He seemed to understand something. His features relaxed and a smile teased on his lips. “Do you know what part I liked best?”
It took a minute to register what he was talking about. It hadn’t been more than a few minutes since he’d been asking me what were my favorite parts of our earlier encounter yet it felt like a lifetime had passed.
“No, what?” I managed a steady voice, but tears were pricking at my eyes. I concentrated on not letting them fall.
Apparently, I didn’t do a good job, because he wiped one away with the pad of his thumb. He leaned in to lick another as it trailed down my cheek.
A shiver rolled through me, and I honestly couldn’t decide if I was moved or horrified. Probably a little of both.
He pulled back to look at me earnestly. “I liked the part where you still showed up tonight.” He bent to brush a soft kiss on my mouth and then dropped again on the bed.
Like that, I was flying again, almost as high as I had been in my orgasmic bliss. He had that power over me, whether I wanted him to or not.
I squeezed my eyes shut, more emotional now than ever and on the verge of falling for a man I shouldn’t fall for. Reeve was confusing and complicated at best. He could be tender as easily as he could be disparaging. He was definitely frightening. He’d done things that were very frightening. He may have even done things that, to know for sure, would destroy me.
But none of it had sent me running. That it didn’t said an awful lot about me that I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge. It said things I’d known for years and refused to accept. Since I’d torn myself away from Amber, I’d gone so far as to downplay my proclivity for depravity, said it didn’t define me or own me. I couldn’t get away with that anymore. I was owned by this, this type of relationship where a man, who did or did not have my best interests in mind, decided what I would do and be, what would be done to me. And that meant I was possibly even more confusing and complicated than he was.
It also meant I really did belong to him, in ways that were so much deeper than the way we implied when we said it to each other. I belonged to him the way that a good idea belonged to the person who thought it. Though I’d existed before Reeve in bits and pieces, he had put them together and named me, and now I’d never be what I was before him. In some way, no matter what happened with us in the future, I’d always be his.
But I’d also always be Amber’s. She’d been the only person to recognize the woman in the scraps of nothing that I’d been. And because of that I’d keep looking for her truth. Searching threatened what I had with Reeve, but until I put her to rest, I could never wholly belong to him anyway.
He shifted next to me again, pulling the sheet up from where it was gathered at our feet. As he tucked the sheet around me he said, “I have to go on a trip. For a couple of weeks, at least. Maybe longer.”
“Okay.” His news pinched at my cloak of peace, causing my chest to tighten.
He turned on his side and dragged me into him so he could spoon. This was new too, and I loved it. I was sure it stemmed from our understanding. He felt as compelled to shelter me as I was to retreat into him.
He nuzzled at my neck, his breath warm and welcome on my skin. Lazily, he said, “You’ll come with me.”
“Okay.” Anywhere he said, I’d go.
“Good.” He kissed the back of my ear. “We’ll leave for the ranch tomorrow.”
The ranch. He was taking me to the ranch where Amber was last with him.
I’d never been very spiritual, but it was impossible not to see this as a sign. Even the gods wanted me to discover what happened to her. Even they were laying out the path to take me where I needed to go to do just that.
Or they desired that I find the same fate she did. I hadn’t completely discounted that possibility either.
CHAPTER 22
Reeve woke me up early the next morning, sending me to my house to pack a bag. “Don’t worry about bringing too much. We can get you anything you need in Jackson.”
“Okay,” I said, pulling on yesterday’s jeans.
“I’ll give you enough time to get a wax appointment. You’ve finally got enough hair to go in.” He nodded in the direction of my crotch.
I blushed. “You noticed.” Of course he would. He was down there more than I was.
“Yeah, and guess what.” He beamed. “You’re a natural blonde.”
Just as I was about to head out, he called after me. “I meant to ask you, were you in my office last night?”
I swallowed the panic rising in my chest. How the hell had he known? “I was. I got bored waiting for you and played some solitaire. Was that okay?”
“Of course. You left your game open. I finished it for you before coming to bed last night.”
My heart was still racing, but Reeve seemed genuinely unbothered by it so I forced a bright smile. “Silly me. Did we win, at least?”
His face was hard to read when he said, “Oh, Blue Eyes, I always win.”
Filip rang my doorbell at two that afternoon. I grabbed my sunglasses and carry-on and locked up while he put my suitcase in the trunk. He opened the back door for me and I slid in next to Reeve. He was dressed casually in loose jeans and a long-sleeve flannel button-down. A pair of Tom Ford Aviators hid the eyes that I was sure were brought out by the blue in his shirt.
“Where’s the cowboy hat?” I teased. The western look was surprisingly good on him. Not really surprisingly – every look was good on him.
“I’ll wear it later just for you.” He laced his fingers through mine, which was a nice surprise despite the smirk on his face as he took in my tunic zip-front dress. “Wyoming is cold this time of year, Blue Eyes. Your legs are going to freeze.”
“I have leggings in my carry-on. I’ll put them on when we land.” Reluctantly, I let go of his hand to buckle in.
“Good.” He palmed my bare thigh, an acceptable substitute for hand-holding. “Though I’m glad right now that you aren’t wearing them. Let’s hope I have an opportunity to take advantage of that.”
I might have purred. “What’s wrong with now?”
“Now, we have things to discuss.” He left his hand where it was, but his tone said that we weren’t playing anymore. This was business.
Instantly, I tensed. “Like?”
“Expectations. I thought it might be a good idea to discuss them before we have any other misunderstandings.”
“Great idea.” I had to stop assuming every serious conversation we were going to have would be a bad one. Anxiety was a natural side effect of lying, understandably. But I didn’t have to be so paranoid. “Shoot. I’m ready.”
“Kaya is not a resort like the other Sallis properties. It’s a —”
“Kaya?” I interrupted, ignoring the irritated glare he shot me. That was supposedly the maiden name of his mother, the name that Joe hadn’t been able to verify. “What’s Kaya?”
“That’s the name of the ranch. We breed and run cattle, but we do have twenty cabins that we rent along the western borders where the river runs. Mostly people interested in fly-fishing but other tourists too.”
“Okay.” I wanted to ask how a working ranch had become part of the Sallis portfolio, but he’d moved on before I had a chance.
“We’ll be staying in the main house. Guests are not permitted there. The central office is by the front gates and is where all interactions with them take place. Even without the guests, though, the house sees lots of traffic. The key staff members come up for meals and various activities. Brent, the ranch manager, lives above the office but sometimes he stays at the house. Usually when he’s drunk. He’ll be on the plane today.”
“Got it.” These weren’t exactly the kinds of expectations I thought we were going over, but they were helpful nonetheless. “In other words, I shouldn’t walk around naked.”
“No, you definitely shouldn’t walk around naked. Under any circumstances.” His tone was clipped and resolute. Annoyed, even, that I’d brought it up.
&nb
sp; “You didn’t need to snap. I was only joking.”
“Well, I’m not.” He glanced at me, then rubbed two fingers up the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry to snap. Many of the men employed at the ranch are temporary or seasonal. I don’t know most of them. I don’t trust them. I can’t be sure that they would respect you and that’s not acceptable to me.”
I took in his profile as I absorbed what he’d said. Around his home, he had me undressed around his staff so often that I’d assumed he enjoyed treating women – treating me – like property. Enjoyed flaunting me like he would a flashy car. And I liked it because, dirty girl that I was, it turned me on to be demeaned and ordered around as though I had no rights.
But sometimes it pinched at my self-confidence. As hot as it was, it would be nice to be wanted so entirely by a man that he didn’t ever want anyone else to have the right to look at me like he got to. Because I was that important to him.
This, from Reeve, was probably the most perfect compromise. He liked to flaunt me. But only when he could protect me.
That was the kind of owned I’d always longed for and didn’t realize it until now.
I wished there was an easy way to tell him exactly how I felt about his position. How much I appreciated it and how it made me feel safe with him. Safe. With a man like Reeve.
But there wasn’t any way to explain something I didn’t understand myself. So I just said, “Thank you.”
“Now if I say that it is okay to be undressed in public, certainly that overrides the previous statement.” He granted me a slight grin.
I returned it. “Certainly.”
“Moving on.” And the serious tone was back. “Breakfast is served every morning at six sharp. If you sleep through it, you’ll need to fend for yourself. Lunch is at noon and dinner at six-thirty.”
“And if I miss those?”
“Don’t.” It was authoritative with no room for argument, like pretty much everything he’d said so far. I liked the rules. The structure was comforting. I imagined there were women who would find that irritating. Amber would have. Had Reeve been different with her? Sometimes men treated us as individuals. Were the rules only for me?
I hoped they were. For her sake, but also for mine.
As much as I liked rules, it didn’t mean I wasn’t also headstrong. I crossed my legs and batted my lashes at him. “What else, sir?”
“Oh, no.” Reeve scowled. “No sir’s. I do not expect or want that.”
“Master?”
He shook his head, trying not to smile. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Daddy?” God, I hope not.
“Fuck, no. Use my name and stop dicking around. I still have more to tell you.”
“Of course you do. Mr. Sallis.”
He narrowed his eyes, but went on with his list. “You’ll have your own room at the main house. Use it however you like. It’s your private space. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you want. I’m your first priority. That’s why you’re here. I expect you to be available when I want you and I expect you to sleep in my bed whenever I’m there.”
This last section of his speech made my stomach flutter and my thighs buzz. This was the basic principle that all his demands extended from – I’m your first priority. It was what turned me on most about Reeve. That he required me to service him. To think of him above everything else. To allow myself to be willingly used by him in any way he desired.
It was why I was a sick person. Because he could tell me he expected me to jump off the plane without a parachute, and if I believed it was what he really wanted, I’d not only probably do it, but I’d get off on it.
I was so busy being aroused and chastising myself for it that I almost didn’t notice what he’d said at the end. “Sleep with you when you’re there? Are there times you won’t be?”
“Yes. I have business with some of the other resorts in the state.” He peered out the front window as he spoke, only half paying attention to what he was saying. “Sometimes that will require me to be gone for several days at a time.”
You could always take me with you. But the reason I wanted to be in Wyoming was for finding out what happened to Amber, not Reeve. This was better, really.
So I don’t know why I kept pushing. “Like, how many days?”
Now he was checking his watch. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Will I know when you’re leaving? And when you’re coming back?”
Reeve leaned forward to tell Filip something in Greek. He mentioned the 405 so I guessed it was about traffic and arrival times. Whatever Filip said in response seemed to satisfy Reeve. He sat back in his seat and turned to me.
My mouth was open, ready to repeat my questions since I was sure he hadn’t heard me, but he reached out and cupped my neck. “Yes, Emily. I’ll let you know when I’m leaving and I’ll make sure you know when I’ll be back. Don’t worry about it, okay? Just try to have a nice time.”
“But —”
The pressure on my neck tightened. “Also, there will be no arguing in front of other people. What I say goes, no questions, no back talk.”
My eyes flicked to Filip and back again. I guess he counted as other people. I sighed. “Does that mean I can argue when we aren’t in front of other people?”
Reeve’s eyes lit up as he sneered. “How about try it and find out.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to see about that.” Though, it sounded like it might be kind of fun. Except what did it matter if he wasn’t around?
Admittedly, I was slightly pouty when I asked, “Is that all your rules and regulations, Mr. Sallis, or are there more?”
He put his arm on the back of the seat and angled his body toward me. He studied me with an expression that said he was trying to figure something out. Finally, he said, “I don’t think you’re as bothered by my rules and regulations as you pretend to be.”
I clamped my mouth shut. That wasn’t what was bothering me. But the things bothering me were inappropriate considering our relationship, or lack thereof, and ridiculous considering my personal reasons for being on this trip.
So I ignored his comment and concentrated on what I needed to know for my self-appointed mission. “Are there places that are off limits to me?”
He grinned, as if my lack of answer was an answer in itself. And of course it was. “No. You can go anywhere you want. My office is kept locked unless I’m there, but if you want computer access, there’s one in the library in the main house. The ranch is very beautiful and I’m sure you’ll want to explore, but it’s twenty thousand acres of wilderness and prairie, and phone reception isn’t always great. So if you do go out make sure you take a radio. You can get one from Brent. If you’d rather not go out alone, Brent can set you up with someone to show you around the property or take you into Jackson.”
He hesitated, his expression suddenly hard to read. Returning his focus back to the front window, he added, “If you’d like to borrow a car to go anywhere on your own, Brent can arrange that for you as well.”
“Okay,” I said quietly, wishing Reeve was offering to show me around himself. Then I was wishing that I wasn’t wishing that. It was petty and unreasonable and, like the concern over his time away, a sign that I’d developed some romantic notion about us at some point. That had never been a problem with me and other men.
Or maybe I was just insecure and sensitive right now with all the emotions of the last couple of days. Yes, definitely that.
“What’s wrong?”
I turned toward him, a bright smile pasted on my lips. “Nothing at all.” In case he might press, I jumped to another topic. “Will there be any… social events… while I’m there?”
“What do you mean? Like parties?”
“I was thinking more like gatherings where the guests play pool.” Yeah, I was still stewing about that. Might as well address it while I had the chance and hope it wasn’t considered starting an argument.
He simpered. “There’s no pool ta
ble at the ranch, Emily.” He leaned in and continued in a low, rumbling voice. “But if there is any occasion where the staff might get together, you’d be invited – no, expected – to attend.”
It was an improvement, but not everything I wanted. “Will there be other girls fawning over you on these occasions?”
He swept the back of his fingers across my cheek in a tender gesture. “Only girl fawning over me will be you.”
It was the right thing to say, and made me feel all mushy and swoony inside. Naturally, I had to play it cool. “Oh, so you expect me to fawn?”
“No. I don’t expect that,” he said. “But you’re certainly invited.”
At the airport, we met up with Anatolios, a second bodyguard I hadn’t met, and the men who’d been Reeve’s guests the night before. He presented me as his girlfriend, which was surprising and endearing. Brent, I learned, was the ranch manager and Reeve’s right-hand man. He’d been the one wearing cowboy boots. The two dart players were Charlie, who oversaw the cattle, and Parker, who ran the stable.
After introductions were made, Reeve’s attention went fully to his men and I became ornamental, hanging on his arm while we walked through the terminal and boarded his private jet. Anatolios and his assistant took a seat in the cabin nearest the pilots while Reeve and his men sat around the table in the next cabin. Ginger, the buxom blond stewardess – Reeve definitely had a “type” – greeted me and escorted me to a seat near the men.
Though I had no reason to be jealous of Ginger, I was pleased when Reeve gave his attention to her only long enough to order a drink. Then he went back to talking to his ranch hands. I did find myself wondering if he’d ever slept with her. Found myself studying her curiously, looking for any sign that she might know him on a more familiar level.
Then, when I’d found none and she’d continued to be nothing but gracious to me, I wondered how many women she’d attended to on these flights while Reeve was preoccupied with business. Had she known Amber? Had Amber befriended her or ignored her?
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