She wasn’t so insecure as to think no one would want her, but she wasn’t blind either. This man, an Adonis that graced the covers of Fortune 500, GQ, and a dozen other magazines, that had a woman on each arm and was wealthy beyond belief, had picked her.
When they reached the top landing Luca led her down the long hallway until he finally stopped in front of the last door on the right. The wood was intricately ornate, with two large mother-of-pearl handles that seemed to shine like diamonds in the dimly lit hallway. She swallowed when he opened the door and waited for her to enter. The only thing she could see was darkness, but a moment later a light came on and illuminated the room. She couldn't help when her mouth dropped opened at the sight. Everything she had seen thus far spoke of aristocracy and wealth, and this room was no different. It was a room fit for a queen, or a king in Luca's case.
"This is where you can keep your belongings. There is a washroom to your right where you can clean up before dinner, which will be served in thirty minutes." He stood there for a moment, just staring at her.
What was she supposed to say? Instead of opening her mouth and saying something that would have made her look like a fool, she simply nodded. Luca left a moment later and she was left standing there alone. She set her bag down and looked around the room. She took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her hands, which she was wringing together nervously. I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into. She really did. The Non-Disclosure Agreement she signed had basically said she had to keep her mouth shut regarding anything that happened tonight, which was still somewhat a mystery to her. Oh, Luca had warned her that his taste leaned toward the dominant side, and Linden was no fool as to what that meant. Whether she would be tied up, spanked, or blindfolded tonight was still a mystery to her, but isn’t this what she had wanted? To be in Luca’s bed? She had come here of her own free will, agreeing to submit to him in any way he saw fit. He had simply proposed a night of mutual pleasure, a night where she would surrender her mind and body to him in a safe and controlled environment. Sure, there were questions, but he had assured all of those would be answered later on. She didn’t want to be in the dark when it came to what would happen to her.
She hadn’t outright asked him why he chose her, because frankly she didn’t know if she wanted to hear his answer.
Grabbing her bag from beside her feet, she set it on the bed. Should I change? Whereas he had been dressed in sophisticated clothing, Linden had on a pair of worn jeans and a plain tee. It was nothing fancy, but she assumed she wouldn't be wearing much while she was in his company, so what had been the point of dressing up?
An armoire sat across from her and she walked over to it and ran her fingers across the smooth glossy finish. Gripping the handles, she pulled it open. His clothes hung in color order, of course. Linden ran her hands over the expensive material, the smell of his cologne invading her senses and causing her eyes to momentarily close. Was she a fool getting aroused over a scent? Well, if she was, the hell with it. She shut the cabinet and turned around to take in the rest of the spacious room. A fireplace was across from the bed, as well as a built-in closet, a big screen TV with lush looking couches around it, and French doors that led out to a balcony. This certainly was a lavish room, but for some reason she couldn’t picture Luca spending his nights here. Her thoughts were pointless. What difference did it make, anyway? She wasn’t here to wonder where he slept. She was here to finally give herself over to Luca.
A small voice inside of her whispered that she should feel cheap for doing this. True, he wasn’t offering her money, but she was basically having a one-night stand, which was something she had never even dreamed of doing before. Was she so desperate to sleep with her boss that she would throw her morals out the window?
Yes and no. There was a part of her, a dark and foreign part that had lusted after him for so long. Why couldn’t she have him? She may not be as beautiful as the women she had seen him with, but she was no less a woman.
Feeling resolve for her decision, she grabbed her toiletry bag and headed into the washroom. If she only had one night with him, she would make him wish there were more to follow.
Chapter Four
Linden made her way down the long hallway and stopped when she reached the top of the stairs. The only sound that seemed to penetrate the vastness around her was the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer. It sounded ominous and dark, like it was ticking down the seconds, minutes, and hours until she submitted to the devil himself.