a mix of suspicion and reluc

e climbed off the sofa, stood dazedly on the flo

ed Damian awake. "

essed a finge

ist, run her hands over his chest, and burrow into his bare embrace. Her

Rosalie felt a wave of p

the younger Sterlings had been so insistent that

iquor and got drunk far too easily.

hing of it. She never imagined the alcohol would hit h

and that in her drunken state she thought she was holding her pet, he wo

ead glared at him with indignant fury. "So what

nted at the phone, gesturing fo

Rosalie's stomach, but she st

like a barnacle as Damian's voice dr

ac

more peep out of you and I'll spank you so

herself to look up, wishing desperately that

ment. "You were being so fierce, adopting domestic viole

covers off and fle

ers shook with

en up. He'd braced himself for an interrogation about spying on her, feeling a pang of g

locked the door, and raked her han

From now on, she was done with

rough from the other side. "We need to head downstairs for the

f rigid customs. The morning's formal introduction of a new bride

or at once, trying her best to ignore the teasing glint in hi

lready been t

her a ga

door, then showered, changed, and

he figured she must not have looked ugly enough. T

m the bathroom and asked Damian wa

and the corner of his mouth twitch

no point in being coy. She put the afro wig on r

eye twitc

he said. "Go easy on the mak

e, Damian took her by the han

main hall was al

was Damian's father, Lawrence Sterling. The rest

lves, but the moment Damian emerged with Ro

e had been quite a bit of noise coming fr

ds were from a fight, a domestic beating. The elders wore expressions of concern, whil

in hand in hand, with Damian loo

rippled through the room: D

have imagined that the distinguished St

amian brought Rosalie to stand respectfully before the elders. One by one, they c

four children in total-thr

previous heir, but he had stepped ba

rd was Philip Sterling, and the fourth and

pleased with her, she had already married into the family, so they made no move t

were concluded, the entire fa

g assembly. Every gaze was fixed on Rosalie-some curious, some scruti

emained i

dripping with condescension. "Rosalie, did you know the