Page 8 of Bound By Crimson

Chapter Eight

Red Lace Promises

Evening arrived.

Lyric had tried on the red dress, then taken it off, then tried it on again. The shoes fit perfectly, though she felt a little overdressed for anywhere local. But Kai hadn’t told her where they were going.

Velora gasped softly when Lyric stepped out from the back room. “You look like a dream.”

“I feel like I’m going to stand out too much.”

“You’re supposed to.” Velora winked, then opened a small wooden box on the counter. She pulled out a delicate pair of vintage earrings—teardrop-shaped rubies framed in silver. “These will match perfectly.”

Lyric hesitated. “I can’t—”

“I insist. Consider it a loan, not a gift.”

She accepted the earrings and fastened them carefully. Her mother’s locket still rested against her collarbone—the only piece she refused to take off.

As the clock chimed softly, the black car pulled up in front of the shop.

Velora squeezed Lyric’s hand. “Go. Have the night of your life. ”

The driver stepped out first, circling the car to open the passenger door for her—tall, composed, wearing a dark suit. Every movement was practiced, precise. His sharp features were softened only by the warmth in his eyes.

“Hi,” Lyric said nervously as she approached. “What’s your name?”

“Thomas,” he replied, his English accent smooth and familiar.

“Thomas,” she repeated with a nod. She smiled faintly. At least one mystery was solved.

She slid into the back seat, smoothing the red lace dress over her knees.

As Thomas returned to the driver’s seat and started the car, she asked quietly, “Do you know where we’re going?”

Thomas gave her a polite smile but didn’t answer. He closed the privacy divider and pulled smoothly away from the curb.

---

Her phone buzzed in her clutch.

Rowan.

Lyric’s first instinct was to ignore it. She didn’t owe Rowan anything.

But something held her back. She felt bad for Rowan. She remembered the look in her eyes after she had seen what Eric did. She shouldn’t have empathy for her… but something made her answer.

She swiped to answer. “Hello?”

A pause. Then Rowan’s relieved breath. “Lyric. You answered.”

“I’m on my way out, Rowan. I can’t really talk.”

“I just wanted to check on you. I’m sorry for everything at the dance. And… for everything else.”

“I’m fine.”

Rowan’s voice softened. “I miss you, and I’m not trying to pry. The man at the dance… I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Lyric closed her eyes briefly .

“I’m fine,” she repeated. “But I really have to go.”

“Okay. Thanks for answering. Really.”

She ended the call without another word.

Sliding her phone back into her clutch, she steadied her breath.

The past is behind me. I’m not letting it ruin tonight.

---

They passed through the outskirts, then onto a highway toward a lakeside district known for high-end dining and old-money estates.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the sky blushed shades of coral and gold.

Finally, they turned down a private drive lined with lanterns. At the end stood a grand, historic restaurant—all white columns and ivy-covered stone, overlooking the still, glassy waters of the lake.

Thomas parked smoothly and opened her door.

Kai was already waiting at the entrance.

No suit this time. Just a perfectly tailored charcoal dress shirt, open at the collar, and black trousers. He looked both effortless and impossibly handsome.

The moment his eyes found hers, the rest of the world seemed to vanish.

“You look…” His voice trailed off, as though words failed him. “Breathtaking.”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, lingering a second too long.

“Come. Our table is waiting.”

They were led to a terrace overlooking the lake. Crystal lights wrapped the railing, their reflections dancing on the waves.

Lyric smiled nervously. “This is too much.”

“It’s not enough. ”

They settled in. The waiter brought wine, and conversation flowed easily—about the shop, her drawings, and little pieces of her life she hadn’t shared with anyone in a long time.

Kai listened intently.

When she mentioned her insecurities about not fitting into his world, she tried to brush it off with a laugh.

“There’s probably a million other women in New York who would be a much better choice than me.”

Kai’s gaze sharpened.

“No. There isn’t.”

He reached up, brushing his knuckles lightly along her jaw.

“You’re wondering why I didn’t come sooner,” he murmured. “Why I stayed away.”

She didn’t speak, but her silence was answer enough.

Kai turned away for a moment, looking out the window like he was searching for the right words. When he spoke again, his voice was roughened at the edges.

“You look exactly like someone I once loved,” he said quietly. “She used to hold me when I was a boy… I remember the way she smelled. How her voice made the world go quiet.”

His jaw tightened.

“I was just a child, but even then, I knew she meant something to me. Like… a part of me never forgot her.”

He turned back to her, eyes blazing.

“And then I saw you.”

Her breath caught.

His honesty startled her.

“I didn’t understand it at first,” he said, voice raw. “It felt wrong. Impossible. But every time I saw you, I felt that same stillness. That same pull. I thought it was obsession. Madness maybe. When I saw you that day, on the street… I couldn’t look away. I gave in.

But after the masquerade… I stayed away. I had to. I told myself it was for your sake. Until I couldn’t anymore.”

His voice dropped.

“…it wasn’t madness. It was you. ”

Lyric’s throat tightened.

She nodded, slowly.

He leaned in, voice dropping to a near-whisper.

“That night nearly broke me. I wanted you so badly, I couldn’t sleep. I saw you everywhere. And I told myself I’d wait until you were ready. Until you could choose me.”

She blinked, heart hammering.

“I need you to know,” he said, his voice velvet-wrapped steel, “this isn’t a game to me. You’re not a fantasy, Lyric. You’re everything… everything I need. The final piece of a legacy .”

He looked like he meant it.

Like he was barely holding himself together.

And maybe—maybe she was barely holding herself together, too.

For one reckless moment, Lyric wished she could text Rowan.

Tell her everything.

The whirlwind. The madness. The way her life had cracked open overnight.

But the thought froze her fingers.

Rowan.

The friend who had stolen Eric.

The friend who had left her standing in ruins.

She swallowed down the ache and tucked it away.

Rowan didn’t deserve this part of her.

Kai reached for her hand again—this time slower, almost hesitant—and laced their fingers together like he needed her just as much as she needed him. The heat of his skin sent a shiver up her arm.

“I want you to know everything about me,” he promised, voice trembling at the edges. “But not just yet. I want to make sure you’re ready for it.”

Lyric nodded, breathless.

Heart full of questions.

But already choosing to follow him into the unknown.

-- -

As the night deepened, Kai grew quieter.

Finally, he leaned forward, taking her hand. “I wish I could keep you here all night. But I have to leave.”

Her stomach tightened. “Leave?”

“There’s been an issue with one of my international clients. I must fly out tonight.”

Lyric swallowed the lump in her throat. “Oh.”

“I didn’t want to tell you earlier. I didn’t want it hanging over tonight.” He squeezed her hand. “But I couldn’t leave without seeing you first.”

“Can I have your number?”

Lyric nodded, managing a smile. “Finally.”

She recited it, and he entered it into his phone, showing her the screen to confirm.

“I’ll text you as soon as I land. And I’ll call. Often.”

As they stood, he led her to the edge of the terrace. The cool breeze stirred her hair.

Kai cupped her chin gently, tilting her face up.

“I’m going to ask you for something.”

“What?”

“I want you to wait for me.”

Every nerve lit up, and her breath stuttered.

She hesitated—but only for a second. She already knew her answer.

“Will you?”

Lyric nodded. “Yes.”

A slow smile curved his lips. “Good.”

He leaned down, kissing her slowly—a kiss full of promises not yet spoken.

When he pulled back, his voice dropped to a whisper.

“Because if I didn’t have to leave tonight, I’d already be making you mine.”