Uncharted Territory (The Compass Series Book 3) by Tamsen Parker Read Free Book Online

time.”
    I shift in my chair. I like the idea of inflaming Hunter Vaughn. I’d like to see what he would do. I want to make him lose that bored tone again and find out what the consequences of that kind of audacity would be. My pulse has started to race just thinking about it. Yes, I’d like to know I have the same effect on Mr. Vaughn as he has on me.
    *
    We’re pulling up the same drive with the same long line of cars, but my heart is beating hard for a different reason. I know what I’m getting into this time, and I’d like to get into a lot more of it. When Rey slips the collar around my neck, I feel the same loosening of the screws I always do. It’s familiar and welcome. The stress of this afternoon’s phone call with my mother melts away.
    She’d tried to badger me into coming home tonight for some stupid gallery opening of one of her insipid friends. When I refused, telling her I already had plans, things had escalated more quickly than usual. She’d threatened to stop paying my tuition and, when that didn’t work, revoke my trust fund. Of course she’d relented—she always does—but I really hadn’t needed that emotional overload on top of the insane amount of reading I need to cram in this weekend. But it’s over now. I belong to Rey. His collar is around my neck, and I feel at ease in my own skin in a way I haven’t for days.
    “Shall we?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Rey unfolds himself from behind the steering wheel, comes to my side of the car to help me out, and puts his arm around my waist to lead me down the drive. I recognize Ben at the door with the same clipboard. And I’m very satisfied that when he turns to greet us, his jaw full on drops to the floor.
    “G-good evening, Mr. Walter. Miss,” he stammers.
    “You forget yourself, Ben.”
    “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
    “Come.”
    Rey ushers me up the last few steps and into the house. I glance over my shoulder at Ben and offer him a small smile, causing his face to turn the most delightful shade of red.
    “You’re such a cocktease.” Rey tries to sound stern, but fails, leaving me with the impression he’s pleased. “You shouldn’t mess with Ben, it’s cruel.”
    “Yes, sir,” I demur, although I’d like to tell him I could’ve been worse. What I wanted to do was wink. Poor Ben would’ve expired.
    When we enter, it’s much the same except for the woman by the door accepting coats. Before Rey removes mine, he looks at me. “You understand you’re about to become a baby seal in a room full of sharks, right?”
    “Yes. But you’re the one holding the club, sir.”
    He chuckles and shakes his head while reaching for my belt. “Let the feeding frenzy begin.”
    As Rey pushes the coat from my shoulders and hands it to the woman, heads turn in our direction. Rey looks damn good tonight with his hair carefully askew, clad in a black suit, white shirt just open at the collar, and no tie. The plainness draws attention to the bronze of his skin and emphasizes the quality, the expense of his simple clothes. He’s utterly beautiful.
    But they’re not looking at him. Oh, no. All eyes are on me. I didn’t look bad last time we came and I created some buzz, but this time I’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble. My hair is freshly cut and blown out, and every inch of me has been scrubbed, buffed, and polished. A good thing, too, because this dress does not leave much to the imagination.
    Or, as Rey refers to it, The Dress . The Dress is black, sleeveless, short as sin, shows off my décolletage, and plunges low in the back. I had to slip on my briefest underwear because everything else showed, and while I’m already tempting fate, I will not go commando. Not tonight. I’ve got on my first pair of Louboutins, which make me feel sexy and tall as hell, and a girl at the spa did my makeup. I don’t even care (much) that the heavy eyeliner and mascara call attention to my eyes whereas I prefer for people to focus on my lips. Let them think the