A Smile as Sweet as Poison Read Online Free PDF Page B

little hope of molding her figure into anything more acceptable.
    Enough. For some reason, Dylan and Ward seemed to like her. The bites and bruises on her body were proof. She didn’t need to wonder why.
    As promised, Dylan had left the leather collar on the chocolate bed spread. It was a narrow band, soft on the inside and beautifully crafted so as to leave little risk of chafing. An O-ring dangled from the front. Hazel remembered its icy weight against her chest the first time she’d worn it.
    She returned the collar to the bed while she dried herself, biding time before she made her next move. Barely two weeks had passed since she’d hooked up with Ward and Dylan—together. Did she really want to start scattering parts of herself throughout their home?
    What choice did she have?
    The front door opened with a scrape of metal on metal.
    “There better be alcohol in that decanter, Dylan, or I swear to God…” Ward’s threats seldom carried any promise of violence. This one rang loudly down the hall and into Dylan’s bedroom.
    Hazel’s pulse kicked like a wild beast.
    If Dylan replied, Hazel didn’t hear it. She was too busy emptying the contents of her backpack into the dresser drawer and patting everything down. She’d brought socks and clean underwear, her best-fitting pairs of jeans. A few shirts. She knew where to find a laundromat once that small stock needed washing. At this rate, she wouldn’t need to return to her apartment for another month.
    It was an ambitious estimate.
    Fumbling, she kicked the backpack—laptop and all—under the bed and snatched up the collar. She considered sauntering out in her birthday suit, something the boys seemed to appreciate, then thought better of it. Despite her frenzy, she’d had the forethought to pack one other item of clothing.
    She donned it gingerly, mindful of the lacy detailing. Fortunately for her, it fastened in the front, laces threaded through the fabric cinching up under the bust. Hazel had first noticed the babydoll when she’d been out blowing her hard-earned cash with Sadie. She’d gone back later, alone, to buy it.
    Working up the nerve to put it on for the boys was a whole other affair.
    With a deep breath, Hazel seized the doorknob and pulled the door open. Her feet were bare on the hardwood boards. She fought the shiver that threatened to creep up her calves and settle deep into her bones.
    Ward’s vociferous rants gave him away before Hazel had rounded the corner. She didn’t need to search for the source. Ward and Dylan were right by the kitchen island, utterly oblivious.
    “It’s like I’m talking to a wall!” Ward waved his tumbler into a wide arc. “They don’t seem to understand—or want to understand—that if we lose this contract, we can kiss our South American securities goodbye. It’ll be dominoes after that. We’re already being muscled out of China—”
    Hazel cleared her throat emphatically.
    Dylan turned first, the corner of his lips tugged into a smile. Beside him, Ward had yet to close his mouth. “You were saying?” Dylan prompted.
    “I… Yeah.”
    Beneath their heated stares, Hazel fought the urge to fold her arms over her chest. She wasn’t going to be that girl—she wasn’t going to dress up and tease them with the full knowledge of what she was doing, before backing down, too cowardly to finish what she’d started.
    “Welcome home,” she told Ward, letting her own eyes roam over the tailored lines of his immaculate suit. “Sir.”
    She knew she didn’t imagine Ward’s sharp inhale, or Dylan clenching his fingers around the decanter.
    “Join us,” Dylan entreated.
    Although it was gently spoken, Hazel knew it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Not while she wore the collar. She stepped forward with soundless steps, enjoying the way the babydoll brushed and slid against her bare legs. The fabric stopped at just above mid-thigh, enough to look sexy without being indecent. The see-through material took