by Cynthia Dane
Speaking of the set, there was her collar, falling last from the satchel.
Of course. Couldn’t be a day of one endless scene unless Jasmine was sporting her sub’s collar. The world had to know to whom she belonged. It also matched her other jewelry, even if it didn’t really match her dress.
A text lit up her phone as she stared at herself in the mirror. This is his vision for me, huh?
“Belinda has your coat downstairs. Leave your hair down. Bring whatever bag you want. Wear whatever makeup you want, although keep in mind it shouldn’t be too garish. Look pretty for me.”
Look pretty for him! Didn’t she always?
Jasmine sat down at her vanity, stomach starting to growl. First things were first. Makeup. She wasn’t a woman who wore a lot of makeup, but she went the extra mile today, touching up the mascara, the eyeliner, and heavier red lipstick than she usually wore. Not too much blush. More concealer than blush. Jasmine had a feeling she would be naturally blushing enough.
“Miss?” Belinda knocked on the door. “Your breakfast is ready. Are you coming?”
Here we go. Jasmine went, slipping into the pumps before opening the door and smiling at Belinda. From now on, there would be no words, but that didn’t stop her from having facial expressions.
“Why, Miss…” Belinda was the one at a loss for words. “I didn’t know there was something special going on today. You look beautiful! Now I feel bad that Mr. Cole called to tell me that your voice is gone today. Hope it’s only temporary. Feel better.”
Jasmine nodded her thanks and went down to breakfast.
***
The Town Car meandered down the hilly roads toward the city, carrying Jasmine and her silent ensemble. She repeatedly touched up her makeup and hair in her compact while the driver long learned that idle conversation was not happening that day. Jasmine didn’t want to come off as rude, so she scribbled a note saying that her voice wasn’t well. Worked for Belinda.
Ethan had texted her that she should come down to the office right after lunch. “I have a meeting that I would like you to sit in on.” Jasmine didn’t know what that meant, but she would go along with it.
The car pulled up to the curb in front of the Thomas-Cole building. A spot that only the haughty elite got to use. So, men like Ethan… and women like Jasmine. She stepped out with the front attendant’s help, who cheerily greeted her and asked if there was anything he could do. Jasmine shook her head and headed inside, trying not to drown in the plush white coat Ethan left for her to wear that day.
She caught her look in the elevator mirror. He’s going to want to ravish me the moment I enter that office. Something stirred in Jasmine. Oh, no, that sounds kinda good. She bit her lip before remembering she was wearing lipstick. She checked it one last time in the mirror before the elevator attendant announced they had made it to the executive offices.
“Hi!” Nadia smacked her hand against her desk and grinned like it was her birthday. “You here for lunch? Because I had an awesome night last night and can’t wait to brag.”
Jasmine shook her head. When Nadia gave her a quizzical look, Jasmine gestured to her throat and mimicked choking to death.
“Oh… sorry. Well, he said that you were expected, and that you should go in whenever you get here. Can’t blame a girl for trying to get a lunch date, though. Monday?”
Jasmine nodded and held her hand up to her head like a phone. Once Nadia got the hint, Jasmine went to Ethan’s office. She had to breathe deeply before turning the handle.
He was right where she expected him. Indeed, she would have thought this was another day in their lives. Her entering. Ethan at his desk, either on his computer or writing something on a piece of paper. Sometimes he mixed it up with a phone call, texting on his phone, or reading something on his tablet. Today, like most days, Jasmine found him signing and stamping documents with nary a soul in their midst.
He glanced up at her the moment she shut the door. She didn’t latch it. Not unless he asked her to.
“Glad you made it.” Ethan stood, buttoning one button on his suit and straightening his tie. “You look… well, exactly how I imagined.”
Jasmine approached his desk, putting her bag down and shedding the coat so he could get the full view of her outfit.
“Turn around.”
She did so, with a flourish, since she was not about to let her mind and body be completely devoid of personality, no matter what her “Master” said.
Now I must look at him as such. Ethan wasn’t just her fiancé. He wasn’t just her lover, or her sole partner in the kink scene. He was her Master. The man who controlled her every move. The man she served.
When she looked at him through those eyes, she saw more than what she expected. He wasn’t merely a man, regardless of how powerful he was in reality, in business. He was the one man she could go to whenever she needed anything. Anything. Money? Ethan was a billionaire. Protection? Ethan had proven himself more than capable. Shelter? Ethan’s many abodes gave Jasmine plenty of choices, including options to be alone. Sex? Ethan, Ethan, Ethan. A wonderful and stable future?
Ethan.
If that didn’t make him her Master, then what the hell did?
This man is going to make me do things today. Jasmine tried not to twitch. Not out of anxiety, or fear, or dread, but out of anticipation. Okay, so maybe a little anxiety. How could she not feel any? She had no idea what to expect.
Other than to serve.
“You are absolutely stunning.” Ethan dropped his pen on his desk and motioned for her to come to him. Jasmine took a few easy steps around his desk and lingered before him, feeling ripples of anticipation spread through her body. Ethan wore one of his finest business suits. Giorgio Armani was Ethan’s go-to designer, whether it was business suits, dinner suits, or even “upscale casual” wear. Boy, could that designer cut an Italian suit. There was a lot to be said for a man in a finely crafted suit… and tie… and sparkling cufflinks and watch… and… abs beneath that shirt… and… stubble on the chin….
Shit! Was Jasmine really marrying this guy? Sometimes she forgot to get some perspective and realize that, hey, her fiancé was smoking hot, successful, and super loaded! Whoops. There went some quivering knees.
He put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her as his intense gaze rested on her face. Can he see the effort I put into my makeup? Is he pleased? Here they went. Jasmine would go into a scene kicking and screaming inside, but the moment it started, she was absolutely helpless. Ethan had that power over her, truly. Okay, so don’t blow it. That was levied both at herself and at Ethan. The man usually didn’t screw it up, but even the wrong touch or phrase could make Jasmine think twice about what they were doing.
So far, so good.
“I’m glad to see you,” he said in that silky voice of his. “I hope traffic wasn’t too much trouble. Sometimes it can be rough on early Friday afternoons. Everyone taking half days and heading to the countryside or going shopping.”
Jasmine shook her head.
“Good. Now, I can tell that you’re burning to ask me something. Go ahead. We’re alone, so you can speak if you want right now.”
Phew. “You said in your letter something about showing how I am the perfect wife for you. What do you mean by that?”
Ethan didn’t smile, but he didn’t frown, either. At least he wasn’t going to be cheeky with his answer. “I’ve observed a lot of couples during my time at the top. Business associates and their wives… friends and their lovers… both at formal functions and casual settings. Naturally, everyone acts different and has their own unique dynamic. But there’s an expectation, I’ve noticed. Expectation for how the dynamic should be. It doesn’t have to be the truth. It could be the biggest lie in the universe, but if you can show people that dynamic that they expect to see, it can be very good for one’s social standing. Even if we know the truth going on behind the scenes.”
Jasmine supposed she saw his point. Understanding it, however, was a different beas
t. She would find out soon enough.
“All right.” Ethan tipped her chin up and hovered near her lips. “I’ve got a meeting in twenty minutes here in my office. I’d love for you to sit and observe. You don’t have to do anything. Just be my beautiful fiancée so I can stop and think, ‘That’s my girl.’”
He turned away without kissing her. His thumb pressed into the intercom. “Could you come in here please, Ms. Mayview? We need to go over the preliminary notes for my 1:30 meeting before it begins.”
“Yes, Mr. Cole. Be right there, sir,” came Amber’s voice.
“Nobody will bother you on the couch over there.” Ethan pointed to his resting couch along the wall, right next to his personal restroom. “If you need to use the restroom, do so now. It would be too disruptive during the meeting.”
Jasmine wasn’t sure what was going on or how she felt about it, but she played along. With her coat hung up and her bag secure between the couch and the wall, she freshened up in Ethan’s small but comfortable bathroom and took her place in the middle of the couch. By that time, Amber had entered, carrying her tablet – an upgraded version of the one Jasmine used to have when it was her job to take notes during Ethan’s meetings.
Amber spared Jasmine a quick look. “She’ll be here during the meeting. No worries,” Ethan said. He then distracted his assistant with boring figures, diagrams, and letters from the man he was meeting in a few minutes. Good thing it took them a while to go over everything, because the man, David Hamilton, was ten minutes late.
He sat in a chair in front of Ethan while they discussed future investments. Amber stood behind Ethan, in the customary assistant’s spot, typing quickly on her tablet while glancing between her boss and his guest. It was a regular meeting in a business setting. The only difference? Jasmine was there, doing absolutely nothing.
She hadn’t sat in on a meeting like this since she last had Amber’s position. Ethan said that people often commented on it. “Is that the same girl from last time? I thought she had black hair.” Or, “How’s it working out with your assistant now girlfriend? You replacing her already?” Since the engagement, however, those comments largely stopped. Suddenly Jasmine was no longer the fun long-time lay on the side. Now she was a woman people had to pretend to respect around Ethan. Whether they thought she was a gold digging trophy wife or not.
Jasmine couldn’t help but wonder what David Hamilton thought of her, if anything. Did he think she was hot, but Ethan could do better for a wife? “Come on, man, she’s hot for her 20s, but that’s not going to be a lasting beauty. Now a supermodel, or a well-bred girl who knows how to take care of herself? Surely you could bag one.” Bagging. That’s what men said about women. They were bagged, like animals hunted in the forest.
Or maybe he thought she was intriguing. He might, since he kept looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
Jasmine didn’t even do anything! She merely sat there, hands in her lap and legs slapped together. Back straight. Hair down. If she sat still enough, people might think she was a doll. Really, aside from her appearance, there was no reason to regard her at all. A doll in the background. Isn’t that what Ethan wanted? To know that behind all of his actions, he had a woman waiting for him?
So why was David Hamilton always glancing at her in between replying to Ethan’s comments?
And why was Amber always following his gaze, giving Jasmine quizzical looks?
They couldn’t possibly be admiring her… admiring what Ethan had. His possession.
At the end of this relatively short meeting, David Hamilton rose, shook Ethan’s hand, nodded to Amber, and turned to take his leave. Yet he stopped halfway across the room, gazing at Jasmine in such a nervous way that he practically began to sweat on his brow.
It wasn’t intimidation. It was what the fuck do I do? If Jasmine were acting natural, he would probably nod to her on his way out, but Jasmine was not acting natural. She was acting like a posed doll, her mannerisms completely empty and her face devoid of expression.
No wonder this man struggled to think of the best course of action. It would be rude to leave the room without acknowledging Jasmine, especially since she was Ethan Cole’s fiancée – and there was no way Mr. Hamilton could not know that. But a simple nod wouldn’t do when Jasmine wasn’t acting herself. Or very human, for that matter. What should he do? Go over and say hello? In front of Ethan? Her fiancé?
“Good… day to you, Miss.” He finally nodded and hurried out of the office. Amber put her tablet down and asked Ethan if he needed anything else. You better say no. Jasmine wanted to be alone with the man for at least a minute.
“That’s all, Amber. Organize the notes and bring me a typed copy later. Thank you.”
She showed herself out, gazing out of the corner of her eye the entire time. Good day to you as well. When the door closed, Ethan pushed back from his desk and came to the couch.
“Look at you. A perfect, pretty picture right here in my office.” Ethan perched beside her on the edge of the couch, one hand going over her knee. “Who could blame me for wanting to show you off to everyone who comes through?”
I knew it. Jasmine was a trophy right now. Ethan Cole’s gorgeous, behaving trophy. Deep inside, it unnerved her for him to openly admit this was how he saw her right now, but Jasmine couldn’t cry too hard about it. When they were in a scene – even one that transcended the public sphere like this one – she wanted him to laud her beauty and how well she…
How well she…
Could submit.
“I hope that wasn’t too uncomfortable for you,” Ethan continued. “It wasn’t, was it?”
His hand squeezed her knee. Jasmine looked at it, then his face. She shook her head.
“Good. I’ve got many plans for us today. Many things I want to do, with you. New things. Our favorite things. Things you’ve rarely dreamed of. I hope you’re looking forward to it.”
Remember how I said I didn’t need to wear any blush because I would make plenty of my own? Happening now, right on her cheeks. Jasmine had no idea what Ethan could possibly have in store for her, but she didn’t doubt it would be… interesting. Probably wild. That was his usual speed, anyway.
“Would you like a preview now?” Ethan eased her back against the couch, lightly kissing her blushing cheek as his hand went to her breast. “You have been so patiently waiting, after all.”
There was barely any time to enjoy the touch of her fiancée’s hand before Nadia’s voice popped on the intercom. “Mr. Cole, your 2:15 is here. Should I send them in?”
Ethan pulled away from Jasmine. Damnit. She was getting into that. “Of course they would be early,” Ethan muttered. “Yes, go ahead and send them in,” he said, once he was back at his desk with his thumb on the intercom.
Jasmine didn’t want to say anything – not that she could – but it looked like Ethan was already starting to sport something in his trousers. It would be gone by the time he reached the doors to his office and greeted his next meeting, but Jasmine had been very close to getting a little something. Knowing Ethan, though, he would have promised it and then taken it away.
His next meeting were a couple: a man and woman who had flown in from Los Angeles to have this meeting. That meant they were excited about him, and as Jasmine quickly learned in the five seconds she observed, they were mostly excited about the publishing arm Adrienne brought with her when the companies merged. AdThom Publishing was now Thomas & Cole Publishing, however, which meant Ethan was able to conduct meetings on Adrienne’s behalf regarding the financial and management end of the publisher.
The Carters were interested in merging their small press with Thomas & Cole Publishing. They focused on photography books, with a huge list of photographers and authors that had exclusive contracts with them. Not just Californian photographs, either. America, Asia, Europe, Africa… if it was a travel destination, the Carters either already had a book about it or were planning one. They were hoping that a merger with Thomas & Cole co
uld result in significant funding necessary for an expedition to Antarctica.
Jasmine learned that in one minute. The Carters talked. A lot.
“Oh, who’s this?” asked a voluptuous woman with a spray tan and bleach blond hair. Cay Carter approached Jasmine as if she were the most unusual specimen she had yet to come across in New England. “This can’t be your assistant, could it?”
Normally Ethan didn’t joke about such things in front of casual business associates, but the Carters must be a special case. “She used to be my assistant, yes. Now she’s merely my fiancée.”
“Your fiancée! Well, excuse me!” Cay held out her orange hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Cay Carter, and this is my husband, Andy.”
Jasmine shook both of their hands but did not return the greeting with anything more than a smile. When Cay’s mouth fell in perplexity, Ethan came up behind her and explained, “I’m afraid that Jasmine’s voice isn’t working today. Please don’t be offended. Although you may wish to count yourself lucky… she’ll talk your ear off most days.”
The Carters quickly forgot about Jasmine as they sat at Ethan’s desk and went over their preliminary terms for the merger. Cay made it clear that she would remain the editor in chief of the subsidiary. “Adrienne and I have gone over this extensively, and she’s totally on board,” she said with a trill. She was completely absorbed in her conversation with Ethan, but husband Andy spent more than a few seconds letting his eyes wander up and down Jasmine’s slender legs. When he looked back at Ethan, it was with envy on his face.
So the damned day continued.
After the Carters, it was James Merange, who barely gave any warning he was coming and had to be penciled in that morning. He might as well have been talking in code for all Jasmine knew. By that point, she was spacing off, aware that everyone who came in and out of that office was staring at her in either lust or envy. Sometimes the envy was directed at her. Other times it was directed at Ethan, and this was from men who were already in serious relationships. Men stay being men. Ethan was relishing this. Every time another pair of eyes focused on Jasmine, Ethan’s ego inflated by five more points.