The Dangerous Ones [✔️] (#1 in the Chilvati Series)

BONUS CHAPTER-Deleted scene #1

I trimmed this out of chapter fifty-one. It's the scene where Virginia is cleaning her closet while Mark is supposed to be in New York. The television starts broadcasting coverage of him and Mariah Post, the young actress starring in a film the Chilvatis are funding. Remember, this is when Mark shows up at Virginia's door and gives her the necklace, telling her he loves her. 

I originally wrote this to show how dedicated Mark is to Virginia. However, it is Mariah's POV of what happened that day, and I was later told I should limit the number of secondary characters whose thoughts we can see, so it had to go. I also had an early reader say she felt Mark was a little too friendly here and I definitely didn't want that!

You can tell me if you agree or not . . . 

It was after one in the morning in New York, but Mariah was still up, still fuming from the events of the previous day. While waiting for the email she was expecting, her mind replayed what had taken place:

Mark pulled up in front of the Waldorf Astoria. "There you go. What time would you like us to pick you up?" he asked.

Mariah glanced at her director and leading man sitting in the back seat. They had just finished a morning full of interviews and had a few hours to grab a late lunch and get ready for the premiere. "Why don't you all come up to my suite? You can tell me if the dress I picked for the premiere is okay."

Mark didn't look too on board with the plan, but the men in the back sealed his fate when one of them answered, "Sure, why not."

Her luxury suite was on the top floor of the hotel. It was richly appointed with thick tapestry drapes in both the living room and bedroom, deep-piled, blue carpet that made her feet feel like they had died and gone to heaven, Louis XIV furniture throughout, and triple-sheeted, high thread-count bedding.

She had made her agent add it to her contract: All overnight stays in New York were to be at the Waldorf. She knew the producers could afford it—having the Chilvati family backing the movie helped provide funds for things like this.

Along with other perks.

She let her eyes slide over Mark's long, hard body as he strolled to the window and looked down at the view. Yes, indeedy. She had finally made it. Her ship had definitely come in.

She turned to her co-star. "Why don't you take Bill down and have a drink at the bar?"

"I thought you wanted us to—"

"Mark can stay here and approve the dress. He is to be my escort after all."

The actor's eyes narrowed. The two of them had been having sex here and there since filming began, but she had grown bored of his predictable moves and mediocre performance, both in bed and on screen.

"Fine," he bit out before glaring over at Mark. "Have fun."

"I'll be right down," Mark said.

"Yeah . . . sure you will," he muttered before jerking his head at Bill to follow, exiting through door they had just come in.

Mariah turned back to Mark with a flirty smile, pointing at the couch. "Have a seat. I'll go put it on and be right back."

In the bedroom she rifled through her closet for the dress she had in mind: A royal blue, halter-style mini that flattered what she had. She wasn't tall, but the barely-there length assisted in adding inches to the shapely legs she did have. As she did up the clasp at the back of her neck, she once again thanked herself for the boob job she had dug deep into her savings to purchase. Not only had her career taken a giant leap in the right direction after the expensive investment, but the E cup she now sported also went in the right direction, perky enough to go without a bra. Which she was illustrating right now, the small triangles of blue satin seeming to strain against the wealth of creamy white flesh they were tasked with containing.