When Mrs. Blackmoore had been about to usher Felicity out the door without so much as a “we’ll call you if we’re interested” Felicity had spun around with a threat. If she didn’t get a fair interview then she’d go to the media. She’d tell her story about Dominic Blackmoore to anyone with an ear. It was incredibly unfair and she didn’t know if she could really ever go through with something like that, but the threat at worked. She blamed her horrendous behavior on the vow she made to Dominic. She would get this job. No matter what.
This led Felicity to have a few questions: what happened to Dominic’s previous bruid because he did have one, and why was there such a rush for him to find another one when he didn’t seem to want one? Felicity had read in V-Society that their separation only happened about two months ago. Seemed pretty fast to be taking on another bruid.
Dominic Blackmoore had mistaken Felicity for the gorgeous blue-blooded socialite Julianna Greenwich. Julianna was everything Felicity wasn’t. She was lovely, ultra-feminine with perfect skin, hair, and nails. She always wore the best and most expensive clothes. The paparazzi loved to follow her around.
Felicity’s cheeks burned to admit it, but she even had the celebrity magazines that followed people like Julianna in her nightstand. She loved reading the little captions on what designer made Julianna’s dress. What she loved even more was seeing the jaw-dropping prices. Always jaw dropping. A $4,500 designer custom-made gown with $25,000 diamond earrings paired with a real pearl necklace and shoes that cost another $2,000. All of that to go see a movie on a Wednesday night.
Felicity couldn’t even make a story like that up if she tried. She’d read about that exact story when Julianna Greenwich rented out a theater so her and a few friends could see some chick flick when it came out. Disgusting.
Just the thought filled her heart with a heavy knot. A knot that didn’t immediately go away; it didn’t go away at all and apparently didn’t plan to. She recognized the heavy feeling for what it was—pain mixed with burning jealousy.
Jealousy that Julianna had been born into a world Felicity had always craved being in and pain that Dominic had looked at her with such need. Need like he’d been waiting for her his whole life. Like it’d taken every ounce of strength in his virile body not to touch her how he wanted to.
But he hadn’t really been looking at her like that. No, no. He’d been looking at Julianna Greenwich like that, or so he’d thought.
The whole situation was ridiculous. She knew that. She couldn’t possibly have feelings for someone she’d just met and especially not to someone who’d turned around and gave her the coldest cold shoulder she’d ever received. The way he turned on her like that...it’d felt like he’d punched her in the gut after lulling her away from her nervous smiles.
That painful knot in her chest pounded and she rubbed her hand across it, wincing. Yeah, that little bit of time they’d spent together had changed something. Something had happened. Because the thought of the infamous Julianna Greenwich, society’s favorite fashion model, mating to the dark and passionate Dominic Blackmoore just didn’t seem fair.
It brought forth a mixture of feelings inside Felicity she’d never experienced before and might never again. And she planned to do something about it.
Felicity went to the kitchen and phoned her friend Beth. Beth was born mortal but had the unstoppable energy of a were and the elegance of a vampire.
Beth answered on the fifth ring. “What do you want, Fel?” The sound of rock music and a deep male voice singing played in the background but was turned down.
“Okay, listen up.” Felicity relayed all that had happened and informed her good friend to get her butt over to her house pronto. She hung up the phone a minute later smiling. This is why it rocked to have a friend like Beth. Beth might be mortal but she loved Felicity unconditionally and they’d do anything for each other. Even drop what they were doing to rush over and chat girl business.
Felicity fed Hugo, straightened the messy clothes in her bedroom, and then jumped in the shower and actually conditioned her hair this time. Her second scheduled interview wasn’t until ten tonight so she had a few hours to prepare this time, and boy was it on. Dominic Blackmoore had declared war on her the second he set his awful accusations her way. She was getting this job.
A rapid knock sounded at the door. Felicity flung it open on a grin. Beth Hamilton was a looker, a straight up knockout with milk chocolate skin, a strong, curvaceous body to die for and hair that Felicity seriously wished she could have. For the past few months Beth had been wearing her gorgeous black locks in a long sleek cut past her shoulders with a raggedly cut bang sweeping her forehead. It rocked and it rocked on her.
She also was a war vet. Yeah, really. She’d served in Iraq for four years before finishing her tour and leaving the military. She’d only ever talked about it once, but Felicity knew it’d scarred her. She’d been working the med unit on a plane flying into a zone that had been hit hard. Her team’s job was to grab the wounded, pull them aboard, and rush out. At some point she got shot twice, both bullets landing in her leg. Even today she had a noticeable limp. She might have lost her leg if she hadn’t been surrounded by a med team. Beth never wanted to talk about it so Felicity never asked. Everyone had demons.
Beth gave her a tight hug then strolled past smelling of some sultry, subtle perfume.
“Dish everything,” Beth ordered. Then she picked up Hugo and petted him until his eyes couldn’t stay open.
“All right but I need you to help me pick out something killer to wear.”
“Killer?”
“Yeah, I wanna blow this guy out of the park if you know what I mean.” It’s the least he deserves.
Beth followed Felicity into the bedroom then plopped down on her bed. “I’m not sure I do, honey.”
Felicity’s lips curled into an evil smile.
Beth laughed. “You’re going to make him regret what he did aren’t you?”
Felicity shrugged. “I don’t know ‘regret’ so much as ‘torture’ him. He was such an asshole. He deserves some payback and I’m going to give it to him that’s all.”
“He really got under your skin, didn’t he?” Beth asked softly.
Felicity jerked her gaze away and started rooting through her closet. “Yeah, he kind of did,” she said not meeting her friend’s eyes.
Beth sighed long and hard. Then she got up and helped Felicity to put on the perfect outfit. She chose the best shoes to go with it and even made up her hair and makeup into a sexy, sultry look. Beth had a hand with makeup, really.
By time Beth finished with her, she wore a black cocktail dress that she strictly used for club nights. Seeing as she hadn’t been to one in at least six months the dress could use some airing out. The only other time she’d worn the “daring cocktail” dress had been on her last date with David.
Shivering, she tried to shove the memory away but it refused to go. David had not exactly been the best date she’d ever had. It’d been set up by another friend of hers, Trish, whom she didn’t exactly see any more after that. It was just awkward, not that she blamed her old friend. During dinner that night David hadn’t been able to tear his gaze off her in the dress. That had been exactly what she wanted, right? Yeah, well no. He’d sent nothing but the wrong vibes at her, and when he grabbed her hand and slid her palm over the erection in his pants while sitting in a packed, four-star restaurant she’d called it quits and stormed out. She shivered again at the thought. Seriously disgusting.