“I can’t promise I’ll be amazing at it, but I promise to try.”
“Good enough. And I promise, I’ll never expect perfection from you. We’re all human.” He pauses, clearly thinking, before he resumes. “We need a server at the club. The job is yours if you want it.”
“But–” I begin to protest.
“Before you say no, you need to understand you wouldn’t get preferential treatment. I would expect you to be prompt for your shifts and follow the same rules as the other employees. You’llearna paycheck like everyone else,” his brow furrows. “The only real difference being that you live here… with me.”
“But Idon’tlive with you.”
His eyebrows raise. “All the clothes and supplies I purchased for you, laid out in the bathroom and the guest room say otherwise.”
“Exactly,” I argue. “Theguestroom. The stuff you bought for me. There’s a big difference between staying and living somewhere. That brings me to what I wanted to talk toyouabout. I was thinking I should go home this weekend. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but especially now that we know it’s safe and Brad isn’t a threat, I think it’s time. Don’t you?”
I can practically see him thinking from over here. “No,” he says matter of factly.
“What do you mean, no?” This man is so fucking confusing.
“I’d like you to stay here for the duration of our arrangement. It’ll make things easier for both of us if we’re in closer proximity, which will allow you to experience and learn more. Once we’ve concluded your training, I’ll help you move back into your apartment. It will also allow you to save some money so you can get back on your feet.” He’s never referred to our arrangement as training before. Why does that make me wet?
“How long will that be, Ryker? I can’t justnotpay my rent while I stay here. I won’t have an apartment to go back to.”
“Let’s say a few months at most. Then we can re-evaluate whether you want to continue or not. Do you trust me?”
I nod, because I do, and trust doesn’t exactly come easy to me these days. I can do that.
“Then trust that I’ll take care of it. I’ve got you.”
Ryker
She’s looking at me like I’m crazy. Like she can’t decide if I’mbullshitting her or not. I’d assure her I’m not, but I doubt she’s ready for that admission. I need her to trust me, but I understand her hesitance. What she doesn’t know is, as soon as James called, I reached out to Hayes and had him send me the address she put on her guest application. Then I paid her rent for the next six months, because I have no intentions on letting her go back to that shithole, but I also know she won’t give it up without a fight.
I was telling the truth about the job at Gravity, though. We do need a server that knows what they’re doing and I have no doubt she’ll do the job well. Having her there, with me, serves a dual purpose. It allows her to work and maintain some independence while also allowing me to keep a close eye on her, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s more for me or her. I don’t want her to resent me or feel like I’m holding her back. I also suspect there’s more to her work absence situation than she’s telling me, but keeping her close may help me get to the bottom of that.
“I’m just so used to handling everything on my own. It’s not easy.”
My girl has been taking care of others, mostly her mother, since she was a teenager, possibly longer than that. Certainly, at least as long as I’ve known her. All I want is to lighten the load, so she can breathe and enjoy her life a little.
“I know, beautiful. I know.” I slide over to her and place a hand on her thigh. “It’s time to let someone else help you carry the weight.”
“Fine,” she relents with a long exhale. “I’ll do it. Can we go get my car though? It would make me feel better if I had the ability to be mobile, and I’d like to go visit Wrinley soon, if that’s okay. I’ve texted with her since I ran into her at Gravity, but I miss her.
Fucking hell. I’ll give her whatever the fuck she wants as long as I have her under my roof. “You got it, sweet girl.” Her mouthparts at the pet name and I have to fight off my desire to stick my tongue in her mouth and kiss her senseless.
Glancing at her legs, I recall the image of them spread under the sheets in her room, while she brought herself to climax. It was a breathtaking sight and I wonder if she’d look the same if I was above her, driving my cock into that perfect cunt of hers. If I don’t stop this train of thought, I’ll be hard in no time, and there would be no hiding it. I need to hurry up and finish our talk before I embarrass myself.
“I know we’ve technically started this arrangement already, Arabella.” Every time I say the word arrangement, I want to kickmyselfin the balls. It’s like if I keep saying it, I’ll forget my raging hard-on and get back to business. “But you need to understand that staying here with me won't always be easy. I can be an overbearing asshole at times. You want to learn, I’m going to teach you, and test you but you will be doing it my way. I don’t have aDominantside. Iama Dominant. All. The. Time. Are you still in?”
She nods while answering, “I really am, Sir.”
25
Arabella
Ryker kept his promise to take me to get my car, and thankfully, we were able to grab some more of my things while we were there. He offered to buy me whatever I needed, and while I appreciate the gesture, Ineedmy own things. If I don’t start using my own body wash, I will lose my shit.
As soon as I got in my car, I swear my entire body relaxed a little. I don't mind riding with Ryker to and from work, but I'm not a fan of sitting in one place. I don’t doubt his promise to let me come and go as I please, but I need to keep moving or I'll go nuts.
Wrinley and I have been texting, so I know she didn’t get unalived after her–whatever that was–at Gravity. We’re finally hanging out today, and I’m looking forward to it, but I made her promise that we’d stay in this time. She’s been my person for so long and with everything that’s happened, I need some girl time.
