“No one.”
“Lainey. Talk to me.”
“I should go.” She started to get up. “Thank you for the drink.”
Before the screen went black, I did perhaps the unthinkable after what she’d been through. I took the phone from her hand.
The text from Damien was clear.
You’re mine,Lainey. If any other man touches you, you’ll learn a lesson you won’t forget.
He hadno intentions of letting her go.
Instead, he had every intention of hurting her.
That wasn’t going to happen.
Fury began to build once again. I’d meant what I’d said to him.
It would seem I’d need to have that chat with him after all.
“Don’t. Just… Don’t.” There was no imploring sound in her voice. In truth, she was pleading with me with her eyes.
“Now, you’re going to listen to me because I’m also the kind of man who won’t take no for an answer. I simply choose to usemy ability to control for the right reasons.” At least from time to time. “You’re not going back to that house alone. In fact, you’re not going back there at all. You’re coming home with me.”
CHAPTER 4
Lainey
The man had beentrue to his word.
Sasha had refused to take no for an answer.
The difference was he had no intentions of taking something from me. He was giving me protection, a place to feel safe until I figured out how best to get Damien permanently out of my life. I’d need to formally break the news to Scott and my record producer, which would definitely create tension and possibly void my contract.
Or at minimum when the term ended in a few months, they’d have what they considered a qualified reason not to bother negotiating a new one. Had I been impetuous? Possibly, but at this point, I was eager to move on with my life.
Another thank you went to Sasha for helping build my courage.
He’d even given Bernie and Danny a suite at one of the hotels along with telling the person who answered the phone at Ecstasy that anything they wanted from the restaurant or room service was comped.
Then he’d whisked me away in his gorgeous red Corvette as if I was a fairy princess. I’d always dreamt of finding my personal Prince Charming. What little girl hadn’t?
“Your home is beautiful.” I wasn’t lying to him. Maybe I was still in some shock from what Damien had said. Or maybe because I hadn’t been looking for a knight in shining armor, but one had stepped up for me.
Sasha was entirely different than what I’d envisioned him as being. He was still dark and brooding, all business when necessary, but I could sense he was a romantic at heart.
He also had a protective nature, something I hadn’t experienced since I was a kid. My dad had always been that way.
As we approached the house, the huge stone wall caught me off guard, the long driveway making me curious. Finally seeing the outside of the house, the Mediterranean design complete with stunning arches on the doors and windows was breathtaking.
Every attention to detail had been handled to perfection, including the stunning architecture of the multiple-story building as well. Plus, there were gorgeous colorful shrubs and flowers everywhere, including on a trellis in the courtyard leading up to massive ornate wooden door.
Inside was equally beautiful, the living room somewhat formal yet inviting with rich warm wood and leather sofas and chairs. The arches matched those on the exterior and I’d already counted two fireplaces.
I don’t know if I’d expected to see a home filled with toys or completely neat and tidy as if the man had a cleaning crew on standby, but there was a mixture of both that worked very well.
There were children’s books in the bookcases right alongside various business books and fiction by James Patterson and Tom Clancy.
