//CLARA//
My legs were practically vibrating by the time I slipped out from behind the hidden utility panel.
I took two steps onto the polished stone of the gallery, grabbed the edge of a marble display pillar, and just stood there for a second, willing my heart to stop pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird.
"Fix yourself," I whispered under my breath, smoothing my hands furiously down the front of my dress. "You are the lady of the evening. Try to remember that."
Yeah, right, lady my ass.
My face was burning hot, my hair was a complete disaster, and I could literally feel Casimir's lingering mark trickling down my inner thighs beneath my emerald silk.
Speaking of the devil, Casimir stepped out behind me a second later, completely unbothered. He adjusted his cuff links with terrifying calm, his stormy eyes gleaming with the predatory satisfaction of a lion that had just devoured its prey.
