Revenge in Red Lace

Chapter 1: The Sting of Betrayal

Tara leaned against the bar, her crimson dress hugging every curve of her athletic frame, a glass of whiskey dangling between her manicured fingers. The dim lights of the Rusty Anchor cast a sultry glow over her sharp cheekbones, but her eyes burned with something far more dangerous than desire. She’d heard the news an hour ago—Dave, her Dave, the man who’d sworn to love her through hell and high water, was marrying that saccharine little transplant, Lila, who’d waltzed into town with her pastel cardigans and fake-ass smile. Tara’s lips curled into a smirk, but it wasn’t amusement. It was the kind of smile a predator gives before the kill.

She spotted them across the room, Dave’s broad shoulders hunched over Lila as they giggled like teenagers at a corner table. Pathetic. Tara’s grip tightened on her glass, the amber liquid trembling. She wasn’t the type to cry or beg. No, Tara played to win, and tonight, she’d start by making them squirm.

Sauntering over, her heels clicking like a countdown to chaos, she stopped right at their table, one hip cocked, her presence a silent dare. Dave’s face drained of color, his hazel eyes darting between her and Lila, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” Tara purred, her voice dripping with honeyed venom. “Didn’t think I’d get an invite to the engagement party, Dave? Or were you too busy planning your white picket fence to remember the woman who fucked you senseless for three years?”

Dave sputtered, his face reddening. “Tara, this isn’t the place—”

“Oh, darling, everywhere’s the place when you’ve got something to say,” she cut him off, leaning forward just enough to give him a view of the lace peeking from her neckline. Lila’s mouth tightened, but Tara didn’t give her a chance to speak. “And you, Lila, bless your little heart. Did he tell you how he likes it rough? How he used to beg me to take control while he was hard as steel under my hands?”

Lila’s cheeks flamed, but she squared her shoulders, trying to match Tara’s fire. “I don’t need to hear about your past. We’re building a future.”

Tara laughed, a low, throaty sound that made heads turn. “Sweetie, you’re building a house of cards on a foundation of lies. But don’t worry, I’m not here to steal him back. I’m here to show you both what you’re missing.” She straightened, her gaze locking with Dave’s, a silent promise of chaos. “See, I’ve got plans tonight. And they involve someone who doesn’t trade passion for pastel.”

As if on cue, a tall, rugged stranger approached, his dark eyes smoldering as they raked over Tara. She didn’t even glance at him, keeping her stare on Dave as she spoke. “Meet Jace. He’s got a cock that could ruin a saint, and unlike some, he knows how to use it.”

Dave’s jaw clenched, and Lila’s eyes widened, but Tara was already turning, her hand sliding possessively over Jace’s arm. She led him to the dance floor, her body pressing against his, feeling the heat of his hard frame through her thin dress. The music pulsed, a slow, dirty beat, and she ground her hips against him, knowing every eye in the room—especially Dave’s—was on her.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, gorgeous,” Jace murmured in her ear, his breath hot against her skin.

“I don’t play safe, sugar,” Tara shot back, her voice a husky challenge. “I want them to see me dripping with desire, and I want you to make me forget that bastard’s name.”

His hands gripped her ass, pulling her closer, and she felt him, already hard, pressing against her. Her pussy throbbed in response, wet heat pooling as she tilted her head back, letting him see the raw, hungry need in her eyes. She was horny as hell, and she wasn’t about to hide it. Their bodies moved in sync, sweating, panting, the tension building like a storm about to break. She knew Dave was watching, knew he’d remember every filthy night they’d shared, and that thought alone made her want to drag Jace to the nearest dark corner and let him fuck her until she screamed.