was so bland it caught her off guard. "By the time we're finished here, House Starfell will be so deeply in debt to House Kaiser that your great-grandchildren will still be making payments."
