Free Magnate (Acquisition Series Book 2) by Celia Aaron

you know that for certain?” I opened the front door.
    “Nothing is ever certain.” Renee gave me a wry smile.
    With that cryptic bit of wisdom, I walked into the cold night. Vinemont and Lucius quieted as I approached, but a heavy tension roiled in the air.
    “Stella—” Lucius began.
    Vinemont turned and stepped in front of his brother before offering me his arm.
    Both men wore clean black tuxes, expertly fitted. Lucius’s hair was tamed down in smooth waves while Vinemont’s was his usual dark and tousled perfection. Clean shaven lady killers. They were beautiful, each in their own way. Lucius sleek and refined. Vinemont rough, almost gritty, even though everything about him was polished.
    Luke waited in the drive, the limousine competing with the inky black of night. I ignored Vinemont and gripped the stair rail, holding on for dear life while I clicked down each step in my stilettos. I let out a silent sigh of relief once I was on level ground again.
    “Ms. Rousseau.” Luke tipped his hat and opened the back passenger door for me. I slid in, the fur moving across the leather like butter in a warm pan.
    “Don’t fucking try it.” Vinemont’s voice wafted past the engine noise and he sank down next to me.
    Lucius took the front passenger seat once again, turning and giving me a winning smile. “You are fucking gorgeous.”
    Even though I knew it was a trick, just words, I couldn’t stop the heat in my cheeks. “Thank you.”
    “Drive,” Vinemont barked at Luke.
    The limo eased down the driveway, and soon we were whistling along the interstate, heading into the heart of New Orleans.
    Vinemont’s eyes bored into me until I turned and matched his glare. His gaze slid to my mouth, then lower to the open top of my coat. Warmth raced through me, and I was thankful the fur covered my hardened nipples. His tongue wetted his bottom lip and I found I couldn’t look away.
    His mouth, the sharp line of his jaw, the elegant silhouette of his neck in the darkness of the car—all of it was somehow a lure. And like every other lure, there was a sharp hook in it, ready to catch and draw blood. I dropped my gaze, though I could still feel his burning into me, making me hotter than I should be to the point where I wanted to shrug out of the rich coat.
    “Take a fucking picture, Sin. Jesus. You’re making her uncomfortable.” Lucius caught my eye and winked at me, his white teeth momentarily glinting in a passing street lamp.
    “You don’t know a thing about her comfort.”
    “Oh, I think I may have a few ideas. Don’t I, Stella?”
    I shifted in my seat, away from both of them.
    “What is he talking about?” Vinemont smoothed a hand down my sleeve before gripping me lightly through the coat. “Stella?”
    I ripped my arm away and sank even further back. “You two play your twisted game. I’m going to sit this one out.”
    Lucius laughed and faced forward again before cranking up the music to an almost painful level. Some angry rock song with a thumping beat. At least it cut off the conversation. I stared out the window at the passing cars, wishing I was in one of them. Any would do, just so long as it was going away from these people, from the Acquisition.
    The rest of the drive was filled with Lucius’ brash musical stylings. The city loomed ahead of us, the lights beaming out into the night like a million lighthouses luring us toward safe harbor. Luke took us into the city’s beating heart, live music on the street corners and the smells of fried food seeping through the vents. The houses grew statelier the farther we drove, until we were in the midst of the Garden District. Mansions rose on every side, elegant and stylish, with high wrought iron fences separating their inhabitants from the rest of the tumultuous city.
    We eventually pulled up in front of a three-story Victorian that seemed to take up half a block. It was almost garish in its ornate grandeur; turrets and a widow’s walk ran along the