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Tori

Chapter 25

New York City looked as picture-perfect as a postcard, and I couldn’t stop staring at all the tall buildings and yellow taxis and colorful denizens as the car took us to our luxury hotel. We had arrived that afternoon and headed straight there, a fancy building on the Upper East Side owned by someone with whom Konstantin and his family had a relationship. Thanks to the connection, we were given the total VIP treatment, each of us getting a suite on a separate floor.

The view from our window was breathtaking. I could see Central Park from one angle—all the lush trees and winding paths—and the rest of the cityscape from another. If Stefan had told me I had to stay in the hotel while he worked, I wouldn’t have even minded, the view was that magical.

But instead, I was going to be accompanying the Zorics to a fashion show featuring a handful of models from KZ Modeling’s roster. The designer was up and coming, and the fashion world was going crazy over her work, so it was going to be a big event with lots of media there. We arrived at the hotel, and I immediately began getting ready for the night ahead.

Unlike my ill-fated night out with the girls from UChicago, tonight I needed to look like the expensive, well-dressed wife of a man who ran one of the most prestigious modeling agencies in the world. People would definitely be looking at me, and I might even be photographed by the media. I wanted to make sure I’d get attention for the right reasons.

I spent hours on my hair and makeup, until my hair cascaded down my back like a gleaming wave and my makeup was flawless; sultry but appropriately subtle. I wasn’t trying to make a scene. I just wanted to look like I belonged.

Knowing that we would be surrounded by celebrities and other wealthy members of New York society, I was glad I had chosen to bring the diamond necklace that Stefan had given me in Vienna. I’d been waiting for an excuse to wear it again, and it would be the perfect accompaniment to my Zac Posen dress. The design itself was simple—a chiffon v-neck with flutter sleeves and tiers of ruffles from knee to ankle—but it hugged my curves and showed off the necklace perfectly. A pair of black stilettos gave me a few necessary inches, and my beaded, Art Deco style clutch gave the whole thing a pop of color and excitement.

Stefan was just finishing up with his tie when I walked out of the bedroom. He glanced up and his hands stilled mid- knot as he stared at me.

“Will this work?” I asked, spreading my arms and giving him a little twirl.

We hadn’t had sex last night and my body was already feeling the effects. He looked so good in his suit that I was tempted to get on my knees and try to improve my oral sex technique. I craved him. I also knew the rest of the evening was going to be a long one, and with our early departure the following morning, I had a feeling we wouldn’t be able to do much tonight either. I also knew I wouldn’t be able to fully concentrate on anything else until he fucked me again.

I wanted him to rip off my expensive dress and carry me into the bedroom, taking me fast and rough as he pressed me against the floor-to-ceiling window, wearing only my shoes and the diamonds he had given me. I’d come hard, moaning against the glass with the city of New York spread out before me. The thought was so perverse and decadent that my skin grew hot and tight imagining it.

It was clear that Stefan’s mind was going to equally dirty places. His eyes were intense, dark with lust. Did he miss touching me, too?

He let his eyes travel the length of my body but he didn’t say anything. His hands were still tangled in his tie. Then, he lowered his hands and took a step toward me. I took a breath, knowing that in mere seconds he’d be in front of me.

But before he could take another step, there was a knock at the door.

“Come on, big brother!” Emzee’s voice came through from the other side. “The car is waiting!”

Stefan turned away from me, returning his focus to the mirror and his tie.

“I’ll get it,” I told him, trying to ignore my sexual frustration.

“Agh! You look like a dream,” Emzee told me when I greeted her.

“You do too,” I said, because she did.

Her style was a little edgier than mine, her dark hair styled in an arrangement of almost-Viking type braids, her black dress sporting dramatic cutouts along the shoulders and down the back. With her neon eyeshadow and signature combat boots, she was definitely going to grab some attention tonight.

She looped her arm through mine.

“Let’s go downstairs,” she said. “The boys can catch up.”

I cast one last look in Stefan’s direction, but he didn’t even glance over—he was too focused on his tie.

“See you in a minute,” I called out, and then followed Emzee downstairs, where a limo was waiting for us.

“I love New York,” she gushed as we got in.

There was a bottle of champagne and Emzee poured us both a glass. I hesitated for a moment, but then figured that this was all part of the deal; it would be weird if I didn’t drink. Plus, it wasn’t like I’d be throwing back shots like I’d done last night at the bar. This was champagne. Hardly alcoholic at all. And besides, we were celebrating.

By the time Stefan, Luka, and Konstantin joined us in the car, the champagne had lifted my spirits and taken the edge off my intense desire for my husband. The hungry look he shot my way when he got in didn’t help, but I was determined to spend the evening playing the role of attentive, respectful trophy wife. I would show Stefan how much of an asset I could be, and that it was to his benefit to bring me along to events like this.

We made our way through traffic across the city, heading to the show at another fancy hotel across town. It was a new collection of couture dresses, and everyone big in the fashion industry was going to be in attendance. Because KZM had provided the majority of the models that were walking in the show, we’d been given front row seats.

Cameras flashed as we walked the red carpet for the event. Celebrities of all stripes were there, and I did my best to keep from gaping at them. While I’d met plenty of famous people through my father, it was still hard to not get star struck.