“I never wanted to make you feel bad about yourself. It was a knee-jerk reaction because I was jealous.”
“What?” She practically spits the words at me as she waits for the elevator doors to open.
“I had a bad experience with my last sub. I’m not immune to emotion, no matter how ‘depraved’ you consider me to be. I had my heart trampled, and when I saw you with him, I was back in that place. I’m sorry. Lying is my hard limit.”
“And yet you had no problem lying about who you are and why you hired me tonight. If anyone has a right to be pissed off here, it’s me. I’m clearly not the kind of woman you want, so none of it matters.”
“Is that what you think? I paid ten grand for a single conversation. To be in the same room as you. I’ve been fighting my dominant nature since the moment you moaned at the taste of my food. I’m trying to be fucking vanilla here. For you. Because I have feelings for you that go far beyond sex.”
The doors ping open, and suddenly, we’re not alone. And I’m buck naked. I quickly cover my junk, but I stand firm.
“Aspen, stay and talk to me, please.”
“There’s nothing more to say, Sir. You didn’t give me a chance to be part of your world, and now you’re not part of mine. I quit.”
There’s an old lady in the elevator who is aghast as Aspen enters, but she gives me a double-take as the doors close. Well, it’s official. I didn’t think I could be more humiliated than thenight I found out Tessa was cheating on me. Turns out, sleeping with my ‘escort’ and damn near professing my love for her in my birthday suit in front of a bunch of strangers is worse.
Plenty of people have seen my dick at the club. It’s not a big deal. But rarely do I let anyone see my heart, but I tried for Aspen.
I love her. I’m in love with her.
I’m screwed.
I’ve never felt so dejected, but more than that, I betrayed her trust in me both inside and out of the kitchen. I can’t let her quit. She’s worked too damn hard. I have a few calls to make, but if she accepts nothing else from me in this life, I have to do this for her, even if she can never love me back.
I don’t give a fuck as I head back to the suite as a couple walks toward me, their eyes cast to the floor. Tonight was supposed to be about answers and closure. I’ve managed to do the complete opposite, but feeling her fall apart beneath me was transcendent. I have had a lot of amazing sex in my life, but with her, she is so much more than a willing woman to fuck.
I want Aspen’s submission but not because I want to control her. I want her towantme. To let me protect her and sate her every last desire in this world. As I kick the door shut behind me, I go in search of my phone. I tossed it aside at some point during the night when we were clawing each other’s clothes off.
When I find it, I pull up Nadia’s number.
“Hey, Ry. How are you?”
“Hey, Nad. Would you be able to send me over a new blank of the chef NDA for Venom at your earliest convenience? Actually, can you send the NDA for just talking about Venom too?”
“Sure, I can do it from my phone right now. Is everything okay?”
“Not really.”
“Why don’t you come by the club? Everyone is here having a few laughs.”
“I’m not the best company right now.”
“Even more reason to stop whatever you’re doing and come down. We’re all in the bar. Promise you’ll come.”
I definitely need a few drinks. Why not do it with friends? “Sure. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Awesome. See you soon.”
“Thanks, Nad.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You never know where the night might lead you, especially with this rabble.”
“Trust me, whatever goes down will be better than the night I’ve had so far.”
“We’ll have a drink ready and waiting.”
“Perfect.” I hang up the call and retrieve my clothes from the floor, something silver shimmering in the plush rug at the bottom of the bed. I reach down to pick it up, realizing that it’s Aspen’s bracelet that her parents got her when she graduated from culinary school. She’s probably going out of her mind looking for it.
