"I sit up. "What about work? I'm so bored."
He gives me a long glance. "You're not off the hook in being secretary, you know. Just because you're doing a stint in the home office."
He seems pleased with that.
Then again, so am I.
The fantasy is safe, it has walls I can define, a word for me to use if I want it to stop. Real life is chaos, and there isn't safety when I'm with him.
Sure, my body and physical well-being are safe, but I mean my heart.
And with this baby, this...this becomes real. It's chaos, and not one safety net is anywhere to be seen.
When I have work to do, which is most weekdays now, I gladly dress up and work. I like the work, and even if he doesn't see me, I like the costume play.
"Do you think of me in the secretary outfit when you're not here?"
He turns, shirt unbuttoned, and I actually have to check with my fingers to make sure I'm not drooling.
"Let's get one fucking thing straight, Lola. I'm always thinking about you in your secretary outfit. Or naked. Mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Well, not when I'm with you playing." He winks. "Those times, I can think of more interesting things to do with you and to you. And I can also strip you naked. So...yeah, mostly."
I sniff. "You've got problems."
He shrugs and starts to button the shirt. "You seem to like those problems."
I tangle my fingers. "When do you think I can go back to work?"
I don't want to say 'will you let me?' Because this is not something he should be allowing me or not. This is my choice.
I'm talking about a timeline, an idea of when this whole thing is sorted and I'm deemed safe. "I want to work, Enzo. Properly."
His smile vanishes.
"Even if it's only on the days you're there. And I mean, down the road, when I'm safe."
He takes a breath. "No, you don't. At least, I think you'd like to work again, right? Work that isn't done just here?" He takes a beat. "And that's okay. I'm not trying to wrap you up in bubble wrap. But, look, I'm rarely in there these days."
I open my mouth but close it again as his cheeks go red.
I frown. "What?"
They get redder still. "I only bought the damned startup because of you."
"So, you don't care if it goes under?" I demand.
He selects a tie. "I never said that."
"A lot of people need those jobs, and it's not fair of you to let the company go under."
"I'm not—" He stops and raises a brow. "Louie did a pretty fucking good job of ruining the startup before I took over. He's lucky it's in his family's building."
"Then make it successful."
He slides on his vest and buttons it, then comes over to the bed and leans down to kiss me. "I've done a lot of work on it already."
