Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
My breath caught as Nicolo pulled out looked like the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen.
The dress was midnight blue silk that seemed to shimmer between black and deep purple depending on how the light hit it. It was cut in a classic style that would hit just below my knees, with delicate straps and a neckline that was modest but somehow still managed to look sinfully elegant.
“The ballroom is enchanted,” he continued, seemingly oblivious to my stunned silence. “The walls bloom with every flower represented by the attending delegations. Moonflowers that only open in darkness, solar blossoms that glow like captured sunlight, ice roses that never melt, and passion vines that respond to the emotional state of nearby couples.”
“That sounds incredible.”
“The air is perfumed with natural scents from the botanical displays,” he said, “which means scent dampeners are mandatory for all attendees. No one can detect natural pheromones or identify others by scent alone.”
“So it’s truly anonymous.”
“Completely. Which makes it the perfect venue for compatibility testing without outside influence.”
He reached into the garment bag again and pulled out a small, sleek box that definitely hadn’t been there when I was admiring the dress.
My blood turned to ice.
“What is that?”
“Required monitoring equipment,” he said calmly, opening the box to reveal something that looked like a piece of very expensive, very discreet jewelry. “All test participants wear them during formal evaluation periods.”
I stared at the device, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing. It was small and elegant, designed to look like decorative jewelry, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew exactly what it was.
“That’s not monitoring equipment,” I said slowly. “That’s a—”
“Biometric response tracker,” he finished smoothly. “It monitors heart rate, skin temperature, stress hormones, and other physiological markers relevant to compatibility assessment.”
I might not be the most experienced person in the world, but even I knew what that was.
“Seriously, Nicolo?”
“It’s completely wireless and calibrated to respond to remote commands during testing scenarios.”
“You want me to wear a vibrator to a formal ball?”
His expression didn’t change. “I want you to wear regulation testing equipment during a mandatory compatibility evaluation.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“Semantics.”
Oh, if only I were born alpha as well, I would...I would semantics the stuff out of him!
“You seriously can’t expect me—”
“Collect data to determine whether your algorithms are accurate?”
Argh!
“This isn’t funny, okay? There is no way I’d subject myself to public humiliation—”
“Why would you think I’d be fine with that myself?”
Oh.
“The device is designed to be completely discreet. And with scent dampeners in effect, no one will be able to detect any physiological changes.”
When all I could do was stare at him, Nicolo went on to elaborate, “Think heart rate elevation, increased skin temperature, perspiration—”
“I know what you meant!”
“Perfect.” He stepped closer, and suddenly the conference room felt much smaller. “What’s the problem then?”
“The problem is you—”
“—seemed to forget that this is part of the testing protocol, and if you refuse...”
His eyes glinted in a way that almost made me step back.
“You’ll be in violation of your signed participation agreement...which means I can shut down your agency for breach of contract.”
And so to sum it all up, I was trapped.
Completely.
If I refused, I’d lose everything I had worked hard for.
But if I agreed, I’d lose all of myself to him.
“This is insane—”
“I believe what you mean is that this is science—”
“Or you being a controlling alpha who’s mad about Prince Alexei!”
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and the moment they hit the air, I knew I’d made a mistake.
Nicolo went very still.
“Prince Alexei,” he repeated softly.
“I didn’t mean—”
“Is that what you think this is about?”
“I—”
He moved closer, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes, close enough that I could smell his cologne and feel the heat radiating off his skin.
“If you can’t handle the device in a ballroom full of strangers, how do you expect to handle a relationship with someone who might set your body on fire with just a look?”
The question made my insides twist with a mixture of anger and desire. Because he was right, and I hated him for it.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But if I get arrested for public indecency, I’m blaming you.”
“Noted.” He closed the box with a soft click. “The car will pick you up at seven-thirty. Wear your hair up.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
And with that, he walked out, leaving me alone with a designer dress and a device that was going to either kill me or cure me of my stepbrother obsession.
I was really hoping for the latter.
I SPENT THE ENTIRE drive trying not to think about the device Nicolo had insisted I wear. It was surprisingly comfortable, designed to feel like expensive lingerie rather than scientific equipment, but knowing what it could do made me hyperaware of every sensation. I felt like that princess from the fairy tale with the pea under twenty mattresses, except in my case the pea was...well, definitely not a pea.