by HELEN HARDT
Braden Black is a lucky man!
Great rack!
You look fabulous!
Item number please! My boyfriend will love that.
I check the tag that I’ve already ripped off the bustier and reply quickly with the item number as the comments and likes continue to roll in.
Again, I check my reflection in the mirror.
You’re a fraud.
I gasp. Where did those words come from? I hear them in Addie’s voice, though she didn’t comment on my post. I’m not a fraud. Besides, this bustier is flattering. No one can deny that.
I quickly whitewash the idea from my mind, grab a jacket to cover the bustier, and head to the bakery. Braden didn’t say anything about dinner, but six thirty p.m. usually means a meal. I’ll take one of my favorite baguettes.
After grabbing the bread, I return to my apartment and check my post.
Damn! The thing has exploded. Nearly a thousand likes!
And comments galore. I scan them quickly, looking for potential deletions. Addie will have a field day with this one, but I don’t find anything from her. Good. She’s been quiet for the last several days. Clearly, she doesn’t want me to block her any more than I want her to block me. We need to keep apprised of each other.
Is it possible that I could one day be as big an influencer as Addison Ames?
You’re a fraud.
I ignore the words once more.
Christopher will be here soon to pick me up, so I go to my room and quickly run a brush through my hair. I love the feel of it over my bare shoulders. Will Braden like my bustier?
Then a knock on the door. I throw on my dark-brown suede jacket once more before answering it.
Christopher stands there, wearing his usual black. “Good evening, Ms. Manning.”
“We’ve talked about this. Please call me Skye.”
“Right. Skye.”
“I’m ready.” Then, “Oh, wait a minute. I picked up a baguette for dinner.” I grab it off the table and follow Christopher down to the Mercedes parked outside my building.
“How’s Penny?” I ask him. I miss my puppy so much, but my gift from Braden has to live at his penthouse, since my place doesn’t allow pets.
“Adorable as ever, though she’s a handful. She’s definitely keeping Sasha on her toes.”
I smile. “Have you taken her on a walk?”
“Several short ones. She’s only two months old, so her attention span isn’t great, but she has to learn to go to the bathroom outside.”
“I can’t wait to see her.”
We’re silent for the rest of the ride. I find myself unconsciously pushing my toes against the floor in the back seat, trying to make Christopher drive faster. I’m eager to see Penny, but even more than that, I’m electrically charged to see Braden.
I can’t believe I almost ruined what we have earlier today.
Be ready for anything.
Braden’s words when I left his office. My nipples harden against the leather of my bustier.
Be ready for anything.
He’ll probably want to punish me for barging into his office, interrupting an important phone call, and then lobbing accusations at him.
It’s no less than I deserve.
Anticipation grips me as Christopher pulls into the underground parking lot of Braden’s building.
It grips me as we walk to the elevator.
It grips me as we ascend to the penthouse.
It grips me as the elevator door opens into Braden’s place. I expect Sasha and Penny to run to greet me.
But they don’t. Where are they?
I turn to Christopher to ask, but he’s not there. How does he disappear into thin air?
“Braden?” I call out tentatively.
Silence.
“Christopher? Annika? Marilyn?” He may have others who work here, but I don’t know their names. “Penny? Sasha?”
Again, silence.
I sigh, walk into the kitchen, and place the baguette on the island countertop. No smells of cooking, and the stovetop is sparkling clean. I open the refrigerator door. Just basic staples, no dinner waiting to be heated. No drinks poured.
This is my punishment? No dinner? No dogs?
No Braden?
I leave the kitchen and walk to Braden’s bedroom. I knock, but no one answers. So I turn the doorknob slowly and enter.
“Braden?”
Silence greets me again, so I walk into the room. I inhale. An aroma. I can’t place it.
The bed is made, and when I gaze upward, I see the remnants of his harness thing have been removed. Fresh spackle and paint have been applied over the holes in the ceiling where the contraption once hung. That’s the aroma. Fresh paint.
A sliver of relief surges through me. I wasn’t excited about the prospect of being harnessed and suspended above Braden’s bed. Clearly, though, he just had the contraption removed today. Possibly even after our meeting in his office. Why?
“Braden?” I say again.
I walk to the bathroom, which is also vacant. I open his giant walk-in closet, but only clothes and the smell of his cedar shoe rack greet me.
Obviously he’s expecting me, or Christopher would not have come for me.
“What’s going on, Braden?” I say out loud.
Since the room is empty, I jerk when I actually get a response.
Chapter Five
“Come upstairs.”
Braden’s voice, but where is it coming from? There must be a speaker in here somewhere that I didn’t know existed. Of course he probably has an intercom system; I just had no reason to look for one until now.
“Braden? Where are you?”
“Come upstairs,” he says again, ominously.
I don’t leave the room yet, though. I want to know where the speaker is. I flip on all the light switches and scramble around, looking in each crack and crevice for his hidden speaker. Is there a camera, too? Can he see me?
Probably. Which means he’s watching me as I rustle around trying to find the source of his voice.
I stop abruptly. Not the best look. I inhale deeply, exhale, and then leave Braden’s bedroom, closing the door behind me.
I walk back into the living area. The stairwell—the stairwell I’ve never stepped foot on—stands against the back wall like a mountain between Braden and me. I’ve never been to the second floor. His living room, kitchen, office, and bedroom are on the first floor, along with a couple other rooms.
What could possibly be on the second floor?
Maybe a meeting room. A large conference room, even. A home gym. Maybe a sauna and hot tub. Of course. The billionaire could have a second floor full of lots of things normal people like me wouldn’t even think about.
No reason at all to be ambivalent about walking up the stairs. No reason at all.
Except…
Why does he want me to go upstairs to a large conference room or home gym?
Be ready for anything.
Certainly he didn’t mean a meeting or a workout.
I read Fifty Shades of Grey. I already know Braden likes toys. What if he has one of those playrooms up there? And what if he wants to…
The staircase seems to pulse with a heartbeat of its own.
In tandem with my own heartbeat.
I walk toward the first step slowly. Methodically. It seems to get no nearer until the toe of my shoe actually hits the first step.
I walk upward, still slowly, but not slowly enough because I reach the top of the staircase all too soon.
A hallway looms, and when I flick on the light switch, I see pink rose petals strewn across black plush carpeting. They lead to a closed door at the end of the hallway.
Be ready for anything.
My heart thuds.
I am the innocent flower girl, and that closed door ahead of me is the dark mystery I crave.
I take another step and then another—
My phone vibrates in the back pocket of my jeans.
Really? Right now?
I pull the phone out of my pocket and glance at it. Tessa. As much as I want to answer and get her advice, I decline the call. I’m in this now. Braden is expecting me, and he’s warned me to be ready for anything.
I gave him control already in the darkness. Of course, I have no idea how dark he can actually get. How dark I want him to get.
The phone buzzes again, and again I decline Tessa’s call. I turn the phone to silent and shove it back in my pocket.
I continue walking until the door stops my progress.
I run my fingertips along the varnished mahogany. The door is just like every other door in Braden’s palatial penthouse. Why should I fear a door?
Should I knock?
Or go right in?
I knock lightly.
“Come in, Skye.”
I inhale deeply, preparing myself for what might await me on the other side. Has Braden rebuilt his harness contraption inside this room? Will I find a leather table, complete with bindings and straps and things I can’t even imagine? Will he tie me up and blindfold me, use one of those spreader bars on my legs?
And these are the only things I know about. What else might be behind the door? Things I’ve never heard of, never imagined in my darkest dreams.
Finally, I can wait no longer. I open the door, closing my eyes without meaning to.
“Open your eyes.”
I hesitate and then open my eyes slowly. Colors greet me first. Blurred colors. There’s a dark red. There’s black. There’s brown.
Slowly, the room comes into focus, and I gasp.
This isn’t a dungeon. It’s a bedroom. A beautiful bedroom.
“Do you like it?” Braden stands before me wearing navy dress pants and a white button-down, no tie. The burgundy tie I grabbed earlier today. The burgundy tie he bound me with. Did he put it back on after I left his office? I’m wet just thinking about our afternoon.
“I… I love it, but Braden…”
“It’s yours.”
“Mine? We already have a bedroom, Braden.”
“I have a bedroom, Skye. This is your bedroom.”
“But…I want to sleep with you.”
“You will. You can sleep in my bed with me, or I’ll sleep in your bed with you. But you need your own space, Skye. A closet of your own and a bathroom that’s your own.” He cocked his head. “I thought you’d like this. I’ve been working on it for a while.”
“A while? We haven’t known each other very long.”
“I had the room. All I had to do was have it decorated. If you don’t like what I’ve done, redo it. It’s yours.”
“You told me to be ready for anything tonight.”
“I did.”
“What about—” My stomach finishes the sentence by letting out a growl.
He chuckles. “You’re hungry.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Yes. But not for food.”
I bite my lower lip. “Where are the dogs?”
“Upstairs.”
“We are upstairs.” I look up. “There’s a skylight.”
“I have a third floor that takes up only part of the space of my first and second floors. That explains the skylight. My employees live up there. Christopher and Annika and a few others. They each have their own bedroom and bath.”
“Marilyn?” I have to ask. Braden’s personal chef is a blond knockout.
He shakes his head. “Marilyn prefers to commute.”
I let out a sigh of relief without meaning to. It isn’t lost on Braden. The left side of his lips quirks up.
“I suppose I should feed you,” he says. “I have a lot planned for tonight, and you need your strength. I’ve already ordered takeout. It should be here in a few minutes.”
Of course. Takeout. I should’ve thought of that, but I was too busy freaking out about what Braden had planned.
“Who’s going to answer the door? Christopher just disappeared.”
“My employees know when to make themselves scarce. I pay them very well to disappear when I want them to.”
I shudder. “You said be ready for anything.”
“So I did.”
“I thought you meant…”
He lowers his eyelids slightly. “Oh, I did.”
“But the bedroom… The thing above your bed…”
“I already told you about that. I’ve been meaning to get rid of it for a while, so I did.”
I nod.
Braden’s phone buzzes, and he takes a quick look at it. “Our meal is here and set up in the kitchen. Let’s get you fed.”
I nod.
“Take off your jacket,” he says. “You can hang it in your closet.”
My jacket. I smile slyly. I’d nearly forgotten about the bustier I’m wearing underneath. I unzip slowly, bringing the black leather into view. I shrug out of the suede and let it slip to the floor.
Braden’s eyes go wild, and a groan vibrates from his chest.
I widen my grin.
He says nothing. Just grabs me and slams his mouth onto mine. He’s gripping my shoulders, kissing me hard. My legs turn to jelly, but he steadies me and deepens the kiss. My nipples are so hard, and my pussy… God, my pussy… I’m wet and ready and—
He breaks the kiss and pushes me away slightly. “You look so sexy, Skye,” he rasps.
“Do you like it?”
He doesn’t answer in words, only in his gaze. Those fiery blue eyes devour me. If possible, my nipples get even harder.
He clears his throat as I drop my gaze to the bulge in his crotch.
And I hope we can eat quickly.
Chapter Six
We don’t talk much during our meal of sashimi and tempura. Despite my hunger, I don’t overindulge. I’m too excited for whatever Braden has planned. So excited, I drop my chopsticks not once but twice.
When we finally leave the kitchen, he leads me not to his bedroom but to his office.
“Take a seat.” He motions to one of the leather chairs sitting across from his desk.
“Okay…” I sit down.
“I wasn’t planning to have this talk tonight,” he says, taking a seat behind his desk, “but your escapade earlier today seems to necessitate it.”
“Okay…” I say again, not sure what to expect.
“I want you. I’m hard as a fucking rock right now, looking at you in that leather top. I could fuck you three different ways in the next three minutes. That’s how much I want you.”
I can’t help a smile. The leather is abrading my nipples again, and I squirm against the wetness between my legs.
“Before we go any further, though, there’s something you should know about me.”
“What’s that?”
He lowers his eyelids slightly, searing my gaze with his. “I’ve never said ‘I love you’ to any woman before you.”
Though I try to hold back my surprise, my eyes inadvertently widen.
“You find that surprising?”
“Of course I do. Look at you. You’re Braden Black. Women have been falling all over you for ten years. Aretha Doyle and all the others.”
He gives me a slight smile. “That doesn’t mean I fell in love with any of them.”
I warm all over, my skin tingling. From his smile or his words, I’m not sure. The words give me joy, but that smile… The smile I see so seldom…
Sti
ll, the words ignite me.
Braden loves me. Braden has never said “I love you” to another woman, but he said it to me.
This is big. This is huge.
I return the smile. “I don’t know what to say. Except that I’m flattered.” And really, really happy.
“I’m not asking you to say anything. Just listen, Skye.”
I nod. “All right.”
“Obviously, you can deduce that I don’t say those words lightly. I don’t, but I said them to you, and I said them for one reason.”
I lift my eyebrows.
He gives me that slight smile again. “I meant them.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. A breath of relief. Again, I squirm against the tickle between my legs.
“I’m not in the habit of saying things I don’t mean, Skye.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
His smile disappears. “So when I say I don’t talk about what happened between Addison and me, I mean it.”
So we’re back to this. I’m not surprised. I’m the one who brought it up, and now I have to deal with the fallout. Only fair.
“Good. You’re not opening your mouth to fight me. I’d say that’s progress.”
“I’m not sure what I should say, Braden. I’ll always wonder what happened between you and Addison. I’ll always wonder why she changed so much after your relationship.”
“You know Addison,” he says. “You know what kind of person she is. Yet you can’t figure out why she might tell lies about me? Or anyone else, for that matter?”
“I admit you have a point,” I say.
“You of all people should know that Addison feels very strongly when she thinks she’s been crossed. She comes out fighting, and she doesn’t fight fair.”
“Okay, I admit she accused me of trying to steal her spotlight, which I never meant to do. In fact, I can’t. She’s so far ahead of me, she may as well be in a different galaxy. But she never said or gave any indication that I hurt her in any way.”
“No, she didn’t. Right now, you don’t have something she wants. Despite your quick success, she hasn’t lost any of her own following. But she’s watching you, Skye. I know she is.”
I wrinkle my forehead. Is he talking about Addie watching my Instagram? Or does he mean something more? “How do you know?”