Bought by the Raunchy Cowboy: A BBW Billionaire Romance

by Raina Wilde

  “This is your room, ” Isaac told her, opening the door for her and then standing aside. “Go ahead; take a look. I won't invade. ”

  It had been a long couple of weeks since Marla had lost her room at AJ's, and the thought of actually having her own room again knocked the wind out of her – in a good way. Of course she'd known, or strongly suspected, that she wouldn't be sharing with Isaac, but to have it confirmed and to see the environment she'd be living in was a huge weight off her shoulders.

  Despite the slightly lukewarm way she felt towards Isaac, she couldn't help but exhale as she saw the room. “This is incredible. ”

  She turned to look at Isaac, whose smile suddenly didn't look so predatory. “It'll do? ”

  “Oh, boy. Yeah. I've never even stepped in a place like this before. ”

  “Good. ” Isaac tapped the frame of the door, and nodded towards the window. “Controls for the blinds are by the bed, but I'm told it's nice to leave them open and rise with the sun. Bathroom through the door to the left – closet to the right. ”

  Marla didn't think she had enough clothes to warrant a walk-in wardrobe. Then, however, she caught sight of a beautiful red dress laid out on the bed. “Um…? ”

  “Ah, yes, ” said Isaac, remembering. “That's for you. Get dressed; we'll be having dinner as soon as you're ready. ”

  “What, right now? ”

  Isaac grinned. “We really do need to work on your understanding of 'immediately', don't we? ”

  “I mean. . . ” Marla trailed off, confused. She rubbed the hem of the dress between her fingers, marveling at the expensive fabric. She wouldn't like to think how much it actually cost. Would it even fit? “What are my working hours? What will I actually be doing? ”

  “I'll explain over dinner, ” Isaac told her. “As for your working hours – well. I need you to be available for me at any time, at a moment's notice. ”

  “I can't leave? ”

  “Not often, ” said Isaac. “No. But we'll discuss that at dinner. Get clean; get into your dress. I'm sure Chef is already beside herself at how late we are. Chop chop. ”

  With that, he was gone, shutting the door quietly behind him.

  Marla sat down on the bed with a slump, face blank, and glanced down at the garment beside her. Only an hour ago she was ruining an audition, and now she was here in this incredible room. The view she had across the city was stunning.

  If only mom could see me now, she thought – but then quickly took it back. She'd save the celebration for after she knew what the hell it was she'd be doing. Goodness only knew she needed to leave room to allow herself to walk away if that felt necessary. Not that it had felt that way when Isaac had announced it, but dinner could be pretty romantic – or at least it was possible for it to have romantic connotations. With the gift of the dress alongside everything else, Marla didn't know what to think.

  That being said, she was clearly lucky to even have stumbled across the opportunity. Whatever Isaac had seen in her, it had evidently pleased him enough to try her out – and Marla didn't want to keep him waiting any longer than she already had.

  She just hoped, as she stepped under the hot jets of water, that there were no hidden cameras in the shower.

  Chapter Five

  Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised at all – but the dress did fit. The red fabric looked good against her warm brown skin, and Marla couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror as she left the bathroom. No wonder rich people found it so easy to get laid. Apparently, all she'd needed to look this good was a really nice dress.

  Of course, she didn't have any of her other clothes at the penthouse yet, so for now it was her only option regardless. She wondered when she might get a chance to go and pick them up.

  Forced to assume that the dining room was somehow attached to the kitchen, Marla made her way back through the apartment to try and find her host. Her boss? She still didn't know how she should think of Isaac, beyond trying to suppress her attraction to him. Hopefully the guy would make good on his promise to explain everything over dinner. Otherwise, Marla wasn't sure how much longer she could take the confusion and uncertainty.

  After all, it was getting harder and harder to imagine herself walking away. The shower had been predictably divine; it was one of those designs meant to imitate a waterfall, combining powerful water pressure with a crazy amount of room, and even calming lighting. Was this really the way the 'other side' lived? No wonder they were so greedy. Marla expected she'd be afraid to abandon all this luxury after spending her entire life with it, too.

  As it turned out, the dining room was beyond the door right next to the kitchen – and there sat Isaac, alone at the other side of an impressive mahogany table. It wasn't big as Marla had been expecting. Clearly there were no enormous dinner parties going on here. At least, not in this room.

  “At long last, ” said Isaac. “The guest of honor. ”

  “I'm sorry, ” said Marla, rushing to take her seat. “I just showered, and then-”

  “I'm teasing you, you know. ”

  “. . . Oh. ”Marla had never really considered that before – that all of Isaac's intimidating behavior might just be playful. She had been so thrown off by the environment and the power imbalance that she had failed to realize that… well. Isaac was just a person, in the end. She gave a sheepish smile, tucking her chair closer under the table. “Well. I'm sorry, anyway. I hope you're not too hungry. ”

  “I'm ravenous, ” said Isaac. Marla couldn't tell if this, too, was supposed to be a joke – or, indeed, a euphemism. “No trouble, though. Here. ”He pulled Marla's glass closer to himself briefly, filling it up with a splash of red wine.

  “Thank you. ”

  Of course, the main thing Marla wanted to do was discuss specifics now. She just didn't know how to introduce the topic without seeming pushy or presumptuous. Clearly Isaac was a very hospitable and generous person, and – oh. Right.

  “Thank you for the dress and the shoes, too, ” she blurted out, tacked on to the end of her 'thanks' for the wine. “And the room. Everything is kind of amazing. ”

  “You’re welcome. It's a little longer in the sleeve than I was expecting, ” Isaac pointed out, nodding towards Marla with his eyes on the offending spare half-inch, “but I'll know better for next time. ”

  “That's a pretty incredible talent, ” Marla pointed out, pretending to enjoy the wine. She was naturally more of a beer-and-pizza kind of girl. “Guessing measurements. ”

  Isaac shrugged. “I could lie and agree, but… actually, I had an expert guess based on footage of you from the lobby's security camera. You know – we knew the dimensions of the lobby around you, so we could extrapolate from that. I'm quite impressed; her estimates were quite accurate. ”

  It blew Marla's mind that anybody would spend time – and money – doing something like that. Did it really matter so much that Marla had a dress to wear tonight?

  “You look quite distressed, ” Isaac pointed out, and Marla realized she'd been staring into space.

  “No, ” she blurted. “No, sorry. I'm just thinking. This is a lot for me to take in. It's just… it's crazy. People don't do things like that where I come from. ”

  “Where do you come from? ”

  “Indiana, ” she said. “You were right when we first met. A small town. ”

  “I thought as much, ” Isaac admitted, topping up his own wine glass. He glanced over as Benson came through with a trolley of food, covered up with silver cloches. Presumably, they were real silver. When the cloches were lifted, an incredible smell poured out, good enough that Marla had to force herself not to moan. Apparently, steak was on the menu tonight. What else would a man like Isaac Willis eat? “Thank you, Benson. ”

  “Sir. ”

  “I had to guess, ” Isaac pointed out, “how you'd take it. We opted for medium rare. ”Benson served Isaac first. Isaac's own steak looked bloody rare, and Marla couldn't help but feel grateful they hadn't cooked the
m both the same. She was practically expecting Isaac's food to get up off the plate and start walking. “Bon appetit. ”

  “Yes, ” said Marla, awkward. How were you supposed to respond to that? “You too. ”

  A few bites later, conversation resumed. “No; I knew it would be a small town, ” Isaac continued. “You've got that uncertainty about you. I've seen a handful of people come through for this position – all native New Yorkers. They've got a certain… I don't know. They occupy the space they stand in very confidently. ”

  “Whereas I'm ashamed to exist, ” said Marla, intending it as a joke.

  “Well – in a way, ” said Isaac, which surprised Marla enough to look up at him, brows raised. “Yes. I know you don't mean that, but you seemed… apologetic, in a way. As if you were embarrassed to be standing in front of me. ”

  “It's not exactly my usual environment, ” she admitted.

  “No; I guessed that, ” said Isaac. “But I like that, you know. Respect for the unfamiliar. Cautiousness. I think we'll work well together, based on that. I like a person who takes care with things she doesn't understand rather than charging in headlong – or bluffing, even. It seems more honest. ”

  “Oh. ”Was this why Marla had been selected? That seemed so arbitrary, almost like choosing someone based on their star sign or hair color. Isaac hadn't actually asked her any questions to confirm that she was the right kind of cautious – but perhaps Isaac had a more specific idea of what he was looking for than he was willing to let on. “Well… yeah, I guess I did come across that way. ”

  “I'm sure you're very adaptable, ” said Isaac. “Don't get me wrong. I'm not calling you a coward. I just require somebody who's able to recognize the gravity of a situation. Somebody who will listen to what I ask for very carefully. ”

  “I can do that. ”

  “Good. ”

  They shared eye contact for a moment, and Marla suddenly realized she hadn't started eating yet. Isaac had such a hypnotic quality about him that it was difficult to focus on both him and something else at the same time. Hopefully that would wear off before long. Marla didn't know what this position would entail yet, but presumably she would need to be able to focus – and not on the plump, handsome shape of Isaac's lips.

  Really, she was getting more and more curious. Isaac seemed very flirtatious with the way he spoke, and he was desperately handsome, but none of the things he said seemed to suggest he wanted sex. The flutter of quiet disappointment that Marla felt in the small of her stomach surprised her. Sure, Isaac was attractive, but… it wouldn't really be what she wanted to sleep with him for her rent, would it?

  “How's your dinner? ”

  “Fantastic, ” Marla said, seeing no reason to play it down or act cool. Whoever Isaac had hired to cook this stuff, he had made the correct choice. The meat was tender and tasty, and the accompanying vegetables were flavorsome and rich. She didn't recognize everything on her plate, and she wasn't sure whether that was because they were rare, expensive ingredients or simply because she didn't understand high-class food. Either way, it didn't matter. It was delicious. “Really, really good. Your chef is amazing. ”

  “She's pretty great, yes, ” agreed Isaac. “I'm sure you'll meet her at some point. You can thank her yourself. ”

  “I will, ” she said. “Does she live here too? ”

  Isaac shook his head. “That's something you need to know – we can start there. Other than you, there will be nobody else in the suite after 9:30pm. Everybody's shift ends then. They'll arrive again in the morning at 7am. If you need anything in-between… well. You're on your own, I'm afraid. ”

  “I'm sure I'll manage, ” said Marla, bashful at the thought of having to ask staff to help her with anything at all. The idea of people having staff in this day and age was still quite surreal to her. Of course she knew it happened, but… well. She had never imagined she'd live in an environment with hired help herself. It was kind of uncomfortable.

  “Quite, ” Isaac agreed, with a faint smile. “Benson used to stay overnight sometimes when I required his help, but recently his health has deteriorated, and we've agreed it would be best for him to scale back his working hours. Hence – here you are. ”

  “I'll be a butler? ”

  “No, ” Isaac corrected. “These duties fall outside the scope of an ordinary butler. It was very kind of Benson to help me with them. We're old friends, by now. ”

  “I have to confess I'm curious, ” Marla admitted, finishing off the rest of her steak. “The more you tell me, the less I understand. ”

  Isaac checked his watch. “Well – yes, alright. I suppose it's nearly time. ”This, needless to say, didn't clarify anything at all. “Let me finish my dinner and I'll take you down. ”

  As non-sexual as the rest of the information that Isaac gave tonight had sounded, this was straight back up in 'prostitute' territory again. A thrill of nerves shot up Marla's spine, and she nodded. “Okay. I mean – yes, sir. ”

  “Charming though it is, ” said Isaac, voice warm, “there's really no need to call me that. ”

  Marla felt the heat of a blush creep over her face. “Yes. Sorry. ”She had absolutely no idea how to conduct herself around this man; he was worlds apart from anybody that Marla had met before, and not just because of the amount of money resting in his bank account. There really was something about him – something that had Marla fighting off mental images of the smooth skin under that blue shirt, and that rich brown hair tousled beyond recognition; something had her imagining the sheen of sweat on the surface of his skin, no longer poised to perfection.

  She really had to stop thinking like this.

  “There, ” said Isaac, pushing away his plate and standing from the table. “All finished. Come this way. ”

  The pieces of the puzzle were about to fall in to place, at long last. Marla had no idea what the picture would look like when they did, but at least she'd finally have a grip on the situation that had been toying with her for the past few days, so intense that she could barely think of anything else. Part of her wanted to claim exhaustion and excuse herself, pressured by the bizarre, renewed strength of her attraction to Isaac and the fear of what it might cause; of course, she could never really walk away right now.

  Isaac led her down a windowless corridor and down some steps - “Beneath the swimming pool, ” he advised – and finally came to a halt at a heavy-duty door. It looked almost like a bank vault, with a security pad right beside the entrance. She wondered if it might be a private bank or wine cellar; she knew that wine could be incredibly valuable. But what would that have to do with Marla?

  “Alright, ” said Isaac, tapping at the keypad. “The security code is 17421886. If it helps, think of it as the years – 1742, 1886. You'll need to remember this. ”

  “What's the significance? ”

  “There isn't one, ” said Isaac. The vault door was beginning to slide open. “But it's absolutely vital that you don't forget this code. ”

  “No pressure, huh? ”

  Marla grinned, but when Isaac turned back to look at her, there was no amusement in his face. This was evidently not something he felt playful about.

  As they headed into the vault, door ominously open behind them, it felt like they had stepped into another world. The background noise that had been present in the rest of the apartment wasn't audible in here – and a low, generator-sounding hum that Marla hadn't heard outside was. Clearly, this place was extremely well soundproofed, but that wasn't the primary thing that Marla noticed.

  Her eyes fell straight on the chains and locks against the far wall.

  “Oh. ”

  “Chain me up, ” said Isaac, slipping his jacket off his shoulders and beginning to unbutton the top of his shirt. Marla didn't move for a few moments, watching as he discarded the expensive fabric and hung both items up on the back wall. “Now, please. ”

  Marla moved forward, uncertain about what was about to happen. So – it was something sex
ual after all? Some kind of BDSM kink? It seemed odd that they would leave the door open if that was the case, but she couldn't understand what else this might mean. Why else would Isaac want to be chained up? Despite her uncertainty, however, she did as she was told, and secured the metal cuff around one of Isaac's wrists.

  She kept her eyes very firmly off the well-cut form of Isaac's body.

  “I know what you're thinking, ” Isaac said, after a while. “But no – it isn't that. ”

  “I don't understand. ”

  “That's the way I'd like to keep it, ” he said, lifting his other arm so that Marla could close the cuff around it, too. “Now, the collar. ”

  “Are you sure about this? ”

  “Positive. It's not sexual. I'd do this all myself if it were physically possible. ”

  With the collar locked in, Marla stepped back. “That's all? ”

  “Yes. Tell me the code. ”

  “Uh. . . ” she cleared her throat. “1742… 1886? ”

  “Make it a statement instead of a question, Marla. It'll be an awful pain if you forget. ”

  She repeated it again, more assertive this time. She doubted Isaac would like it, but she fully intended to key it into her phone as soon as she got back to her room. Better than than let it drift out of her head overnight.

  “Good. Lock the vault behind you, then return at 6am to let me out. On time, please. ”

  “That's all? ”

  “Ah. . . ” he paused considering. “There's a panel in the wall. Check which playlist is loaded. ”

  Marla made her way over, head spinning with the bizarreness of it all. “Uh… classical? ”

  “Play it for me. ”Soaring violins filled the room, and Isaac sank to the floor; the chains were long enough to allow very little movement beyond this. “Alright. You're excused. Goodnight. ”

  With that, it seemed her obligation was fulfilled. Uncomprehending, she left the vault and locked the door behind her as requested. As the door shut, she caught sight of her employer with his eyes closed. The sound of the violins was smothered as the door locked into place, and they were replaced with a deafening silence.