The question troubled me more than it should have. In my position, emotional entanglements were dangerous. Complications I could ill afford. Yet there was something about Theo that bypassed my usual defenses, something that made me want to reveal the man behind the title, to be seen for who I truly was rather than what I represented.
Tomorrow would be a test, not just of Theo's limits but of my own. Could I maintain the necessary distance while guiding him deeper into submission? Or would I find myself crossing boundaries I'd maintained throughout my life?
The thought filled me with an anticipation that was almost painful in its intensity—a complex mixture of desire, curiosity, and something dangerously close to hope.
Chapter 10
Theo
Ifiddled with my coffee mug, watching the steam curl up from the dark liquid while Kaiden lounged on the sofa across from me in the living room of our shared quarters during our morning check-in. Carter leaned back in his chair, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.
The morning sunlight caught the glitter in Kaiden's eyeliner as he leaned in toward us. “Honey, my client last night? Brought hisownvintage riding crop from the 1920s. The man had a whole steamer trunk of Edwardian-era kink gear. I felt like I was getting railed in the Titanic's boiler room.”
I snorted coffee through my nose. “Wait, like actual antiques? Wasn't that... musty?”
“Musty but authentic,” Kaiden winked. “The syphilis risk really added to the historical accuracy.”
Carter's face remained impassive, but a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away. “Nothing that exotic for me. Just a hedge fund manager with daddy issues who needed someone to tell him he's a 'good boy' while he crawled around in a $3,000 suit.”
“No way,” I laughed. “Like, literally crawling?”
“On all fours.” Carter took a sip of his black coffee. “Guy manages billions during the day, but at night he just wants someone to pat him on the head and tell him he did a good job filing his quarterly reports.”
Kaiden dramatically fanned himself. “The duality of man. I live for it.” He waved his hand, his sequined kimono shimmering. “And what about you, darling? How was your day off?”
I shrugged, setting my mug down a little too hard. “Nothing crazy. Hit the gym with some dudes. They were chill. Just talked about protein shakes and all that bro stuff. I didn’t have to fake it, which was... nice, I guess. And then I caught up on some movies I missed.”
Kaiden cackled and wagged a finger at me. “Look at you, learning to unwind! I’m proud!”
Carter sipped his coffee again. “You ready for another session with the Duke today?”
“Yeah.” I took a sip of coffee, trying to hide how nervous I felt. “He’s... not what I expected.” Seriously, how did they talk about fucking clients so easily? Was that ever going to be me, or would I always cringe internally when anyone mentioned Ricard?
Kaiden leaned in, tilting his head. “You’re still overthinking things, Theo. It will get easier.”
“Does it?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Carter looked serious for a moment. “Yes and no. The work gets easier. The boundaries sort themselves out. But some clients...” He shrugged. “Some get under your skin, and not in a good way.”
“Which can be complicated,” Kaiden added.
Complicated? That was a massive understatement. I stared into my coffee, grappling with the weird mix of feelings about this job. The villas where Ricard was staying were just a glance away. Was he thinking about me, or was he already picking out his next companion on that app?
The thought twisted my stomach into knots—jealousy? Seriously, Theo? Great idea to be jealous of a client.Professionalism 101.Casey would be so proud.
When my alarm finally chimed, signaling it was time to leave for Ricard's villa, my heart raced like I was gearing up for a first date instead of my job.Get it together, I told myself as I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants making the short walk across the resort grounds.This is work. Act like an adult, not a lovesick kid.
But as I approached the fancy villa with its over-the-top views and private pool, my pep talk evaporated. My palms were sweating. My heart was pounding faster than a drum solo. I felt like a teenager about to kiss someone for the first time.
I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders, and knocked on the door.
It opened almost instantly, like Ricard had been waiting right there. And maybe he had been, because the smile that lit up his face when he saw me sent my stomach flipping. “Theo,” he said, my name rolling off his tongue like the good stuff. “Come in.”
I stepped inside, aware of his proximity as he closed the door behind me. He was dressed casually in jeans that probably cost more than my rent and a light blue shirt that made his eyes pop. His hair was tousled like he’d been running his hands through it, and there was stubble along his jaw that made me want to feel how it would scrape against my skin.
Before I could think, he stepped closer, cupping my face as he leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. It was such an intimate move, so different from the heated kisses we typically shared, that I was left speechless.
“I’ve been thinking about you,” Ricard murmured against my skin, his breath warm and smelling like something divine. “All day.”
