The women dressed me like I was a prize to be auctioned. They chose a dress of midnight blue that clung to my skin like a second coat of oil. It was cut so low in the back that it exposed the dip of my spine, and the front left nothing to the imagination. Every time I breathed, the fabric strained against my breasts. I looked like a goddess, but also, I felt like a lamb being prepared for the altar.
When I stepped outside, Xercer was leaning against a black car. His eyes didn't just look at me; they devoured me. They started at my ankles, moved up the curve of my calves, lingered on the flare of my hips, and finally settled on my chest. I felt a flush of heat spread across my skin under his heavy gaze. He didn't say a word. He just opened the door and signaled for me to get in.
We drove
