Do you like any of the dresses?
I can send others.
He asked the questions so fast I couldn’t respond, and I realized he might be nervous.
Or you can wear whatever you want.
I like the dresses. All of them.
What color are you wearing?
I sent him a picture of the one I had liked initially.
Damn. You look good in your favorite color, Darling. Now purse and shoes?
Still working on that. Do you realize whoever sent all this sent me ten of each?
And? Are the purses and shoes not your style? I’ll get rid of them if you don’t like any.
I like them all. They’re ridiculously expensive.
If you like them all, keep them all. Remember, YOUR worth is priceless. The cost of a few shoes and purses doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.
Was he sure about that? I Googled one of the purses and screenshotted him the price.
That one purse is worth more than a car, Jameson. I have ten cars’ worth of shoes right now.
I’ll send more if you don’t pick one soon to wear tonight. You got fifteen minutes before I come to your room and then we’re leaving.
Just to keep him on his toes, I knocked on his door ten minutes later. I felt different, more daring, riskier, more me. I didn’t want to submit so easily to his demands anymore.
Not if I was going to be a part of this world. Not if I was going to make that choice for myself. I’d decided big things on my own before, and I’d do it again.
He frowned at me, and then after giving me a look, he nodded. Like he knew. Like he got me better than anyone else. “You look fucking divine, darling devil. Like I’m going to murder more men tonight.”
“Please don’t.” I shook my head at him as he kissed my cheek.
On our way out, I stopped in front of the door that was off-limits.
“This stupid, beautiful, maddening door.” I put my handson my hips and glared at it. “Such intricate lines and beautiful woodwork, and the keyhole is as old as time. How can you expect anyone not to want to go in there?”
“It’s a window into the life I had before.”
“A window you don’t want me to see?”
“Mia, one step at a time … For me?”
I’d give him that. Just because I was ready for everything didn’t mean he was. A relationship had to be give-and-take, trust and be trusted. I wanted that with him.
Well, I wanted that until he steered me through another side door, out to the garage, and I was shocked to see it led to another whole bay where there were more motorcycles and vehicles.
“Are we taking the SUV or—”
“Ducati.”
“Oh, I don’t—I have a dress on.”
“That’s short enough for this exact purpose.” He eyed me up and down. “And other purposes.”
