She fiddled with her fingers, her eyes fixed on the clock as each second ticked by. When it finally struck six, Annette's heart dropped at the sound of the door opening. Her throat tightened as heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
She gathered herself and rose from the chair, turning to face the doorway to her bedroom. Her gaze locked onto the Viscount as he came into view.
He wore a loose white shirt and brown trousers, his hair still damp, evidence of a recent bath. His sharp eyes swept over her slowly, from head to toe, before he took a step forward.
Annette was tempted to strike him with the lamp beside her, but she kept her hands flat at her sides. With every step he took, her heart sank further, and the silence between them only made it worse.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced a smile. "Good evening, my lord," she greeted politely.
He stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable as he continued to study her. Annette hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She couldn't control a situation she couldn't read.
Her breath caught when his hand lifted, a finger brushing lightly across her bottom lip. Vincent smiled faintly. "Too much lipstick. It doesn't suit you."
Annette frowned and stepped back. "I would appreciate it if you go ahead with your reason for visit, instead of making meaningless conversation."
For a split second, she caught the subtle twitch of his lip. He wasn't pleased with her words.
Damn it. She needed to rein in her sharp tongue.
He lowered his hand. "You're right. We should proceed with the task at hand."
Annette nodded, nerves settling heavily in her chest as he continued to stare at her.
She was about to speak when the Viscount strode past her and lowered himself into a chair, his hands resting casually on the armrests. "You will have to seduce me, Daphne," he said calmly. "Make me want you."
Annette nearly cursed aloud at his words. This… this damned man.
Slowly, she turned to face him. "And how do you suggest I do that?" she asked through gritted teeth.
Vincent leaned further back into the chair. "That is for you to decide. Do remember, I do not have all night. You have one hour to make me want you."
"My lord, I…"
"I am not asking," he cut in coldly. "It is a command, one you must obey." His lips curled into a smirk. "Besides, you had no trouble attempting to seduce me the last time."
Annette wanted to slap that smirk right off his face.
"Very well, my lord," she replied stiffly.
Why did this man have to make everything so difficult? All he had to do was use her and be done with it, but no, he had to play games. Humiliating ones.
She drew in a few steadying breaths and stepped toward him. Leaning in, she placed her hands on either side of the chair and moved closer, intending to kiss him. Before her lips could meet his, Vincent raised a finger between them.
"I do not kiss my mistress, assassin," he whispered softly. "If you want my kiss, you will have to earn it."
As if she would ever want his kiss.
Strangely, it was a relief that he didn't want one as she certainly didn't either.
"Alright, my lord," Annette replied, her gaze locked onto his as she lowered her head to the hollow of his neck. She pressed a light kiss to his skin. When he showed no reaction, she traced her tongue along his neck, leaving slow, lingering kisses up to his Adam's apple.
Her hands slid to his arms, trailing along their length. Annette hated to admit it, but he had a well-built body, lean, and muscular in all the right places. And he smelled… good. Unlike most men she had encountered, who either smelled overwhelmingly unpleasant or faintly so.
The Viscount was surprisingly different. He smelt very clean and masculine.
Pulling back slightly, she met his eyes. Her fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt, undoing the first, then the second—
Vincent caught her hands.
"My clothes stay on," he muttered.
Annette let out an irritated chuckle. "Are you intentionally making this difficult?"
"I enjoy watching you suffer, Daphne."
"My name is not Daphne. Stop calling me that."
Vincent stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "I will call you whatever I please. You belong to me now."
She tried to pull free, but his grip didn't budge. "I belong to no one."
His smile widened. "I am going to enjoy ruining you, breaking every piece of you until I am etched into your body and your soul."
Annette swallowed, his words causing her stomach to churn. She felt genuine fear, because she knew he meant every word. The only way out for her was to ruin and break him before he did the same to her.
One of his arms snuck around her waist, pulling her down onto his body.
Feeling his body against hers, her heart skipped a beat. Even though it seemed he had the upper hand, Annette was too stubborn to let him win. She was going to fight him until the very end.
"It's funny how you aren't the first person to threaten me with those words," she turned to him. "And no matter how much they tried, I only got back up stronger and better."
Vincent pulled her closer, his lips near her ear. "When I'm done with you, you will crave pain like you crave air. Then you will realize what it truly means to cross the devil. And that is a promise."
His words sent shivers down her spine, and not the good kind. She pulled away from him, and thankfully, he let go.
Her jaw clenched with anger, frustration, and hatred. Suddenly, all the emotions drained from her body, replaced with an overwhelming tiredness.
"What…," she blinked slowly, her vision growing hazy. "What did you do to me?" she whispered, shaking her head as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
Her breathing turned labored, her legs giving out as she fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Annette struggled to speak, but no words came out. The last thing she saw was the Viscount's boots moving closer to her as everything went blank.