“I know.” The ceiling fan above blows cool air on my naked body, and I clutch the sides of my arms as I hunch into a ball.
“There may be times,” he says, “when I push you, test your limits. There might be times when I’m craving more of an intense experience with you.”
I nod.
Dane removes his jacket and slips it over my shoulders before reclining back into the Chesterfield. He reaches for my arm and pulls me on top of him.
Are we cuddling right now?
“It’s important,” he says, “after intense moments, to offer you comfort. Help bring you down a bit. It would be extremely irresponsible of me to fuck your mouth until you gag and then send you on your way.”
His hand spreads his coat over my backside like a blanket, and my bare flesh is flush with his white button down. The warmth of his skin permeates the barrier and soaks into me.
“You did excellent.” His palm cups my ass and hoists me into him, deeper.
I know none of this is supposed to be romantic, but it’s a sweet gesture, and I could lie here all afternoon and not move and be perfectly content.
“You’re coming to Golden Oak Saturday,” he says, combing his fingers through the ends of my tangled hair. “You’ll be staying the evening at my estate just outside of the city.”
The bar-be-que. Cortland’s parents are coming over Saturday.
“Oh? This Saturday?” I stall, trying to think of an excuse. “That’s kind of short notice.”
“You have plans?”
“Family plans,” I say. “We’re having a cookout.”
His lips curl. “This is a bit more important than a family cookout.”
“I have no doubt,” I say. “But we have company coming, and I’m not sure I can get out of this.”
“What time?”
“I don’t know. Probably noon?”
“Okay, so you should have no problem doing both.” Dane cups my ass and leans into my ear. “And I’m not entirely sure why I’m allowing you to argue with me right now and speak to me without addressing me properly, but consider yourself lucky I’m not getting the gloves out again.”
I smile into his chest, where he can’t see.
“What if my car isn’t fixed by this weekend?” I know for a fact I won’t be able to hitch a ride to some mansion Saturday night. I couldn’t come up with a plausible excuse even if I tried.
Dane sits up, gently pressing me off him, and I miss his warmth in an instant.
“I was going to wait, but since you brought it up.”
He is not giving me a car. There’s no way.
He strides to his desk, opening the second middle drawer on the left and pulling out a set of keys with some weird green emblem on the keychain.
“While you work for me, you’ll drive a car from my fleet.”
I flip the keychain over and read Land Rover.
“It’s a black Discovery, and it’s parked in the underground garage in spot forty-seven. You can take the elevator down and it’s right there.”
“Dane…Master...” The rectangular fob is smooth and pristine cupped in the palm of my hand. “Thank you. This means more than you could possibly know.”
No more commuting with Cortland. That’s what this means.
“I have an offsite unscheduled visit at one of the wind turbine factories over in Greenwood,” he says, dipping his hands in his pockets. His gaze indicates he appreciates the fact that I’m still very much naked.
I tug his jacket off my shoulders and hand it back, taking my time dressing before him because he seems to enjoy the show.
“I won’t be back before the end of the day,” he says. “But feel free to take the afternoon if you’d like. We’ll train a bit more the next couple days, and then Saturday night will be our final compatibility test.”
Oh?
“It’s just as much for you as it is for me,” he says. “Though my ability to leave a woman satisfied has never been an issue in the past, and I don’t anticipate it being an issue for you either.”
So that’s what Saturday is. He’s going to screw me.
I’m going to lose my virginity…
In a mansion…
To the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on…
A tingling sensation fills my chest, working up to my neck and settling in the top of my head like bubbles. Nervous excitement expands every part of me, and there’s a hitch in my breath accented by a flush in my cheeks. I turn so he can’t see it. I’d hate for him to know I’m this excited.
Sneaking out with Cortland always gave me a rush, but this goes far beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.
I’ll have to sneak my dress and shoes into the house, which shouldn’t be a problem. I can shove them in the enormous Louis Vuitton weekender bag he got me, and now it’s making sense as to why he’d get me that bag.
He wants me to spend weekends with him.
That might be tricky.
“Could I come over later than nine?” I’m not sure if I can sneak out any earlier than ten. “Just to be safe. I’m not sure how long our company is staying.”
Dane’s eyes flick up before narrowing at me. “I suppose. But from here on, you’re to keep your weekend schedule completely open. You’ll find I’ll almost always need you on weekends.”
He checks his watch and glances out the window at the traffic.
“I’m going now.”
There’s no hug or kiss goodbye of course. There’s no prolonged fanfare or scene. He just leaves. I’d kill to know if he’s ever had a girlfriend or shown an ounce of warmth to anyone who wasn’t a line item on his yearly accounting audit.
It felt good to lie in his arms earlier, even if it only lasted a short while.
I roll the key fob in my hand and leave his office, pulling the double doors shut behind me. After shutting down my computer and locking my space, I take the elevator down to the parking garage and find the shiny black Land Rover parked in spot forty-seven.
It makes the most adorable beep when I unlock it. I inhale a lungful of the buttery leather and warm, new car scent. Only when I slide into the seat, do I realize this car fits me perfectly. Dane probably has every car imaginable in his fleet, and he chose the one that suited me the best.
For a man who hardly knows me, he truly does take care of my every need without me having to say a word. He wasn’t lying about that.
I press my foot into the brake and start the car, and thank goodness that’s the way my mom’s car starts or I’d have been sitting here for hours trying to figure it out. The car purrs, and I stick it in reverse before pulling out and following the green exit arrows to the street.
Daylight floods the car as soon as I merge into the street, and a little red box in the passenger seat catches my eye. When I get to the next stop light, I grab it and trace my fingers across the Cartier logo on the outside. A little white envelope not much bigger than my hand is taped to the bottom.
I open the card first.
Angel,
This necklace is a symbol. You are to wear an item of ownership at all times. Never fear, the items will be classy and tasteful, just like the submissive who wears them, and this necklace will be the first of many.
Seventy lashes if you’re not wearing this the next time I see you.
Master
The light turns green, but not before I drop the letter and crack the box open to see a gold necklace with a single, bezel-set diamond charm dangling from it. I’m not a jeweler but this looks to be, at minimum, one carat.
Any other girl would drool over the sheer beauty of this thing, but all I see is an animal collar.
I snap the box shut and toss it in the passenger seat.
FIFTEEN
DANE
I should’ve gone straight home after visiting Uncle Leo again, but here I am, back in the office. The sun has long gone down, and the drone of the cleaning crew vacuuming the hallway is the only other sound accompanying me tonight.
My emails are sorted, and I begin attending to the ones marked “high importance” that I’d purposefully neglected earlier in the week.
Just as I suspected, not one of them is that important.
Delete…
Delete…
File…
Delete…
Respond…
When my inbox is almost clear, I see an email from Laurie in HR from earlier in the afternoon.
Dane,
Background check came back clear.
Laurie
“Good,” I mutter before forwarding it on to my guy, the one who checks on things beyond credit history, criminal records, and identity confirmation.
I never used to run such extensive background checks until Jenessa. Now I won’t sleep with a woman until I know every goddamn thing there is to possibly know about her. Only I have to go about extracting that information in roundabout ways. Asking a woman these types of things doesn’t always guarantee the truth, and it also has a tendency of making them think you give two shits about getting to know them on a personal level. I’d prefer to avoid complications if at all possible.
Roger,
Full report on this one. Need ASAP.
Dane
I attach her signed consent form and hit send.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and my heart skips without permission when I wonder if it might be Bellamy, texting to thank me for the bezel-set diamond necklace.
Nope.
It’s Beck.
YOU EAT YET?
I type back, NOT HUNGRY.
ODESSA AND I WILL BE AT TAVERN PARK DRINKING BEER AND EATING PIZZA. JOIN US OR BE LAME.
My palate prefers a different kind of dinner tonight, one that lies between the curved thighs of my sub. I meant to reward her for the impeccable mouth-fucking earlier today, but I wasn’t quite in my right frame of mind, and when I saw that I’d fucked those cherry lips so hard she gagged, I had to bring us both down.
I’m not a man who ever prefers cuddling, but I’m not about to subject a novice to sub-drop. I’d never do that to Bellamy, so I held her in my arms, warmed her with my heat, and pretended not to enjoy it when she nuzzled her cheek up against my chest.
I reach for my phone again and pull up Bellamy, my thumbs hovering over her number. But the second I realize I’m halfway smiling, I throw my phone down like it’s carrying the bubonic plague.
Screw that.
I’ll see her when I see her.
In the morning.
On all fours.
Wearing the necklace that tells the world she’s taken in all senses of the word.
She’s lucky I didn’t get her an actual collar.
SIXTEEN
BELLAMY
I clasp the gold chain around my neck and flip the visor up before turning the engine off. It’s not tight by any means, but a constricted sensation creeps around me.
I’m not an animal.
And I fully understand that physically I belong to him. I know what I agreed to. But I didn’t know I’d have to wear something twenty-four seven to remind me.
It’s almost worse than Cortland proclaiming at Bible study last night that he’d spent the afternoon looking at promise rings for me. It took every ounce of strength in my body to give him my ring size with a smile on my face.
When I climb out of the Land Rover, I click the button twice just to hear the sonar beep an extra time then stand back and admire how sleek and sexy my new ride is. I worried about explaining this beautiful beast to my family, but my father took it exceptionally well. I think he was just relieved he wouldn’t have to buy me a new car. The Chrysler should be out of the shop next week, but I’m going to tell my father to sell it. By the time I’m done working for Dane in a few months, I’ll be able to afford something one-hundred-percent mine.
“Dane’s not in today,” Marlene says when I walk past her desk that morning.
I stop short, cocking my head. “Is everything okay?”
“Death in the family.” She presses her hand across her heart. “He might be in later today, but we’re not sure. He’s with Beckham right now. Private burial on Saturday. That’s all I know.”
My heart aches for the man with the ice-block heart who’s probably suffering in silence, not allowing anyone to comfort him. I wish he’d let me be with him. Granted, I’m not his girlfriend, but still. I could at least serve him by offering my support.
Then again, he made it clear earlier in the week that I’m not in his “inner circle.”
I slip the diamond necklace off when I get to my desk and place it in an organizer tray in my top drawer. If he’s not here, there’s no sense in me wearing this. Pulling out my phone, I send him a text.
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, DANE. I’M HERE IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.
Send.
He doesn’t respond, and like some spineless pushover, I can’t help wanting to do something more to please him. I yank the drawer out and fish around for the necklace, slipping it around my neck and taking a selfie. It’s just my décolletage, the photo centered on my necklace. I leave out my face and cleavage, as I’m not about to make his day of mourning about sex or teasing.
I examine the photo and send it to him without a caption before taking the necklace off once again and tucking my phone back in my purse. He can do with it what he wants, but I refuse to take it personally if he doesn’t respond. He’s busy, and I know family comes first.
My morning consists of playing solitaire and making too many trips to the break room for some Earl Grey tea from the Keurig machine. My afternoon consists of way too many bathroom trips thanks to said tea, and a little light Internet browsing. I’ve never actually shopped online, but I type in any store name I can think of and add a dot com to the end and squeal like a schoolgirl when the website pops up. I’m not sure why my father needed to block all these websites. It’s not like looking at shoes or bags would be some gateway to the darkest corners of the World Wide Web, but try telling him that.
When it’s time to go, I grab my necklace and then check the doorknob of Dane’s office, making sure he didn’t sneak in at some point in the day.
Locked.
I check my phone for the millionth time that day to see if he got my texts. They show as received, but he still hasn’t responded.
I just hope he’s okay because I know he’d never admit it if he weren’t.
***
“I never see you anymore.” My sister, Waverly, comes into my room that night and throws herself across my bed. “You’re always working or with Cortland.”
“It’s called being an adult,” I say, picking at my nails. I need to paint them again before work tomorrow.
“Cortland’s been coming over almost every night this week,” she laments.
Though we were spared tonight. He had to help a cousin move into a house. Thank God for small favors.
I lift my gaze in her direction. “You don’t like him?”
Please say you don’t like him.
She rolls her eyes. “No, it’s not that. I mean, he’s perfect for you. And dad loves him. Mom too. Everyone really. It’ll just be weird when you’re married, and you won’t be here anymore.”
“You’re going to college in the fall, right? You don’t plan on sticking around?”
“Dad said I could go if I got a scholarship and if I’m on my best behavior the rest of the school year.”
“When are you not on your best behavior? You’re the golden child. I don’t think it’s possible for you to be any more perfect than you already are.”
She draws her knees up to her chest and rests her chin on top of them. “Try telling Dad that. It seems like no matter what I do, he thinks I can do better. One of these days, I’m going to snap.”
“Don’t.” I place my hand up. “Don’t give Dad any reason to do anything extreme. We both know what happened to Libby Conover from the 2nd Ward.”
“Libby…?”
“Remember? Her father thought she got too spirited an
d married her off to some old geezer in Arizona. She was fresh out of high school. Don’t think it can’t happen to one of us.”
My phone dings in my purse, and I spring for it without hesitation.
“You’re on that thing all the time now.” Waverly stands up and crosses her arms.
“I’ve only had it a few days. How can I be on it all the time?” I call out as she leaves. I press the green icon on my screen and only after I read his text do I realize I’m holding my breath and that I smiled the entire time.
SATURDAY CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH, he says.
If he were my boyfriend, I might reply with one of those cute heart emojis or the one with the red lips. I force the smile off my face though an intense amount of butterflies remain in my belly. I’m certainly not falling in love with Dane, but I am falling in love with the escape. The rush. The thrill.
The build up and excitement and anticipation.
The prospect of freedom.
I type a reply.
DO YOU NEED ME TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL TOMORROW? WILL YOU BE IN?
A minute later, he responds.
I WON’T BE IN. SENDING A CAR TO PICK YOU UP AT ONE FOR LUNCH AT HARBOR BLEU. WEAR THE BLACK HERVE LEGER DRESS, RED HEELS, GOLD NECKLACE AND NOTHING ELSE. YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT NINE AT BELLISIMA DAY SPA ON FORREST AVENUE.
The man needs a distraction, and I certainly won’t fault him for that.
YES, MASTER. GOODNIGHT.
SEVENTEEN
DANE
Harbor Bleu is a classy establishment, but it’s not going to deter me from keeping my hands off Bellamy as soon as I see her. I’d been planning to treat her to a decent lunch all week, even before Uncle Leo passed, and I wasn’t about to trash my reservations in lieu of sitting around Golden Oak moping with Beck and Odessa. Uncle Leo wouldn’t have liked that. He’d much rather me be out getting pussy and celebrating the colorful life that old bastard lived until fucking cancer stole his last fighting breath.
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