Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8)

by Nicole Edwards

  As I’d hoped, Braelyn seemed in no hurry to leave once she’d sated her hunger.

  “This is stunning,” she said, staring out at the water and the moonlight bouncing over it. “Why don’t we do this more often?”

  “Perhaps we should.”

  “Definitely. Please tell me we don’t have to go in yet.”

  “Not for a while,” I said, standing and holding out my hand. “Care to go for a stroll?”

  She smiled up at me, placing her hand in mine. As we headed away, I snapped my fingers, signaling my possessions to move on to the next part of the evening.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” she said as we ventured farther from the house.

  “What’s that?”

  “Have you heard anything from Trent?”

  I’d been waiting for her to ask me that, surprised it had taken her this long. It’d been two weeks since I’d last spoken to Trent. At the time, he’d told me I had to be patient. And though I continued to check in with Ransom, he’d heard nothing, either.

  “I have not.”

  She sighed. “Would it matter if we did? I mean, what do I care?” She chuckled. “I’m pretty content just as things are.”

  “Are you?”

  Her brow furrowed when she looked up at me. “Of course. Did you think otherwise?”

  “I was merely hoping,” I admitted.

  Although I’d put off one trip to the States because I didn’t want to leave Braelyn, I knew I couldn’t do it indefinitely. I had things that required my presence, and at some point, I’d have to make a decision as to whether or not she would go with me under an assumed name or she would remain here. I just wasn’t ready to be apart from her. Not sure I ever would be.

  When we’d gone far enough, I turned us back around, slipping closer to the water so the waves gently lapped at our feet.

  “Before coming here, I’d never been to the beach,” she said. “In fact, I’d never left Illinois. I think Ransom always worried our parents would find us if we didn’t keep our heads down at all times.”

  “You feel like you missed out on a lot?”

  Braelyn tucked her arm in mine, moved closer. “I don’t, actually. I’ve had a good life. Spent more of it looking over my shoulder than I would’ve liked, but considering the alternative…” I felt her eyes on me. “What about you? Do you travel the world a lot?”

  “I have, sure.” I squeezed her hand. “And I hope to again. With you.”

  “Do you believe in fate?”

  I grinned, watching ahead of us as we neared the house again. “Not until you.”

  I felt her arm tighten. “Me, either,” she said softly.

  We were silent for a few minutes as we got closer to the house.

  “What are they doing?” she asked when we were near enough to see the possessions had set up one of the cabanas, brought out one of the double-wide chaise beds.

  “I wasn’t ready for the night to be over,” I confessed. “Wanted more time with you out here.”

  There was such pleasure in her eyes it warmed my heart, stirred up the feelings I felt whenever I was with her.

  “Care to join me?”

  “I’ll follow you anywhere, Talon.”

  And that … I was fairly certain my heart might’ve actually missed a beat that time.

  *

  Braelyn

  Dinner had been a pleasant surprise, but this…

  When we returned to the house, it was to find one of the cabanas had been set up, this one with heavy, gauzy curtains that were pulled back. The torches remained, positioned far enough away to make an intimate setting. But it was the rose petals that were strewn along the sand and across the blankets that were laid out on an enormous thick-cushioned chaise that looked as though it would serve as a bed.

  Taurus stepped forward, holding out a glass of champagne, which I took, thanking him with a smile. He then offered one to Talon before moving out of the way.

  I followed Talon, my feet sinking in the sand as we stepped into the cabana, then reclined on the layers of pillows on the bed. I was careful to brush off my feet, not wanting sand to get into interesting places.

  “Why’d you do this?” I asked, curious.

  “Because I want to spoil you.”

  I stared at the smooth lines of his face. He was perfect in so many ways. I knew that sounded corny, but it was how I felt. I might’ve been naive in many ways, but I was smart enough to know he had plenty of flaws. Didn’t change how I viewed him. With every minute I’d spent with him over the course of the month, I’d learned so much about him. Not everything was expected, but it was now understood. Not many would approve of Talon’s lifestyle, his proclivities, but I accepted them because they were what made him who he was.

  A man to be respected.

  A man to be revered.

  A man to be loved.

  I opened my mouth to tell him as much but swallowed the words. I wasn’t sure Talon was a man who wanted to know he was loved. He held himself apart from everyone, created his own world that revolved around him, but still managed to be separate. I was scared to say something that might push him away.

  Talon’s hand lifted, his thumb brushing over my cheek. The torch light bounced off his copper skin, and I got lost for a minute, my heart swelling until I thought it would break right through my sternum.

  “I love you, Braelyn.”

  I lost all feeling in my limbs. Absolute pleasure consumed me, making me numb to everything except for the warmth that filled me.

  “It might seem too soon to say,” he continued, clearly not realizing I was dizzy from happiness.

  “No,” I said in a hoarse whisper. “Not…” I shook my head.

  He took my glass, set it aside with his. “I’m sorry, Braelyn. I didn’t—”

  I shut him up by plastering my mouth to his then crawling over him.

  “I love you, too,” I mouthed against his lips.

  I felt the shift in him, the way his arms tightened around me as though he’d needed to hear it. For the first time in my life, I felt completely whole. As though my heart had only been formed halfway and now it was complete.

  “I’ve loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you,” he whispered, rolling so that I was on my back, his enormous body hovering over me.

  I touched his face, felt the tears forming. “Happy tears,” I explained.

  He smiled and it was like sunshine in my veins.

  “Let me love you, Braelyn.”

  I would never tire of him saying such lovely words. Certainly never tire of the way he caressed me as though I was the most important thing in the world. It didn’t take long before the few clothes we had on were discarded, tossed aside so heat could meld with heat.

  Skin to skin, heart to heart, I held on to Talon when he filled me, not only with his body but with his love. It was everything I’d ever imagined the fairy tale to be and more. So much better, actually. Nothing in my life had ever felt as good as this man’s love for me. I didn’t question it, because Talon was a man of action. He didn’t talk to hear himself talk. When he spoke, it had meaning.

  His hand brushed stray tendrils of hair back from my face as he leaned over me, his eyes locked with mine as he rocked his hips.

  “Sweet girl,” he whispered as he made love to me in the most exquisite way. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, more than I deserve.”

  I cupped his face, let the sensations overwhelm me.

  “Come for me, baby. Let me feel you.”

  That was all it took, his sweetly spoken words—a request this time, not a command—sending me spiraling, my body clenching around his as I came, the electric sparks shooting out through my extremities.

  I wasn’t sure another orgasm could ever compare to that whole-body experience, but I wouldn’t mind if we spent the rest of our lives trying to achieve the impossible.

  FORTY-FOUR

  One month later

  Friday, February 26, 2021
/>   TALON

  February brought with it a lot of organization and some significant improvements within Owned, Incorporated thanks to my new employees.

  It was almost as though they’d taken over, which, in a surprising twist, did not bother me in the least.

  Of course, with every responsibility that was taken off my plate, I would replace it with another. After all, onward and upward were the only directions I was programmed with. Seemed Ransom and Braelyn were much the same in that regard.

  “This is the new library,” Ransom presented to the group following close behind him, of which I was a part of.

  Braelyn and Ransom, along with a horde of people they’d wrangled to help out, had been hard at work for the past month. Extremely long days had been spent installing and updating, remodeling and redecorating. They’d even opted to bypass the suggested Owners’ Retreat when a brilliant idea had come to Braelyn. Because I would give her the moon and stars, I had indulged her, giving her and Ransom carte blanche to do as they pleased. Helped that I trusted them to keep me in the loop, which they had at every step.

  It had been Braelyn’s idea to bring Memphis and Tiegan back to the island, along with one of their assistants and another member of their team, to take a grand tour of the almost finished resort, which had even earned a new name. The objective was to give them an idea, as well as get their input, on the improvements thus far and a few that were still pending. What had once been structured with a business feel in mind had received a kinky overhaul.

  Again, Braelyn’s idea.

  “Wow,” Tiegan said when she stepped inside the newly designed library.

  I watched her, wondering if she was gearing up to shoot them down. Although Memphis had informed me they’d settled their differences and were actually smoothing things out rather nicely, I never knew with Tiegan. We had yet to talk since I reassigned her, and I knew she still held me responsible. I couldn’t really blame her.

  “This is nice, Ransom,” she said approvingly.

  And by nice, I assumed she meant lascivious, perhaps even salacious, because nice wasn’t even close.

  The space had doubled, now close to two thousand square feet with forty-foot-tall ceilings. The lighting came from the two chandeliers—both fifteen feet in diameter—hanging on each end of the room.

  The only things that technically made this a library were the books contained within. Even the shelves holding them had changed. Gone was the traditional dark wood. That had been replaced by white, weathered brick, which now lined all four walls from floor to ceiling. Mounted to the brick walls were two-inch-thick, stainless-steel-wrapped shelves, which supported the books throughout. Because they were different lengths and mounted at various heights, there was no uniformity to the shelves, or to much of anything else, for that matter. The ductwork and pipes overhead had been exposed to raise the ceiling as well as add to the industrial feel Braelyn had been going for.

  The floor was an artistic element that I found interesting. Gone was the hardwood, revealing the newly etched concrete, which sported a gray stain topped with a shiny gloss. Thick, plush black rugs were spaced throughout, all big enough to hold two or more people. Atop them were a plethora of silver and white satin pillows, I assumed for comfort.

  Along two of the walls were four futons with black-leather-encased cushions, which provided seating as well as play space. Or so I’d been told. Another wall held three enormous mirrors with antique silver frames, which basically offered a view of the entire room in the event you weren’t looking at it straight on.

  “The question I have is, will there be a librarian?” Memphis teased.

  “Actually…” Gideon walked to the door, crooked his finger.

  A female possession wearing knee-high black boots, a short, pleated plaid skirt, a thin red tie that hung between her bare breasts, as well as signature reading glasses and her hair pinned up in a bun walked in.

  “What happens if you do not have enough female possessions to use?” Memphis asked.

  A good question, considering the lack of females had always been one of our issues.

  Ransom was the one to answer. “She’s actually an employed possession.” He glanced at Braelyn. “My sister’s idea.”

  “Employed?” Tiegan looked intrigued.

  “The objective is to offer options to potential possessions,” Ransom continued, “including belonging to the resort, rather than being available for acquisition by an Owner.”

  “Employment opportunities?” Memphis asked, peering over at me.

  “Correct.” I’d been on the fence about this, but Braelyn had convinced me with a rather compelling argument. Based on our initial testing at one facility, we were finding that it allowed for laxer requirements for potential possessions since we did not have to enforce the “no limits” rule. By employing the possession, we could outline responsibilities and acquire based on interests and desires.

  “Does she speak?” Tiegan asked.

  “Yes, Mistress, I do,” she answered easily.

  “Do you have a name?” Memphis addressed her.

  “No, Master. You may call me whatever you’d like.”

  His eyebrow rose and I could see he wasn’t sure what to make of it. I would admit, it would take some time to work out the kinks, but I had a feeling the additional amenities would prove positive for our image.

  “I’m curious to know how you managed to redesign and still make this feel like a library,” Tiegan noted, smiling over at Ransom. “Because, yes, it certainly has a BDSM feel to it now, but the library is still the main factor. I don’t feel like I’m in a dungeon. Just a comfortable space to relax and read, maybe indulge a little.”

  “This was all my sister’s doing,” Ransom admitted, giving credit where credit was due.

  “I’m very impressed,” Tiegan told her. “You’ve given the room a unique theme. I can see this being a major attraction.”

  At my side, Braelyn smiled.

  Tiegan wasn’t wrong. We’d already sent out some feelers to those who’d visited, providing pictures of the updates, and the responses tended to come with requests to come back.

  Tiegan turned to Braelyn. “Please, show me more.”

  Next up was the theater, which was a new addition, sectioned out of what had been the enormous ballroom.

  The main focus, of course, was the projection screen—forty feet wide and twenty-two feet tall—fixed to one wall. The seating consisted of one row of fully equipped recliners, eight in total, sectioned in fours. Behind them were two rows of sofas, three on each row. Each sofa, with deep cushions and matching ottomans, sat six comfortably, but I suspected they’d be used by fewer people in more positions.

  All the furniture in here was red leather. The floors were concrete, which had been stained matte black, to resist reflection. The walls had thick, black-velvet curtains from floor to ceiling. Simple, functional.

  And yes, a nice entertaining option for guests.

  From there, Ransom led the way to the newly added bar on the main floor.

  “This is nice,” Tiegan noted. “I think it’s good to have a place for everyone to congregate. Unique yet elegant.”

  It was that. While I conceded to the addition, I’d handled the design, wanting to keep it simple and in line with the theme of the island. It took up less space than the library or the theater, but it opened to the outdoors, something Braelyn was hoping to promote more of, as well.

  “We’ll let you see one of the newly designed guest rooms,” Ransom told them as he led the way to the elevator. “We’re also turning the community dining space into a more restaurant-style dining room. Adding some ambiance, and we’ll be utilizing resort-owned possessions as waiters and waitresses. The ballroom is no longer, as it’s been divided into separate smaller spaces, including a billiards room and a simulated golf course.”

  “Catering to men, I see,” Tiegan stated.

  “For the women,” Ransom continued, “the spa is almost finished, an
d we’ll have five resort-owned possessions working it.”

  “Happy endings all around,” Memphis announced.

  “Another thing we’ve modified is our availability,” Braelyn said when she stopped at the first room we came to. “We’re in the process of building a few more structures to house the possessions in residence, so we can utilize the current rooms for guests. We’ve decided to offer room stays for Owners who have their own possession already.”

  “Repeat business,” I explained.

  “It’s kind of brilliant,” Memphis said.

  Yes. Yes, it was.

  Again, all Braelyn’s idea, supported fully by her brother.

  Tiegan’s gaze shot to mine. “Interesting.”

  Interesting didn’t begin to describe it.

  *

  Braelyn

  “This room has been designed for those guests in mind,” I said as I opened the door. “The ones who’ve already acquired a possession and are looking to vacation with like-minded people.”

  Tiegan led the way, Memphis behind her.

  I remained back with Talon, watching his expression as much as the others. I’d been preparing for this day, looking forward to showing off the improvements we’d made. I’d even dressed for the occasion, wearing a beautiful sundress, one of many Talon had gifted me with lately. This one was a vibrant orange-red with an elastic band at the waist and a short, flirty skirt. It complimented Talon’s suit nicely, more so because he’d ditched the jacket and rolled up his sleeves before leaving the office.

  “Not sure what’s different about this, except it seems almost too traditional,” Tiegan said, walking into the living room and turning to encompass the space.

  “That’s the point,” I explained, keying in a few things on the electronic panel.

  A second later, a variety of transitions occurred.

  The bright, elegant space remained mostly the same, save for some kinky additions. Still a nice room to relax in, but now it was multi-functional.

  Talon had taken all our suggestions in stride and, surprisingly, had approved more than I’d expected him to. And yes, I’d spent more time presenting ideas in the past month than I ever had before. Turned out I was good at that, too.