“I’m sorry, he is entirely wrapped up right now. Can I take a message?” I used every ounce of professionalism I could bring forth as Rylie slowly kissed down my neck and squeezed my ass. I smacked him lightly on the shoulder and he just bit down on mine, which had me smacking my hand over my mouth to keep a moan from escaping.
“Tell him that we have a problem.” The male said, then barked orders about contacting BMT to stop the story. I froze.
“What is the problem?” My voice was hard and cold.
“I’m sorry ma’am. Considering I do not know who you are,” I pulled the phone from my ear and pressed the speakerphone button and his voice came over so Rylie could hear too, “I will not divulge any additional information.”
“I will repeat myself. What is the problem?” I pulled back from Rylie to give him a look to say something.
“What is it, Morgan?” Rylie said, a trace of worry in his voice.
“Sir, I received notice that Justin Devereux has sold a story to BMT. Word is there are some intimate details about Ms. Baker.”
I froze. Every part of me froze. Rylie reached for the phone, took it off speaker phone and said, “What is he threatening to say?… Has the paperwork been served yet?”
I fell to the floor and curled up into a ball. My legs trembled, and I pulled back into myself as my hand started to shake.
“Rylie.” My voice was too quiet. Too weak. Just like me. No. Not weak. Conditioned. I took long, slow deep breaths to release the band that was constricting against my chest.
I knew this was going to happen. We knew this was going to happen. How did he know already? We should have had more time to plan, to work out a way out of this. To find a way to get ahead of it.
I took slow, deep breaths. In and out. In and out.
“Make sure that every news outlet knows the order was signed and that we will pursue damages should that order be broken.”
“Rylie!” I said, finding a way to move and take his hand. I looked at him with pleaful eyes and he instantly sat down on the floor, and encircled me. “It’s okay sweetheart. I knew this was a possibility.”
A small soft kiss on the top of my head. Then he was talking into the phone and growling, “Let him try. Handle it, Morgan. Make sure that they follow the order.”
He hung up the phone and wrapped me up tighter against him. “It’s okay, Luce.”
“I figured he would show up eventually, but I thought we would have more time. We would at least be able to make a formal engagement announcement.” I said it so quickly, and I felt my muscles shiver and shake under his hold.
“Luci, I need you to breathe.” He turned me to face him and put my face in his hands. “I anticipated Justin trying to throw some bad press. Last week, I filed for a gag order for him and all media outlets. The Judge signed it two days ago.”
I blinked, and took a deep breath. He looked me solidly in the eye again and repeated himself. “I have a gag order for him and all media outlets.”
I blinked rapidly at him and said, “What?”
“Do I have to repeat myself, again?”
“No. I heard you. I guess I’m just not fully comprehending. No, that’s not it either. I… I…”
“Words, sweetheart. I need you to use them. Properly.” He huffed a laugh and brushed his thumbs along my cheeks, wiping away the tears that had fallen.
“You did that?” I asked, my voice small and tentative, but then a small smile fell on my lips as I said, “You were so sure that I was going to agree to marry you that you had a gag order in place against my ex and the media for when word got out?”
“No. I told you earlier. I thought you would walk out of my life forever for keeping this all from you.” He kissed my brow now that I was breathing more evenly. “However, I knew we would be seen in public together before I asked you. I was planning on taking you to the rooftop and asking you there tomorrow night.”
“Oh.”
His eyebrow popped up, “Oh? That is all you have to say?”
“Rylie. I know nothing about the high-profile world you live in. Getting a gag order against Justin would have never crossed my mind. I had just assumed that we would deal with the fallout. I’m not worried about what he would say. I mean, I am not going to hide who I am.”
“It’s the degradation and abuse he put you through. The fact that your body still reacts to his conditioning is why I put the gag order in place. I want to protect you from this.” He said studying me closely. I nodded once, as he said, “I know there is not a single thing he would say that would be true or be a problem. It’s the lies and the mental wear that is going to wear on you.”
“So, what happens now?” I asked, taking another deep breath to calm the nerves. The band had lifted from my chest, and I felt a little hollow.
