Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
“I love that idea. Give yourself a raise, Bree.”
Sabrina laughs. “If I did that every time you told me to, you wouldn’t be able to afford me.”
“We’ll have one Scottish restaurant because it’s a Scottish-themed hotel. I believe most people will go there to see the hunky waiters in kilts.”
“Are you saying you’re only going to hire male waiters?” Brody asks.
“No. Federal law won’t allow me to do that, which I know is your point, Brody. But we’re going to put the women in kilts as well. A uniform.”
“Good.” Brody chuckles. “I know we’ve been in Scotland for a long time, but I didn’t think I had to educate you on Title VII.”
“Nope. You don’t. Besides, women in kilts are pretty sexy, too.”
Jennifer knocks and then walks in. “Good news. The architects are able to meet with us today. But we have to go to them.”
“Not a problem. Have Philippe bring the car around.”
“You want anyone else at the meeting?” Jennifer asks.
“Just Brody and Sabrina. And I’d like you there to take notes, Jen.”
Jennifer makes a note on her iPad. “The meeting is set for three o’clock, so I’ll have Philippe ready at two.”
“Two? How far away is this place?”
“It’s uptown. But you know how traffic is in New York.”
“We could always take a cab,” Sabrina says.
“No. We’ll take the car. Philippe needs to continue learning his way around New York.”
I quickly scrawl my signature on the documents and hand them back to Brody.
“All right. I’ve got about a million emails to respond to, so I will see all of you down in the lobby at two.”
“You got it, boss.” Sabrina stands.
The three of them exit my office, and I get back to work.
My phone sits next to me. I can almost see it pulse, as if it has a heartbeat.
I want to call Mary. She took the week off from work, and I’m going to see her tonight at the club.
So why do I want to speak to her so badly?
Damn.
I miss the woman.
And that’s unlike me.
I left Keira because she wanted more than I could give. She and I were together for five years, but apart from our scenes together, she wasn’t part of my life. My life consisted of work, work, and more work with my weekend excursions to the club my only interactions with her. They were very pleasurable for both of us. She was a good sub, and I was very attracted to her.
But I didn’t get that squishy feeling.
That squishy feeling that I didn’t even know existed until I met Mary.
I grab my phone and shove it in my top desk drawer.
Except I still know it’s there.
I still want to call Mary.
I suppose it won’t hurt to text her. I grab my phone out of the drawer and pull up her number.
Hi there. I’m looking forward to tonight. I hope you’re having a good day.
Then I hit send.
I read back over the text.
My God. Could it be more boring?
I wait for the three dots to begin moving to signal that she received it and is texting me back.
But she doesn’t.
So I shove my phone in my desk drawer and return to my business at hand. Only an hour to go before my staff and I leave to meet the architects.
And only eight hours to go until I meet Mary at Black Rose Underground.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mary
I sit alone at the bar at Black Rose Underground, wearing the little black dress I wore the first night I met Ronan. Normally, if I’m waiting for a Dominant to meet me before a scene, I dress a little more scantily. Some of the Dominants I play with like lingerie, fishnet stockings, and garter belts. Others like a corset. Some like nothing at all. I’ve only sat at the bar completely nude once. It’s not really my jam. But there are others who stay naked once they get to the club. I look over my shoulder, and my gaze is drawn to a woman dressed in nothing but rope.
It’s a work of art, but I don’t gawk. No one at Black Rose gawks at one another. We admire the beauty—the feast for the eyes—and we look and we smile. But we never stare.
Darius, a Dominant I’ve played with on more than one occasion, approaches me. “Good evening, Blossom.”
“Hi, Darius.”
His gaze homes in on my neck. “Are you up for a little something?”
My cheeks warm as my hand absently wanders to my neck. I’m not collared, which is why Darius can approach me.
“I’m meeting someone,” I say.
“That’s too bad. Someone amazing, I hope.”
“More than amazing.”
He looks into my eyes. “It’s been a long time, Blossom. I’ve missed you.”
Darius is a good Dom. “Yes, we’ve had fun.”
“But you haven’t missed me?”
The truth is…no. I haven’t missed any of my Dominants. Not since the scene with Jackson. “I’ve missed our talks.”