Chapter 1

Harvey Cole lifted my chin as if he were teasing a pet. "Just something I keep around for fun." But no one knew I was never some caged canary. I was a snake, coiling around him, ready to devour him whole. Harvey pinned me against the wall, his presence overwhelming. A kiss was about to land when his phone rang. A saccharine female voice came through on the other end. I pretended not to notice. A good mistress would know when to play dumb. He liked me best when I was gentle, agreeable, and never made a fuss. After he hung up, his tone was flat. "She's coming over in a bit. Head home. I'll have the driver take you." I knew who "she" was. Jane Graham, Harvey's fiancée in name only. It was an arranged engagement. They'd agreed from the start that they could both see other people, but lately Jane seemed interested in turning it into something real. Harvey was indifferent to her, but the Graham family's status demanded respect. I nodded obediently and smoothed my rumpled collar, keeping my head down with a hint of disappointment showing through. The more submissive I appeared, the more guilt it stirred in him. Sure enough, he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. "Are you upset?" I didn't answer. When he tried to kiss me again, I turned my head away. Harvey paused, then brushed his fingers over my deliberately pouting lips. I knew how this game worked. I needed to keep the bait just out of reach and never let him have everything he wanted. "Pick out two bags you like tomorrow," he said. "Consider it my way of making it up to you." I kept my lips pressed tight. Just as his patience started to thin, I wrapped my arms around his neck and bargained in a soft, teasing whisper. "I don't want bags. I want you to come home and have dinner with me tomorrow night." I called the house he kept me in "our home", and that clearly pleased him. A smile tugged at his mouth as he pinched my cheek. "Alright." I buried my face in the curve of his neck and nuzzled against him, discreetly leaving a peach-pink lipstick mark on his collar.