Chapter 118. First Dance: pt. 2

Her face was bare of any makeup. She had put a little to zero effort to get ready for this ball which intrigued Vladimir even more.

Her natural beauty struck him harder than any painted mask could. Her skin glowed faintly in the candlelight, warm and real amidst the shimmer of artificial perfection around them. There was a defiance in her simplicity, a quiet rebellion that whispered she didn’t need anyone’s approval.

He found this woman to be a mysterious little creature hiding behind layers of secrets and stripping her of her secrets and clothes was all Vladimir desired at the moment.

Her scent was faint yet intoxicating—something like rain-soaked roses and danger. Every movement she made pulled at him, the subtle shift of her body against the background music, the tension coiled beneath her poise. He had met countless women, but none who radiated such a strange combination of fire and calm.

“If you didn’t want to be here then why did you come?” Vladimir inq