by Jayne Blue
“Thank you, Nina,” he whispered against the top of my head. “I hope you get everything you want. You deserve it.”
“Did you?” I asked, leaning back to look in his eyes. They held a sparkle of mischief.
“Just about,” he answered. “I seem to remember saying something about that kitchen counter.”
Quick heat flashed through me, shooting down to my toes. I smiled wide. Jack was already turning me around, pushing me toward the sink while hitching up my dress. I laughed to myself as I hoped that Will had fallen asleep.
Chapter Ten
Three days later, I was to meet with Petra in her newly planted garden at Mount Vallin. She wanted to give me a few days to gather my thoughts and decompress after my night with Jack before letting her know my long-term plans.
It had been a wonderful night. Petra had been right about everything. Jack was exactly what I needed. He made things simple and took me on a ride with him filled with complete pleasure.
Could I do it again with someone else? Could I do it at Petra's beck and call? Could I forego having my own romantic relationship, at least for the time being? Would I lose my soul?
To that last question, I knew the answer was no. My soul was totally intact, thank you very much. Petra was no fool in wanting to work with people past the blush of their twenties. With my past, I never really suffered through the pain of losing my idealism. I’d been a pragmatist from the moment Uncle Carl stuffed his hands down my pants. And it hadn’t damaged me. I was nobody’s victim.
At Mount Vallin, I followed Vera back to Petra’s garden and sat across from her again. She wore a cream colored suit that set off the copper and steel in her hair.
“You’re well?” she asked.
“I really am,” I answered. “I don’t know what I expected to feel, but it’s good. I feel –”
Petra smiled, “Empowered?”
“A little. Yes.”
“Good.” She sipped her mimosa from a wine glass, motioning to the pitcher in front of her. I shook my head to decline. “You got a rave review.”
At this, I blushed, and then laughed at myself for doing it. Petra laughed too.
“I'm serious, Nina. Jack couldn’t be happier.”
“I'm really glad about that,” I said with all honesty. “He made things simple for me, and I’m grateful. I don’t know what his story is, but you couldn’t have been more right about him being a good fit for me for that first time. I don’t know how you do it. Do you read minds, Petra Vallin?”
She sighed, setting her glass down gently. “You aren’t the first to ask me that. I’ve always thought mind reading would be a worthless skill. Most people spend their days lying to themselves – I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m too fat, I’m better than you, you’re better than me. Self-delusion is human nature. No, thoughts aren’t real. Emotions, feelings are real. Usually, what people think they want is false. If I do anything, I’m good at understanding what people really feel about themselves or need to feel. I sense the need. I fill the need.”
“So what did Jack and I need?”
“You needed simple,” she said. “You needed someone who could help you not think too much and just have the experience. Jack has a particular taste for – what’s that word? ‘Newbies.’ He’s had a troubled past with women. He tends to be a smotherer in his personal relationships. He starts out strong but never closes well. I let him practice the best of himself and control his exit strategy.”
I considered what she said. “He mentioned something about that. He said he’s learned to listen to you. And that he couldn’t afford to see me again.”
Truthfully, I wondered if I could afford to see him again if it was ever an option. I was over Brad, but wasn’t in a place where I wanted romantic complications for a while. Jack had been fantastic, and I imagined he was easy to fall in love with at first. No, Petra was right. That wasn’t what I needed either. But for encouraging me at a time when I wasn’t sure what my next move would be, Jack would always hold a special place in my vagina.
Petra tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Jack is spot-on about his own limitations. But what about you? What's next for you, Nina Sharpe? Are we about to go our separate ways with you $100,000 richer? Or do you want to see how far we can go together?”
“Well…” I swallowed. I’d gone over this moment a million times in the three days since leaving Jack. Petra could give me financial and personal freedom like I’d never had before. I wasn’t desperate, by any means. I could survive if I didn’t go forward with what she wanted. It would be tough for a while, but I’d been through far worse and survived. But she hadn’t let me down yet. Everything Petra Vallin had promised, she delivered. And that alone was a rare enough thing. She was offering me the golden ticket. “Petra, I think you and I aren’t done with each other, and I’d really like to see how far we can go as well.”
For the first time since I’d known her, Petra’s composure slipped just a bit. Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands, rubbing them together. “Then I think we’ve both made a wonderful choice. And…wait until I tell you who I have in mind for you next!”
To Be Continued in
Owned by the Billionaire (Owned Series Part Two)
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Books by Jayne Blue
Tortured Heroes (Men in Uniform - Romantic Suspense Series)
Vice
Heat
Marked
Strike
Ripper
Edge
Great Wolves M.C. (Biker Romance Series)
Dex
Sly
Colt
Kellan
Sawyer
Brax
Stone
Ryder
Nash
Torrid Trilogy (featuring Jack Manning from “Owned by the Playboy”)
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
The Owned Series (featuring call girl Nina Sharpe and President Matt Vance)
Owned by the Playboy
Owned by the Candidate
Owned by the Spy
Owned by the Prince
Owned by the G-Man
The Complete Series
Hold Series (MMA Fighter Romance)
Ride Series (MMA Fighter Romance)
