by Britney King
The girl looked at her as though she’d grown two heads. “Will do.”
Addie met Carl at the SUV waiting just outside the lobby at eleven o’clock. When it took off in a different direction, Addie eyed Carl in the rearview mirror. He seemed to know what she was going to ask. “Mr. Hartman says to tell you you’re in for a change of scenery today, Mrs. Greyer.”
Addie frowned. Oh he did, did he?
They arrived at the W Hotel via a private entrance and entered a private elevator that delivered Addie to the penthouse suite where William was waiting dressed in his usual Armani suit.
Addie looked around the place and then finally at William. “What is this?”
“It’s the penthouse, baby.”
Addie walked over to him and stood inches from his face. “Yeah, I can see that. Why am I here?”
William ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, stopping at her wrists. Chills ran through her as he squeezed hard, cutting off the blood flow. “Like I said . . . I’m done playing nice. My guess is that you want to be treated like the others.”
Addie flung her wrists down fast, surprising William and causing him to release her. “The others?”
“Yeah, the women I bring here. To fuck.” William snapped, scowling.
Addie shot him a look that could kill. “Wow, William, you’re a fucking genius. And since you’ve got me all figured out, which way to the bed? Let’s go!”
William stepped towards her and pushed her back to the wall, his hard body subduing her, holding her in place. He ran his hands over her body, slipping his fingers underneath her dress. “Who needs a bed? “William glared.
The next twenty minutes contained the most intense sex of Addie’s life. William punished her in ways she hadn’t known possible, taking her to the edge and bringing her back, again and again. In turn, she clawed and bit, and scratched him until they were both exhausted, depleted.
William stood, walked away, came back with a glass of water, and shoved it in Addie’s direction. “Drink.”
Addie sat up and sipped the water. “That was . . . incredible.”
William lifted her wrist, inspecting the red marks. Frowning, he rubbed his fingers in circles over them, bringing them to his lips and gently kissing each one. “Oh yeah.” William smiled wryly. “So this is what it takes?”
Addie cocked her head to the side and rubbed her chin. Keep it light. “Yeah. Maybe.”
He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’ve missed you, Addison.”
“I’m sorry, William. But I have a family and I’ve been busy. Things are crazy at work and the boys keep me on my toes all day long.”
William couldn’t help but notice the way her face lit up when she talked about her children.
“I want to meet them.” William said, lowering his voice, searching her eyes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Is it ever going to be a good idea?”
“I . . . um . . . I don’t know.” Addie replied flatly.
“You know what I think, Addison? I think you have no intention of taking things any further than they are right now. That’s why I brought you here. That’s why I fucked you the way I just did. Because if this is the way you want it, then you need to just say so. But first, you should know that I love you. I want to be with you. I want more. I want to take care of you. You just have to let me.”
A thousand thoughts ran through her head; she couldn’t keep up. He wants more? More than this? What would happen if she let her guard down? If she allowed herself to feel something towards him? In that moment, it was all too much. So Addison did the only thing she knew to do to protect herself. She shrugged her shoulders, kept a straight face and lied. “This is the way I want it.”
Later that evening, Addie arrived home exhausted. She had agreed to a late session with Sondra and a client in a few hours but wanted to see the boys and shower first. Addie froze as she shut the door behind her. Patrick was sitting on the couch as though he’d never left. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’re late.”
Her stomach sank. “What are you doing home?” Addie strained her neck towards the kitchen. “Where are the boys?”
Patrick stood and walked over to her. Addie stepped back instinctively.
“Well, nice to see you, too.” Patrick said, leaning in for a kiss.
“I’m sorry. But why don’t you start by telling me what’s going on?” Addie hissed, turning her cheek.
He grabbed her as she tried to move away and pulled her close, his breath hot on her neck. “I guess I could ask you the same.”
Addie pushed against his chest. Hard. “Where are the kids, Patrick?”
He put his hands up in surrender. “Relax. They’re with my mom. She picked me up at the airport and wanted to give us some time.”
Addie eyed him skeptically. “Time for what?”
Patrick sat back down on the sofa and kicked his feet up. “I don’t know. Time to get reacquainted.”
“What are you doing home?” Addie rubbed her temples.
“My mother called, and you haven’t been answering my calls recently. I needed to see that you’re ok.” Patrick leaned back, folding his hands behind his head, taking her in. “And my God, Addie, are you ever ok. You’re fucking amazing. So tell me what in the hell have you been up to? Because whatever it is, it sure looks good on you.”
Addie didn’t miss a beat. “I finally wised up and hired a trainer and a chef. You know—job perks,” she added, served up with a go-fuck-yourself smile.
Fourteen
With Patrick home, Addie was going crazy trying to manage the web of lies that she had spun. She had to be extra careful, knowing that her mother-in-law thought something was up and called Patrick home. Patrick didn’t exactly say as much, only that he missed her and the kids and wanted a break. But she knew better. Penny Greyer loved to stir up shit, especially where Addie was concerned.
Sondra had been furious when Addie had to cancel on her the other night, but after seeing that Addie still intended to see the deal through, Sondra relented and together they concocted a plan. Addie’s assistant would arrive each morning and go over her schedule with her, making sure that Patrick was within earshot. She and Sondra would then have a conference call to discuss the day’s events, again within earshot of her husband. As horrible as Addie felt about deceiving Patrick this way, she knew it was only short term and that they’d be better for it in the end. So far, so good. Her plan seemed to be working.
Of course, it helped that she and Patrick had rekindled things, calling an unspoken truce. He couldn’t keep his hands off of her, and Addie found herself enjoying having him home, especially given how happy the boys were.
But all of the lying and the covering up meant that she had absolutely no energy or attention to give William or his emails. She’d texted him, letting him know that Patrick was home, and he’d responded with an email which Addie couldn’t bring herself to open. After their last exchange at The W, she felt that something had broken, and she wasn’t sure how to put it back together. Worse yet, she wasn’t sure whether or not it was even possible to do so.
On the fourth day, Addie found William in her office, sitting at her desk. She wasn’t all that surprised to see him sitting there. It took a moment for him to look up, and Addie was confused, certain he’d heard her, until she noticed what he was holding: her family photo.
Addie watched the way he studied it as she made her way over to the desk and perched herself on the side of it. She stared at William intently but said nothing.
William cleared his throat. “I’ve never walked away from anything before. If I wanted it, that is. But I’m willing to do it . . . for you.”
He placed the picture back in its place and held his gaze on it. “I’m willing to do it for them.”
Addie reached for his hand and curled his fingers in hers. “I’m sorry, William. It’s just that the timing for us is all sorts of wrong.”
His voice deepened. “Don’t bullshit me, Addison. That’s the one thing I ask. Give it to me straight. I’ve played this game myself, too many times to count, so I know it when I see it. Don’t toy with me.”
Addie’s hand recoiled. “I’m not toying with you, and I’m not sure what it is exactly that you’re asking, but I’m pretty sure it’s more than I can give.”
“I’m asking for you to give me a shot. Give us a shot. Do you have any idea how great we could be together?”
“William, you don’t even know what you’re asking. I’m married with three children! You have no idea what that’s like. We live completely different lives. Meeting up and having incredible, carefree sex doesn’t make a relationship.”
William looked her dead in the eye. “I never implied that it did.”
“Then what exactly are you implying?” She lifted her chin and placed her hands on her hips.
“I’m asking you to make a decision. Do you want to give this a shot or not? If you do, then great—give me your stipulations and I’ll give you mine. If you don’t, then fine, but let me know and we’ll end all of this incredible, carefree sex we’ve been having.”
Addie wanted to go to him and hold him. She wanted to ease the pain she saw written all over his face, but she couldn’t let herself. In the end, they would both wind up hurt. No matter how badly she wanted to utter the words and instantly make it all better, she wouldn’t. She thought of the boys and of Patrick and decided what she’d say. There were too many lives at stake here, too many people who’d get caught in the crossfire. Too many secrets to keep. So she mouthed the words that she knew would bring him to his knees and end it all. “I love my husband, William. I’m sorry.”
William visibly flinched. He stood for a second, staring out the window before quietly walking toward the door. When he got to the doorway, he paused, stood up a little straighter, and smiled. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you around, kid.”
It took everything in Addie’s power not to go to him, not to tell him the truth. That he’d made her happier in these past few weeks that she’d ever been. But she didn’t. Instead she just smiled and watched as he turned and walked away.
Fuck Addison Greyer. He’d show her. William decided to call up every woman in his contact list that he’d ever slept with and make arrangements. Hell, he’d already gone through three of them in the last twenty-four hours alone. The best plan he could come up with was to sleep her right off his mind.
After a week in a sex-fueled haze, William felt better, though a little worse for the wear. He had used his anger to fuel a few major business deals, and nothing made him happier than money. Nothing except Addison Greyer. Damn. He had to get her off of his mind.
William threw himself into his work. After a week or so when that didn’t work, he called up one of his favorite girls and flew them out to Vegas. Sin City would do the trick; he was sure of it.
Patrick knew he’d have to head back to China a week after lying to Michele, telling her that one of the boys was sick. Luckily, he’d been able to push his trip out to two weeks, and, quite frankly, he wasn’t ready to leave even then.
First off, things between him and Addie were going so well. There was something about her that had changed while he was away. She was stronger, more opinionated, and even more beautiful than before, which was funny because, even though he hadn’t thought he would, he liked her that way.
Second, while his mother swore that something was going on, that his wife was falling apart, into drugs, or, worse yet, having an affair, Patrick hadn’t seen any evidence of it. In fact, it was just the opposite. She had been holding everything together perfectly, which made Patrick fall in love with her all over again. That said, he told Penny to keep an eye out. Just in case.
The two weeks he was home, he threw himself into fatherhood, making up for lost time. Patrick realized how much he missed his kids, and that made him determined to convince Addie to move to China. He knew that he’d have to end things with Michele but decided he needed more time. After all, tomorrow he was headed back and needed someone waiting to comfort him while he was away.
Things for Addie had been hectic over the last two weeks with her Domme training and having Patrick home. It was nice to have her family all together, but if she were honest with herself, she would admit that it would also be nice to see him go too. She needed a reprieve from all of the lying and the hiding. She loved seeing the boys so happy to have their Daddy home, but Addie wanted to throw herself into her work. In many ways, Patrick reminded her of a fourth child. She was being selfish, she told herself.
Then there was the matter of William. She wanted to see him. Not that she would. But she wanted to. There was so much she needed to say, so much she needed to process on her own. With everything going on, there hadn’t been the time. Addie used her hurt and anger to fuel her work as a Domme. She bottled it up and used it on the men who called her Mistress. Thankfully, it seemed to be working; Sondra was getting stellar reviews.
The night before Patrick left, he and Addie lay awake in bed for a long while, talking about the future: their plans, their hopes, and their dreams. But later, when they made love, it was William’s face she saw as she closed her eyes. It was William she dreamed of that night. Addie saw William surrounded by flames, calling her name. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach him. She couldn’t save him. All she could do was stand and watch as the flames engulfed his body. She awoke in the dark, panting and covered in sweat.
Addie grabbed her iPhone, climbed out of bed, went into the bathroom, and sat on the edge of the tub. She typed “William Hartman” in her Google search. The headline that popped up made her smile, though just a little.
BILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY GAMBLES
AWAY MILLIONS IN VEGAS.
The article was complete with pictures, which infuriated Addie. They showed an incredibly handsome William, complete with his signature shit-eating grin, surrounded by women and liquor. Addie gritted her teeth. Okay, so he wasn’t burning to death in a fiery hellhole. The fucker was in Vegas. Addie slammed her phone down. Same difference, asshole.
William was sitting in the office of the penthouse suite of Caesar’s Palace when Carl came in wielding a file, thrusting it his way.
“I think it’s time to go home, sir.”
William looked at Carl, confused. What had gotten into him? “I think I’ll be the judge of that. Thank you, Carl.”
Carl spoke, his tone serious. “You need to have a look at what’s in the file. Enough is enough.”
William opened the folder and pulled the contents out, spilling them on the desk. There were photos of a man and woman together intimately. William looked at Carl and shook his head. “What is this?”
“Sir, this is Patrick Greyer and his boss. He’s been seeing her for quite some time.”
William leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. Shit. “Where did you get this?”
“May I?” Carl sat down in the chair adjacent to the desk. “Research.”
“Why?” William pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Look at you. You’re a mess. I’ve never seen you like this, William. You’re clearly in love with this girl. Unlike the others, from what little I know of her, I can see why. So, I wanted to check her out, see if she was worth the trouble. That’s how I found this.”
William stood and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the hustle and bustle of the Vegas strip. “What is it you expect me to do with it? She made her decision.”
“Based on a lie.”
“I don’t want that lie to be the reason she chooses otherwise, Carl. Don’t you see? If she doesn’t love me, showing her this isn’t going to change that. And if it did, it’d be for all the wrong reasons.”
Carl remained neutral. “So you’re not going to tell her, sir?
William stayed quiet for a long time, so long that Carl thought maybe he had
n’t heard him. Finally, he spoke so quietly, his voice barely audible. “I can’t hurt her like that. Clearly she was doing the same thing, so who is to say she doesn’t already know? It’s quite possible she’s even ok with it.” William knew better, even before the words were out.
“Do you want me to do some more digging, sir? Find out?”
“No. Let it be.”
Carl stood. “Of course.”
William turned from the window and looked Carl in the eye. “Oh, and Carl? Make sure that her name is never mentioned again. Understood?”
Carl nodded and shut the door behind him, certain that tonight’s events would be worse than any other.
Fifteen
Addie was rushing out the door when her cell phone rang. She dropped everything she was holding and searched to find where the ringing was coming from, finally finding it in her pocket. Of course, it was Sondra. Who else would cause so much trouble?
“Morning Sondra.”
“My God, who in their right mind sounds so chipper this early?”
Addie paused. “Still not feeling any better, huh?”
“No. But listen, I have a client I need you to see. This evening.”
Perfect. She had some frustration. It wouldn’t hurt to get out. “Ok.”
“I was going to take this one myself, but this parasite that resides inside me isn’t allowing me to stray too far from the nearest toilet bowl. They tell me it’s a baby, but I’m not so sure.”
“All right.” Addie replied matter of factly, downing the last of her coffee.
“Here’s the thing. I need you to listen to me very carefully. And do exactly as I say. Do you understand?” Sondra said, her tone harsh.
Addie sighed. “Uh huh.”
“This is serious, Addison. This one’s important. You must stay in character and in charge at all times. No matter what. Do you understand? You have to promise me, because if you mess this one up, it’s all over.”