Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I’ve never wanted anyone so badly in my life. Every other woman before her is a wisp of imagination, nothing more than a fading dream whose plot lines I’ve forgotten. I already know making love to her would be fucking unforgettable.
I pull away with reluctance. “We have to go,” I mumble with a growl.
“Where to? They can wait,” she says, reaching for my collar.
“Savannah,” I groan. “I have to do interviews.”
“Fuck the interviews,” she whispers in my ear, giving me one more kiss. I kiss her back, then release her, slide her onto the floor and give her a warning look.
“Don’t tempt me, woman. I mean it. If you tempt me again—”
“You’ll show me the closet?” she asks hopefully.
I narrow my eyes at her. “No, I’ll tie you to my bed and bring you to the edge of climax and leave you there.”
“Thayer!” she gasps. “You wouldn’t!”
I give her a stern look. “I would. Happily.” My imagination quickly darts down the dark alley of what orgasm denial would look like with her.
Fuck.
“Okay, alright,” she says. “What do you want me to wear?”
I swallow and walk over to the wardrobe where I’ve instructed my staff to put clothes I picked out for her. I choose a slim-fitting pair of black jeans and a low-cut pale blue cashmere sweater.
“This is the softest thing I’ve ever felt,” she says. “It’s like wearing a cloud!”
My chest swells. I tug a lock of her hair. “You like it?”
“Love it.”
Once she’s dressed, I open a small black box I’ve kept on top of my dresser. “The final piece,” I say, opening the box. My heart turns when I see the fine links of metal and the heart-shaped lock. I lift the collar and hold it up for her. “You’ll wear things to indicate you’re with me.”
She watches silently, her lips slightly parted, as I slide the necklace around her. I lock it and slide the key into my pocket.
“I’m not sure how they’ll know that I’m—”
I slide the second piece of the necklace out of my pocket and she eyes it warily. I snap the chain on her neck.
TWELVE
Savannah
I am going to be led through Le Luxe with a collar and chain around my neck.
A week ago, I’d have thought this was not only preposterous, but also insulting.
Now, I find myself more aroused by a piece of jewelry than I ever thought possible. Because it isn’t the jewelry, I realize fairly quickly.
It’s what it symbolizes.
I know he doesn’t want to be a couple. I’ve gathered that much.
But it’s actually not that he doesn’t want to.
My gut says that something happened to him. He’s afraid. He doesn’t want to misstep or push me away. But I know that if he truly didn’t want me here, he’d have gotten rid of me a long time ago. And I know that if I wanted to be his, my sister or Fabien’s protests wouldn’t sway me. I’m a grown woman and fully capable of making my own life choices.
Thayer commands this club. They call him sir and they obey his command. He’s basically the commander in chief of Le Luxe, so I don’t actually believe he doesn’t want to overstep because he fears his brother’s disapproval. That’s out of character for him. Thayer apparently fears no one but himself.
For some reason, he doesn’t trust himself with me, and I want to know why.
Now isn’t the time for questions, though. Now’s the time I pay attention to every damn detail I can because this is where shit gets real.
I’d been blindfolded and whisked through Le Luxe so quickly, I’ve barely gotten to see what it holds. Now, he’s bringing me along as if I’m with him, and that makes all the difference in the world.
“You’re shaking like a newborn kitten,” he says as he fastens the length of chain on my collar.
“You’re collaring me,” I say, unable to hide my excitement. “That’s a leash. This is where shit gets real and I’m so fucking excited.”
He opens his mouth to say something, then thinks better of it. Instead, he leans in and kisses my cheek.
“You’re beautiful,” he says as he turns away, as if he doesn’t expect a response. He says it like it’s a fact, as if he doesn’t tilt my entire world on its axis with every compliment he gives me.
I open my mouth to thank him, when a sharp shake of his head stops me. “No more talking without permission. We’re going into the club, and you know what that means.”
I nod. Risk. Exposure. Danger.
“I’ll conduct these interviews as quickly as possible, then we come back here and have lunch while Cosette does her magic.”
Since I’m not allowed to talk, I only nod again.
I wonder who he’s interviewing. New dungeon masters? Security guards? Private chefs to make the fancy meals? Is this something Fabien would handle if he were here, or is it part of Thayer’s job description?