Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8)

by Nicole Edwards

  The conversation halted and I heard the soft swish of fabric as Jasper neared the bed.

  “How’re you feeling?”

  I didn’t bother opening my eyes, not wanting to catch another glimpse of the too-handsome-for-words doctor who’d somehow ended up in my orbit once again.

  “Perfect.”

  Of course, the small grunt that escaped when I shifted belied my response.

  Oh, well.

  I emitted another grunt—although this one was more of a growl—when Jasper’s fingers pried open my eyelids, one at a time as a pen light pierced my retinas.

  I was tempted to swat him away, but I’d learned my lesson with that earlier. When I’d tried, the good doctor had proven he wasn’t nearly as submissive as I’d once believed him to be, easily holding me down so he could perform his torturous look into my eye sockets.

  “I’m good,” I mumbled, turning my head to dislodge his hand.

  The move made my head throb behind my right eye. At least it was now a dull pain, rather than the obliterating headache I’d had before the painkiller had kicked in.

  “How’s my sister, Doc?”

  Jasper’s voice sounded distant as he moved across the room. “Well. She’s resting right now. I doctored her feet—nothing serious,” he added quickly when I pierced him with a glare. “Her ten-mile trek in only socks caused some minor abrasions. The worst one’ll likely be healed in a day or two. Nothing to worry about, but I’ll keep an eye on her, too.”

  I closed my eyes again. “How long until we land?”

  “Not much longer.”

  “Not much of an answer,” I countered.

  Jasper sighed. “A few hours. You should sleep.”

  “So should you.”

  “I’ll nap when we get there,” he said easily. “I’ll have Cody keep an eye on you so I can.”

  Why it bothered me that he mentioned another man’s name so casually, I didn’t know, but it had me blurting out, “Who’s Cody? Your Dom?”

  A small laugh sounded, and I could tell Jasper had moved to the other side of the room, probably sitting in the oversized, cushioned chair.

  “What if he is?” Jasper retorted.

  “That means he’s not.” It might’ve been nine years since I’d seen this man, but I knew how he operated.

  Another sigh. “He’s the on-staff therapist.”

  “Mental or physical?”

  “Physical.”

  I smiled to myself. “Didn’t think Talon would let a head shrinker into the compound. Could you imagine? They’d have a field day.”

  Jasper didn’t respond, but I could practically hear his smile, so I opened my eyes and peered over at him. His hands were clutching the armrests as though he was trying to keep himself in the chair. His eyes were on me, and when they met mine, I could see something in them. Pain, maybe? Mixed with a little bit of heat.

  “How long’ve you worked for Talon?”

  “Four years.”

  “You live on the island?”

  “I do. Travel with him on occasion when he goes to the States.”

  “Who watches over things when you’re gone?”

  “My nurse.”

  “Male or female?”

  “What kind of question is that?”

  I narrowed my eyes on his face. “A logical one.”

  “Her name’s Jayda.”

  “She as pretty as her name?”

  This time Jasper was the one whose eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t know.”

  A mirthless laugh escaped me. “Something’s changed in the past decade then.”

  “Nothing’s changed,” Jasper argued, his voice low. “You were just too damn stubborn back then to realize it.”

  If he said so. The last thing I wanted to argue about was whether or not my former submissive liked to mix it up with the ladies. I’d always thought Jasper was gay until right at the end, when I learned he had a penchant for a particular Dominatrix who liked to wear black leather and carry a whip.

  “So you gave up on—”

  “Don’t,” Jasper bit out, his voice a sharp echo in the small space. “Don’t go there, Ransom.”

  I stared back at him, unable to recognize the expression on his face. It looked like something you’d see on a person who’d been tortured for a long time.

  I didn’t say a word. Couldn’t. But I wanted to. Deep down, there was still that part of me that wanted to wrap this man up and protect him with every ounce of my being. But I’d learned the hard way that the feeling wasn’t mutual. Jasper had never needed me the way I’d needed him.

  Which was for the best. I’d learned a lot in the years since we parted ways.

  Enough to know my heart played absolutely no part in my extracurricular activities.

  “I think I’ll sleep now,” I said, forcing my eyes closed.

  “You do that. I’ll wake you when we start our descent.”

  TWELVE

  TALON

  As soon as the plane landed on Sapphire island, I instructed Tiegan to get Braelyn settled in one of the guest rooms in the main residence, surprising my assistant with my command. Since that was something I’d never done for anyone, I knew Tiegan was curious as to my motivation. Thankfully, she worked for me, therefore she couldn’t question my actions. If she had, I wasn’t sure I would’ve been able to give her a reason other than I wanted to keep Braelyn close and, at the same time, wasn’t sure I trusted myself around her at the moment. It was imperative that I remove the temptation, knowing that too much time in her company and I’d go with my instinct and likely end up doing something that wouldn’t benefit either of us.

  As it was, I’d had to constantly battle the urge to go to her, to crawl into that big bed and get intimately acquainted with her long, lithe body. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d felt that sort of aching need, but it was growing stronger by the minute. Fortunately for both of us, I had a will of steel and managed to avoid engaging her in something she wasn’t ready for. No reason to take unnecessary risks, right?

  Hence the need for some space.

  Not to mention, Braelyn had been through a lot for one day. The last thing she needed was to deal with me and this unsettled feeling I was now battling. Taking things slow had never been my strong suit, but I would make the effort. For Braelyn.

  So I was the first to exit the plane, taking Auberon and Rolphe with me in one of the Range Rovers and heading directly to the house while the others took care of the rest.

  Now, standing on the private veranda overlooking the four-acre courtyard, which was the main hub of activity on my vast estate, providing both entertainment as well as a means to get from one building to another, I couldn’t help but wonder what Braelyn was doing now. A few minutes ago, I had messaged Tiegan for an update, knowing she had purposely ignored me for the past couple of hours simply because she knew it would irk me.

  A short time later, the click of her heels on the slate tile announced Tiegan’s arrival.

  Drink in hand, I glanced over when she stopped at the railing to stand beside me. “Is she settled?”

  There was a knowing smile on Tiegan’s full lips. “She is.” Her gaze swung to the lush gardens and swimming pools below. “She’s exhausted and rightfully so. If I had to guess, she’ll sleep through the day.”

  One could only hope. She certainly needed it.

  Because we had flown all night, the sun was still low in the sky, but much of the estate had woken for the day. I had plans to do the opposite, fully intending to indulge in a few hours of sleep before I got back to the grindstone. I hadn’t slept a wink on the flight, and it was catching up to me.

  “I did remind her about the job,” Tiegan noted.

  “Did she laugh in your face?”

  Tiegan grinned. “She’s got spine, that girl. Accused me of lying in an effort to get her here.”

  “And you told her…?”

  “That my actions were out of necessity. But I reiterated that the job opportunity wa
s real if she was inclined to entertain it.” Tiegan glanced over at me, leaning a hip on the rail and crossing her arms over her chest. “Which got me thinking … have you considered she could be your executive assistant?”

  Always playing an angle, this one.

  “I have not, no.”

  “It’s a thought. You know, having a backup ready for when you decide to promote me.”

  Tiegan didn’t know it yet, but her promotion was coming faster than she realized. She’d been vying for one specific job for the past six months, and because I had something else in mind for her, I had yet to give her the news. Although it wasn’t what she was hoping for, I knew she was better suited for it. Plus, it went with another plan I had in the works.

  Tiegan peered out at the courtyard, her attention on one of the possessions pushing a rolling cart loaded down with laundry. “You tell her about this place yet?”

  “I have not, no. All—”

  “In due time,” Tiegan interrupted, eyes narrowing. “Yes, I know. Braelyn’s intuitive. It won’t take long for her to figure it out.”

  I knew that to be true, as well. Considering her brother was an active part of the BDSM community, and it appeared the siblings talked quite a bit, I got the feeling Braelyn had a decent understanding of the lifestyle. Not my lifestyle, per se, but overall.

  “You think she’s still interested in a position here?” I asked, watching as another one of the possessions, this one pushing a food cart, stepped out of the Owners’ Retreat across the way.

  “Define position,” she teased. “Are we talking about a position under you?”

  I rolled my eyes, ignoring her. Tiegan was always attempting to rile me up.

  She chuckled softly. “I think she’ll come around. Like I said, she’s got backbone. If I had to guess, she can handle what she finds here. It just might take her a little time to adjust.”

  “And Ransom?” I took a long swallow of brandy. “Where’s he?”

  Tiegan seemed to relax at the change of subject. “Jasper insisted on keeping him close for the day. Something about a concussion. I assume he’s in the clinic. I’ll have a room prepared for him.”

  “No. Set him up in one of the villas. He’ll need his own place.”

  “You expect they’ll be here a while?”

  “I do.”

  “Is it still your intention to have him assume the responsibility of overseeing the possessions in training?”

  “I don’t know what my intentions are, honestly. I’ll need to spend some time with him.”

  Like Braelyn, I suspected Ransom was going to be shocked once he learned what went on here. However, if they were as open-minded as they appeared to be, I got the feeling they would find exactly what they were looking for, if and when they accepted it.

  Tiegan laughed softly. “Personally, I look forward to seeing how this all plays out.”

  I had nothing to say to that. My assistant was good at baiting people, but her charms never worked on me. I think she appreciated that about our relationship.

  “Instruct the staff they’re to treat Ransom as they do upper-level management.”

  “And Braelyn?”

  I regarded her momentarily. “They’re to treat her the same as they do me.”

  I could see the surprise in Tiegan’s glittering green eyes, so I looked away, adding, “I expect them to cater to her every whim.”

  “Are you—”

  Before she could say something I did not like, I held up a hand. “Leave it be, Tiegan. Braelyn is not your business.”

  There was a hint of hesitation in her voice when she said, “Of course.”

  Standing tall, I knocked back the rest of my drink. “I’ll be retiring for a few hours. Zion’s in charge.”

  Without a word, Tiegan took it as the dismissal it was and left me alone with my thoughts once again.

  I remained outside, the soft breeze gliding past, the warm air blowing across the courtyard, making the palm trees sway, the sky brightening slowly. It wasn’t long before I saw two male possessions—both acquired by Owned, Incorporated sometime in the past three months since they were currently naked—moving promptly across the manicured lawn on their way to the pool house, their daily chores well underway. It took time and effort to maintain the one hundred twenty thousand square feet of resort and residence that sat stoically in the center of fifteen thousand acres of prime real estate referred to as Sapphire Island, a private island in the Caribbean. This was where I had built my empire and where I housed those who had amassed a portion of my fortune.

  Only a select few knew where I laid my head at night. I kept certain details about myself private for a reason. Many details, actually. Like the fact there were roughly three dozen human possessions here at any given time, all working diligently to keep this estate running smoothly while they got the training necessary to go on and cater to someone else’s needs. They were in training via the program instituted by my company. In fact, they were the very heartbeat of my business, the reason Owned, Incorporated existed.

  That didn’t include the seven who were owned by me.

  Speaking of…

  I lifted my hand, crooked my index finger twice.

  Rolphe appeared instantly at my side.

  “Make me another drink, then I want you and Auberon to get some sleep. Send Taurus, Corvin, and Ari to my quarters. The others can continue with their duties,” I said, not bothering to look his way.

  It only took a moment before Rolphe was handing over my brandy, then strolling off to do my bidding.

  Giving the others a few minutes to make it to my room, I took a sip, letting the warm breeze blow off some of the stress from the night.

  There was no denying it. I loved it here, on the island. It was the only place I cared to be. Unfortunately, it wasn’t always an option. I spent my fair share of time traveling because it was required when operating multibillion-dollar businesses—of which I had two. Likely the reason I didn’t take for granted what I’d built here.

  As I stared out into the dawn, I let my thoughts drift for a moment. There were three possessions currently awaiting me in my bedroom. All three would be eager to do exactly as I directed, taking care of me in every way imaginable. For the first time, I wondered what someone else might think of my indulgences. Would Braelyn even understand why I took them as my own? Why I used them for my pleasure?

  It wouldn’t matter, I told myself. She could like it or not. It wouldn’t change a thing. I needed them the way they needed me, and right now, I needed three of them to entertain me so that sleep could come.

  As always, just thinking about indulging caused my body to harden, my lust igniting as a plethora of ideas came to mind. That was one thing my possessions never had to worry about. Our encounters were never dull.

  I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if Braelyn were to join us. Would she enjoy being pleasured by men who weren’t me? More than one at a time? Or would she find it degrading to know that I had a penchant for watching, for overseeing erotic encounters and the pleasure it brought those who engaged? I witnessed it almost daily by forcing their interactions. Granted, force didn’t quite seem the right word. I instructed; they obeyed. It was relatively simple.

  How would I feel, I wondered. I’d never had a female interrupt our delicate balance. Not once in all the time I’d owned them had I brought a woman—submissive or otherwise—in. I did not share them outside of what I considered mine.

  I let my imagination run free for a moment, envisioning Auberon or Ari with Braelyn, touching her, tasting her… My cock thickened rapidly.

  Yes, I could see how she’d be the exception.

  With drink in hand, I made my way to my bedroom via the veranda that lined the interior of the compound, circling the courtyard. As I pulled open the sliding door to my room, heat began to churn in my veins as my cock pressed against the zipper of my jeans. My focus began to narrow, my goal to sate this overwhelming urge by using those who saw to
my pleasure.

  There before me were three of the most impressive men I’d ever seen in my life. All handpicked by me, specifically for me.

  “Taurus, Corvin, I want to watch,” I informed them.

  Corvin’s emerald-green eyes glittered with anticipation. It was nothing less than what I always expected from him. Like his identical twin, Bram—another of my possessions—he was always primed and ready to go.

  I spared a quick glance in their direction as I moved to the opposite side of the room, opening the doors to the balcony jutting out over the beach. It wasn’t so much a balcony as it was an outdoor living space—a little more than fifteen hundred square feet—that overlooked the ocean, a space I utilized quite frequently for these interactions. Very rarely did my possessions get into my bed. On occasion, sure, depending on my mood. But most of the time, I tended to gravitate to more public places. Perhaps not by design, simply by necessity. My interactions with them were frequent, and rarely did I give thought to who might happen upon us while I indulged.

  I pointed toward the oversized cushioned ottoman that would work nicely for the two of them.

  Neither of them hesitated after that. They came together in a well-choreographed dance that started off slowly. It took only a few minutes and the shedding of clothing before it turned into something much more intimate. It was at this point when I found myself giving them more of my attention, watching as hands and mouths explored, bodies began moving together.

  I always found it interesting to watch them. All of them. Any of them. They complemented one another nicely, light and dark, moving together as only men who appreciated one another could. Corvin, with his midnight-black hair, his penetrating green eyes, and his alabaster skin, was a nice contrast to Taurus’s light hair, light eyes, and sun-bronzed skin. They were roughly the same height, their builds very similar, but it was the grace with which they moved together that turned me on the most.

  Neither man was an alpha, meaning neither felt the need to dominate the other. I was the only one who would dominate them, and I did so whenever the mood struck me. No, their explorations were simply for the sake of pleasure, no worry about who would give or who would take. Because of this, they’d found pleasure in one another many times over the years. Every so often, one would guide a hand, shift to accommodate grazing lips. Touching, tasting, teasing in an effort to balance the scales, to ensure I approved.