Black Obsidian(79)

“What did you need?” I didn’t fall prey to his whining. I used to when we were kids, but I learned at a young age it was better just to ignore him.

“Business stuff that I already took care of.”

“Looks like you didn’t need me after all, then.”

“You’re right.” He continued to follow me, his voice chasing me. “Which makes me wonder why you’re in charge around here anymore. You haven’t been here for a week.”

“You know Rome is staying with me.”

“How long does it take to find an apartment?”

“Pretty damn long in the city.” And I didn’t really care if she found another place or not. In fact, I hoped she didn’t. I got the door unlocked then walked inside. The lights automatically came on to a low level. I walked to the desk and immediately searched through the drawers.

“What are you looking for?” Jackson watched me, his arms across his chest.

“Don’t worry about it.” I rifled through the pens and notepads, searching for the black box I’d tossed inside nearly a lifetime ago.

“Did you fuck her yet?”

Talking about my personal endeavors with Rome suddenly made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to mention them to anyone, especially my perverted brother. “Instead of being obsessed with my sex life, you should concentrate on yours.”

“My sex life is all over the place. Yours is the one that’s pathetic.”

It didn’t feel pathetic this weekend.

“I still think she’s a virgin.” He stared at me and asked the question without actually asking it.

I refused to answer. “I guess you’ll never know.” I opened the last drawer and finally found what I was looking for. I popped the lid and saw the two rings inside. One was thick and made of solid black obsidian. The other was slimmer with a black diamond in the center. I grabbed the thicker one and placed it on my right ring finger.

Jackson watched me, both of his eyebrows raising. “Oh, shit.”

I closed the box and placed it inside my pocket.

“She’s your submissive now?”

“No.” But I wanted the world to know I wasn’t available. When enough time had passed and people knew Isabella and I weren’t getting back together, women would begin to make passes at me. But this ring was like bug repellent. It would keep the gnats away.

“Then why are you wearing it?”

“Even though she’s not my submissive now, doesn’t mean she won’t be very soon.”



I was just about to leave the office when Bruce called me. He was Rome’s personal driver, and I paid him a lot of money to take her wherever she wanted, safely tucked in the back seat of a luxury car with windows so tinted it was like staring into deep space.

“What’s up, Bruce?” I crossed my legs under the desk and adjusted my tie with my fingertips.

“Sorry, boss. We have a problem.”

I stiffened in my chair, anticipating what that problem was.

“She ducked out from the back exit of the building. The front door is locked, and she’s gone. I suspect she’s on her way back to the house now.”

I wanted to strangle her.

“I’m sorry, boss,” he repeated. “She was in a bad mood this morning, but I didn’t think she was a flight risk.”

“Don’t worry about it, Bruce. Thank you.” I hung up and tossed the phone on the table, a migraine forming deep behind my eyes. I loved Rome’s feistiness, her strong sense of independence and no bullshit. I found her attitude beautiful, even charming. But when she didn’t listen to my direct orders, it pissed me the fuck off.

She needed to listen to me.

I felt my hand shake at her disobedience. I wanted to spank her ass hard enough that her cheeks welted like my hand had been the leather bite from a belt. With Isabella, I told her what to do every instant we were together, and she obeyed. It was a year of perfection, of a perfect Dom with a perfect sub. Now, I had a woman who was a loose cannon, exceptionally beautiful and satisfying, but a huge pain in the ass.

I wanted to come clean and explain my needs. I wanted to ask her to be my sub, to trust me to take us to a world of pleasure she would grow to appreciate. But I knew it was way too soon for that. She lost her virginity to me just a few days ago, and there was no way in hell she would listen to my proposition with an open mind.

I had to steady my hand longer.

I had to be patient.

I had to gradually combat her.

I had to restrain her.

And I had to control her.



When I walked into the house, she already had dinner cooking in the kitchen. The aroma of pot roast filled the air, the delectable scent of potatoes and spices heavy on my sinuses. For coming from an apartment with a microwave for a kitchen, she knew how to whip up some incredible things.