Chapter 2

A faint, golden light illuminated the contours of the man's face, sharpening his

striking features. He looked distant, his expression cool and detached aloof restraint that was both forbidding and irresistibly alluring.

He frowned slightly, about to turn and leave.

an air of

Suddenly, Effie's slender, pale fingers gripped the sleeve of his dress shirt, clinging to him as if he were her last lifeline.

Her heart raced, and the man's unique scent seemed to swirl around her, clouding her senses. Flashes from the private lounge replayed in her mind, and she found herself thinking-if Mitchell could do it, why couldn't she?

"Let go," the man said, his entire being radiating an icy, implacable chill.

"No," Effie replied, her voice as soft and teasing as a kitten's purr, the kind that tugged at your heart and made you want to draw closer.

He glanced down at her, the corners of his mouth curving faintly.

"No? Do you even know what happens next if you don't?" His tone was laced with danger and a dark, magnetic charm.

"Would you be interested in marrying me?" Effie's eyes were rimmed with red, but she gathered all her courage to get the words out.

She knew it sounded insane.

just wanted someone-anyone-to marry. This wasn't

and always wished she'd settle down. She was supposed to marry

she didn't want

man was better than Mitchell,

man wasn't wearing

to

scent wasn't unpleasant to her at all. If anything,

first time that night, her mind

eyes. She took in his refined, almost otherworldly features-eyes clear and deep, face a blend of innocence and seduction, the kind of beauty

It was him.

Do you even know who I am?" His voice was low and resonant, thick with a magnetic pull that made her

head jerked up in

Lyman Etheridge.

it

Who was Lyman, anyway?

rumored to have conquered Wall Street at fifteen. When he so much as tapped his shoe,

looks and a fearsome reputation, Lyman was the sort of man socialites lined up to marry.

last man anyone in

sharp profile, her lashes trembling minutely. Every instinct screamed at her

she'd met

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