Page 44 of Until I Own You

I’m a different woman now.

I can’t help but wonder how long that will last before I start craving more.

For now, I’m riding the wave of creativity. Picking out fabrics to test with my new design of luxurious sub wear. Edgy designs that will be delicious to tantalize Doms… that may or may not all look like Seth in my head.

“You’re really going all out today,” Abigail says.

“Yep. I’m inspired, what can I say?” I pull out a bolt of black, wide knit lace.

“Any particular reason?”

I glance at her. Abigail blinks her green eyes almost hidden under her feral red bangs. “That question sounds pointed.”

I slide the black lace out and plop it on her stack.

She yelps.

“I’m just saying.” She tucks her chin on top of the bolts to look at me. “You and Dory were kind of cozy.”

Laughter falls out of me. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Well, he was flirting with you, you were dancing–”

I leave the aisle, Abigail at my heels, and head to the front counter. “We were literally paired together, and I had no one to dance with. That’s all it was.”

“Well, good,” she says, the good punctuated as she drops the bolts on the counter in front of the seamstress who runs the shop.

The bolts slide across the counter, creating a mess. The seamstress raises her eyebrow over the thick glasses.

Abigail grits her teeth, trying to smile. She’s in her early twenties, still clinging onto that childlike, oops!-Did-I-do-that? mentality. “Sorry,” she says.

“Three yards of each please,” I ask the seamstress, who gets to measuring and cutting quickly.

I turn my attention back to Abigail, crossing my arms over my chest. “Why are you so concerned with me and Dory anyway?”

Big laugh from Abigail. “Because I’d be concerned about anyone with Dory.”

I narrow my eyes. “Why?”

“Because he’s such a fraud,” she whispers.

“A fraud?” That could mean any number of things.

Abigail blows out an annoyed breath. “He has the whole charming Brit thing going on, but he’s got baggage. So, I don’t want anyone I love getting involved with him.”

“Well, we’re not involved,” I say. But I can’t leave it there. I’m nosy. “But what’s his baggage?”

The seamstress continues cutting, but I can see she’s interested too, turning an ear toward us.

“Well…” Abigail puts on her gossip columnist face, her lips pursed together, eyes widened. “My dad met him when he was traveling Europe after my brothers were born. And Dad always says that if there was one guy wilder than himself, it was Dory. You know, drugs, partying, the works.”

My lips tip down in a frown. I guess I could see it.

“When they’re together, my dad is just a different person. Like, I see the guy who has three baby mamas and has never been married. Until now I guess.”

“I didn’t see that at the wedding,” I say, not sure I buy it.

“Of course you didn’t, Dad was busy,” Abigail says. “Anyway, Dory runs his family’s investment firm, which, ew boring, right? But he and his brother are both total assholes. They’ve done so much shit no random person would get away with. Public indecency, assault, money laundering…” Abigail sneaks a smile. “Of course, that all changed when Dory’s wife left him for his brother.”

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