“I’m not asking. I’m telling.”
“Telling?”
“It’s an order. Do you understand that?”
“I don’t take orders from strange men.”
“You will come tomorrow morning. You will not be late—"
“I won’t be here at all tomorrow unless you tell me what the hell is going on,” I said, crossing my arms. His irritation made every muscle of mine tense. He stood like a coiled snake, motionless, waiting to strike.
“Listen,” he said, striding over in front of me. He pointed a finger in my face. “You’re my gift, and I’ll do with you as I like.”
“I’m not a gift!”
That made him stop. His mouth opened, and then closed again. He seemed to be thinking. When he spoke again, his voice was slower. Calmer.
“What do you mean, you’re not a gift?” he asked.
“Exactly that. I don’t know who Lucas is, or what you’re talking about, I was just here to bring up the cake—”
A knock on the door took both of our attention. I said “Come in!” at the same time as Jake said “Stay out!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Carville?”
The tuxedoed man stood in the doorway. It was the same one who had taken the girls once we’d gotten off of the elevator.
“This isn’t the time, Stephen—”
“Your present from Mr. Black is here.”
From the look on Jake’s face and the deathly whiteness of his skin, Mr. Black was the man named Lucas. And things were about to get interesting.
***
“See?” I said. “Now do you believe me?”
Jake shot a scornful glare at me.
“Come in, Sophia,” the tuxedoed man said. He tugged at a leash and through the door came my arch-nemesis from the elevator, the supermodel Blondie. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise when she saw me, then narrowed in anger.
“A gift for you, Mr. Carville. From Mr. Black. He sends his well wishes.”
Blondie wasn’t looking at me at all anymore. She’d turned her head away from me the instant she’d recognized me. Instead, she bent down on her knees on the carpet and laid her hands palm-down in front of her
“I’m here to serve you, master,” she said.
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. It was just so… melodramatic. So cinematically hilarious. Snortfuls of laughter came from behind my hand as I clapped it over my mouth.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, as the tuxedoed man stared agape at me. “Really. I’m sorry.”
Jake stepped toward the girl, and took the leash from the waiter.
Seriously? What was he going to do? For a split second, I actually felt jealous of her. Remembering the way he’d touched me made my skin grow hot.
He tugged at the leash and she stood up. She was perfectly balanced on her high stiletto heels. Despite my jealousy, part of me wanted to ask her for lessons on how to stand in those things.
“You’re my gift?” Jake asked. He scrutinized her, walking around to her side and examining her profile.
“I will do whatever you want, master.”
My heart was beginning to drop in my chest. Now he would kick me out. Now he would ask for his money back and throw me out on the curb like the street trash I was.
But instead, his eyes flickered up and down the blonde beauty. I took her in as I stood alongside him, seeing her with his eyes. The eyes of a man with desire pumping through his veins.
The perfect legs, smoothly shaved with no nicks. The perfect dress, hanging off of her hipbones. The perfect hair, not a flyaway in sight. She was beautiful, so perfect that it made me shrink back, ashamed to be a woman standing near her. The comparison would have been awful.
Then Jake reached out and unclasped her collar. He tossed it onto the floor.
“Master?” She looked confused. I noticed a crease at the corners of her perfectly mascaraed eyes.
“Get her out of here.”
“Mr. Carville?” The tuxedoed man looked just as confused as I felt.
“Tell Lucas thank you, but her services won’t be needed. I’ve found someone else.”
“What? Her? Why?” the blonde supermodel interrupted.
He turned to her with a sharp fierceness in his eyes that stopped her cold. When he spoke, each word came with a punctuated stop.
“Because I... don’t... want… you.”
It’s stupid, but my heart swelled with pride. He rejected her, the blond bimbo. He didn’t want her. he wanted...
Oh God, he wanted me.
The tuxedoed man picked up the collar hurriedly and took the blonde girl by the arm. He flashed me a dirty look, like I’d fucked up his whole life. I smiled.
She walked out the door with as much dignity as she could. I gave her credit for that, at least. She was willing to bend to her knees and call someone Master, but at least she walked out tall in her high heels.