I started my company with an inheritance, and after it received critical acclaim, we got regular donors from all over the city. We were a nonprofit organization, but each employee was paid for their work. We were fortunate in that matter, and it wasn’t an easy task to accomplish. My personal salary was enough to make anyone envious, but it came from my investments in real estate. After all, I put in a lot of money to get the company off the ground in the first place. “Very noble.”
“Where did you go to school?”
I pulled a piece of chicken off the kabob and placed it into my mouth. After a few bites, I swallowed. “I never went to college.”
“Oh…” She seemed to realize she put her foot in her mouth because she said, “I shouldn’t have assumed. It really doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t.” Remorse was in her eyes because she was concerned she’d offended me, and some people might be offended by that. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I didn’t go to college because I was never interested in school. I taught myself everything I needed to know and went from there.”
She stared at me with a mixture of awe and surprise. “That’s amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“And one day you decided to open Humanitarians United?”
“I received a large inheritance from my father and wanted to put it to good use.”
Her eyes softened. “That’s so sweet…”
It wasn’t as sweet as she thought. I made a formidable living running Ruin. My BDSM club was the biggest one in the city, and we usually had to turn new members away because the occupancy limit was maxed. Jackson and I considered expanding, but we never pursued it. No one knew I was the owner. The wealthy and influential people I interacted with on a daily basis would never show their faces in a place like that. “Do you like your salad?”
“It’s delicious.” She finished it off, eating every single bite and leaving her plate as clean as it was before they put the salad on it. She was either really hungry or didn’t like to waste food. “Did you like yours?”
“It was amazing. This is my favorite Mediterranean place.”
“Mine too. Why do you think I opened For All just down the street?” She smiled with her eyes, being a little flirtatious.
I liked it when she flirted with me. “Free on Friday night?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“If you’re asking me out.”
“And what if I am?”
“I’m free as a bird.” Her grin widened when she saw the excited look in my eyes.
“Come over, and I’ll cook dinner.”
Instantly, that smile vanished and she was on edge. You would think I asked her if she wanted to go murder some kids or something. “How about we go to that new Thai place on 3rd? I’ve been wanting to try it.”
I brushed off the rejection like it didn’t happen. “Thai is one of my favorites. Sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
Okay, now something was up. She didn’t want to come to my place, and she didn’t want me to pick her up either. I didn’t want to interrogate her so early in the relationship, so I let her strange comments slide. But once we were acquainted with one another, I wouldn’t let anything slide—except my cock between her lips.
I just finished a meeting with a special VIP. Famous and recognizable, he wanted assurance that his behavior within Ruin would be kept under wraps. While I couldn’t guarantee that, I could say it was very likely. Members kept information to themselves. They never talked about the things they saw or who acted them out.
No one talked about it.
But wearing a mask was always a good way to go. Personally, I never wore them, but I knew people who couldn’t fuck without them.
Once the meeting was over and the paperwork was signed, he walked out and enjoyed the scene right outside my door. The bass of the music filtered into my office once the door was open, and I could see the dim lights through the darkness.
It was a beautiful world.
Jackson walked in a moment later, wearing black jeans and a black shirt. “Hook and sinker?”
I nodded.
“Awesome.” He sat in the chair across from me, the one my guest had just vacated. “I think we need to have a serious conversation about expansion. We’re packed every night, and there aren’t enough beds for all the fucking that goes on in this place.”
I was preoccupied with other things and didn’t want to devote the time to opening a new business. “It’s a lot of work and it’s risky. When businesses expand, they almost never do well. They split the members between the two sites, and then you’re paying more money for the same number of people.”
“Not if we have no association with it. What if it’s a completely different club? No one needs to know we’re involved. It’ll attract new members from a different side of town. We can open it under a different name and have a manager take care of the rest.”
I was a control freak, and letting someone else run my business was unacceptable. “No. We have to run the show.”
“Fine. I’ll take care of it.”
Like I’d trust him to be an adult. “Both of us.”
He rolled his eyes. “When the fuck will you trust me?”
Never. “I don’t have the time right now, Jackson. Between this and Humanitarian, I’m running dry.”
“And chasing after that little slut.”
My eyes narrowed on his face, and I threatened him without saying a single word. Rome was mine in every sense of the word, and no one talked about her like that—not even me.
Jackson noticed my hostility and leaned back. “What’s so special about this woman? Isabella is a fine piece of ass.”
I didn’t care what he said about her. She wasn’t mine to defend anymore. “I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”
“When are you going to bring her in here?”
“I don’t know.” Probably never. I wouldn’t want anyone to look at her and fantasize about fucking her instead of their real partner. I wanted her on my own bed, her wrists tied to my own headboard. Like a bear, I wanted to drag her into my cave and never let her go.
“I’m eager to meet this sexy lady. I get hard just thinking about it.”
I gave him the same glare, warning him I would actually kill him this time.
“Shit, calm down. I was just joking.”
“You weren’t, asshole.”
“Alright…” He shrugged. “I wasn’t. But you know I would never touch her. That’s a line I’ve never crossed.”
But he might try once he saw her.
Out of nowhere, he turned serious, crossing his arms over his chest and giving me the same cold look I gave everyone else. “I’m worried about Isabella. I think you should check on her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen her around, and when I called her, she didn’t answer. Marie told me she’s not eating or moving. She’s really struggling, man. She took the breakup hard.”
Guilt flooded through me, but then rage replaced it. “She was just my sub, and I never made her think otherwise. I made it clear there was an expiration date on the arrangement. I never told her I loved her, and I never slept over. I treated her how I treated all the others. It’s not my fault she hoped for more.”
Jackson kept staring at me, drilling the guilt deep inside me.
Despite my anger, I did feel bad for hurting Isabella. She got attached when she shouldn’t have, but I somehow felt responsible for it. Maybe I shouldn’t have let our arrangement last as long as it did. Perhaps I should put a timer down and make sure a relationship never exceeded it—no matter how good it was.
Jackson stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just wanted to give you a heads-up. Do whatever you want.” He walked to the door.
“I’m not checking on her. This is her problem, not mine.”
He glanced at me over his shoulder before he walked out.
&nbs
p; After I knocked on the door twice, there was still no answer. “Isabella, it’s me.”
I finally heard life inside the apartment, and the door unlocked a moment later. Wearing a messy bun and a blanket covering her shoulders, she opened the door. Her cheeks were hollow and her eyes sunken. Heavy bags were under her eyes from exhaustion. She stared at me in surprise, like she couldn’t believe I was really there.
“Can I come in?”
She stepped away from the door and allowed me entry before she shut the door behind me.
I turned to her and tried to think of something to say. My lips were immobile and my brain wasn’t functioning. We just broke up a few weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. My mind and body were in a completely different place—obsessed with a different woman. “Isabella, I—”
She moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. She squeezed me tightly like she never wanted to let go. A sigh accompanied her actions.
I wanted to let her hold me to make her feel better, but I felt like I was betraying the woman I was working so hard to get. If her ex hugged her, I’d flip the fuck out. So I couldn’t let my ex hold me.
I gently pulled her hands away from my waist and returned them to her chest. Then I took a step back. “That’s not why I’m here. Jackson told me you were going through a hard time, and I just wanted to see if you were okay.”
She dropped her hands to her sides, limp. “I’m not okay, Cal. I don’t think I’ll ever be okay.”
Sympathy and annoyance burned inside me. I could spit back the words she said to me a year ago, but that would make me a dick so I didn’t. “Is there anything I can do to make this easier?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, looking unnaturally thin. “No.”
I remained in my spot by the door, knowing that wasn’t the end of it even though she pretty much just excused me. “I will stay away from Ruin for a while so you don’t bump into me.”
“I’m not going there anyway.”
“I can set you up with someone. With a Dom who can give you what you need.”
“Cal, I don’t want anyone else. Don’t you get it?”
“Well, you can’t have me.” I wasn’t going to baby her because it wouldn’t make it easier for her. She had to understand there was no hope for us getting back together. If I didn’t squash that tiny possibility, she would keep pushing.
Her eyes widened at my harshness.
“We agreed on what this was going to be from the beginning. It’s not my fault you wanted something more. It’s not my fault you thought it would turn into something different. I’m sorry I hurt you. Really. But frankly, you need to get over it.”
“You wouldn’t be here right now unless you cared about me.”
“Caring is one thing. Loving someone is another. I don’t love you, Isabella. Not you or anyone on this planet.” She must have mistaken my kisses and touches for something more. I was never gentle with her except when we were finished. Perhaps I should have broken her more, shattered her more.
“Not even your new whore?” She stressed the last word as hard as she could, insulting someone she didn’t even know.
“Don’t be ugly, Isabella. You can say and do whatever you want, but nothing is going to change. Acting this way is only pushing me further away. If you were sane, you would understand that.”
“This is hard for me, okay? How would you feel if I left because I found another Dom I wanted more?”
“I would let you walk away.” If she wanted her freedom, I would have given it to her. I wouldn’t have done a single thing to hold her back. I would swallow my pride at her rejection and let it go. “After our year together, I thought you would do the same for me. I never loved you, but I did trust you. You were my friend. I don’t understand why you’re trying to hurt me like this.”
“You broke my trust when you left me for another woman.”
“I said I wouldn’t cheat on you. And I kept my word.”
“So you say,” she sneered.
“Why would I lie?” I demanded. “If I fucked someone else, I would tell you. I have nothing to hide and no reason to be untrue. I saw this woman, fell hard, and then came clean about it. I don’t know what it is about her that’s got me so hard up, but there’s something. I’m not going to pretend it’s not going on and act like I’m not thinking about her when I’m with you. It happened, alright? I can’t change the past, and I can’t ignore it. It is what it is. Now be a big girl and get over it.”
My speech only heightened her anger. “The bottom line is we would still be together if she hadn’t walked into that bar—and we both know it.”
“You’re right. But it would have only lasted so long, Isabella. One day, I would have grown tired of you and left. That’s the cold, hard truth, and you know it. So don’t blame her for this. I’m the one who chose to leave—so blame me.”
6
Calloway
I arrived at the restaurant half an hour early and reserved a quiet table in the back. Candles glowed on the tablecloth, and a small vase of roses sat as the centerpiece. I didn’t do dinner, romance, and flowers—but I would do it for her.
It would take some time to open her up and get her to consider my offer. Since I was a renowned figure in the community, I couldn’t afford to have her blab the truth of my ways to the public. It would ruin my reputation and shame the organization I’d spent the last seven years building. The people who would suffer the most were those in need—including my employees.
She arrived right on time and found me sitting in the back. I rose to greet her, wearing slacks and a dark blue collared shirt. I skipped the tie and the jacket because that was much too formal for me. I avoided wearing a suit as often as possible—way too stiff and thick.
She wore a short black dress with a deep cut in the front. When she was close enough, I could catch a glimpse of her cleavage. When I first saw her in the bar, I didn’t look because I was trying to be polite. But now that she dressed that way a second time, I took her invitation and looked—and didn’t bother hiding it. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She took off her black coat and placed it on the back of her chair.
I pulled the chair out for her, treating her exactly the way she wanted to be treated. Without knowing much about her, I could tell she was a good girl. She wanted the respect she deserved and expected a man to treat her like a queen.
I could treat her like a goddess.
But I wanted something in return.
I sat across from her and admired the curls in her hair. They were open and long, making the strands frame her face and highlight her naturally flawless features. Her small nose was perfectly centered, and she wore dark makeup around her eyes that made her look sexier than she already was. I pictured that hair wrapped around my fist. Those thick curls would be easy to hook around my palm so I could yank her head back while I fucked her hard in the ass.
My cock sprang to life in record time.
She had rounded shoulders and slender arms. Her neck was one of her best features. It was curved and long, giving her an air of royalty. A gold necklace was around her throat with a circle pendant at the bottom.
I realized I’d been staring for a long time without saying a word. “I love the way you’ve done your hair.”
“Oh, thanks.” She tucked a strand behind her ear. “I like the way you’ve done yours too.”
I didn’t do anything at all. “Thanks.” I returned to picturing my hand wrapped around her hair until I finally forced myself to calm the hell down. “I ordered some wine. Would you like some?” I grabbed the bottle and her glass and began to pour it without waiting for an answer.
She answered when I was nearly finished. “I’d love some.” She took a sip before she eyed her menu. Her chest rose and fell at a steady rate, and her cheeks weren’t flushed like the last time I saw her. She was calm and in control, just as she was in that bar. Her embarrassment from her phone conversation with her friend was
in the past. “Everything looks good.”
“Then order everything. I just hope they have enough to-go boxes.”
She chuckled before she put the menu to the side. “I could stop by the homeless shelter and give everyone a special treat.”
“They’d go crazy for some Pad Thai.”
We ordered our food and the waiter disappeared once more, leaving us to the privacy of our corner. I wished the table wasn’t so large and she wasn’t so far away. I wanted to wrap my fingers around her wrist and hold her still. But even if I could, that would never happen—because she would see me for what I really was.
She looked so beautiful by candlelight that I wanted to command her to touch herself, to sink her fingers underneath her dress and panties. I wanted her to press her fingers to her clit and watch my face as she got herself off—thinking about me. The words were heavy on my tongue, but I kept them back. I would have to get my dominance under control before I did something I couldn’t take back. “How was your day?”
“Good. I had a lot of work at the office. Tomorrow, I’m volunteering at the soup kitchen.”
I was all about helping people, but I didn’t give up my weekends for anything—except her. “Can I join you?”
“Really?” Her mouth instantly formed a smile.
“Of course. We can get lunch afterward.”
“That would be fun. Have you volunteered before?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“Well, bring some old clothes. You’ll probably get dirty.”
Her choice of words got me hard in my slacks. My eyes narrowed on her face, and I pictured kissing her hard on the mouth.
She caught on to my reaction but didn’t blush. “And I’ll get dirty too.”
Now she was just toying with me.
The waiter arrived with our food, and I was irritated to see she’d ordered another salad. It wasn’t big enough to constitute as a meal and it hardly looked satisfying. If she were my submissive, she wouldn’t be allowed to order a salad ever again. She would get whatever I ordered for her—and she would eat the entire fucking thing. “Were you born in New York?”
Black Obsidian Page 5