Page 54 of Sex, Lust & Lingerie

CHAPTER 31

Jaime

Ishould have knocked down her fucking door. Pinned her against the wall. Fucked her into submission. Given back her ring and told her the truth. Begged for her forgiveness and then let her know how much I loved her. The sting of regret and rejection coursed through my bloodstream as I trudged into my hotel suite.

A familiar, unwelcome scent immediately assaulted my nostrils. The scent of Vivien’s nauseating floral perfume. Maybe the turndown maid used it or maybe my leather jacket had absorbed it when she was all over me. Shrugging off the jacket, I tossed it onto the couch. The odor lingered, and as I headed to the bedroom, it grew stronger.

Surprisingly, the room was pitch black. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn. I’m certain I’d left at least one light on and the curtains wide-open as I enjoyed the ocean view. It seemed odd to me that one of the housekeepers would adjust my settings. Stepping inside, I flicked on the light switch. My eyes grew round as rage shot through my veins.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Dressed in a skimpy black leather corseted garment, Vivien sat seductively against the headboard of my bed, her fishnet-laced legs spread and steepled, the spiky heels of her thigh-high boots digging into my duvet. Besides her, coiled like a snake, was a leather whip.

Licking her lips, she cupped her melon-sized tits as if she was offering them to me on a silver platter.

“Jaime, I thought you’d like to finish what we started.”

“How the hell did you get in here?”

“Easy peasy.” With a smug smile, she snapped her fingers. “You left Gloria’s name at the front desk, giving her access to your room. I just pretended I was her.”

My blood was simmering. “Get the fuck out of here before I call security.”

She tutted. “Seriously, Jaime, given everything I’ve done for you, I expect a little better.”

“Get. Out. Of. Here,” I seethed. “Or I will throw you out the door myself.”

“Ooh, a little rough play.” She gripped the whip. “Should we get started?”

Reaching the boiling point, I was about to explode. Taking giant steps, I marched over to the bed and snatched the whip out of her hand. In one swift harsh move, I uncoiled it and cracked it on the hardwood floor. The sharp whack echoed in my ears. With more force and fury, I slapped it again against the floor, then met Vivien’s poisonous eyes. Breathing in and out of my nose, my nostrils flaring and my eyes morphing into blades, I struck the whip on the bed, narrowly missing her.

She flinched, then tutted. “Jesus, Jaime. Drink much?”

“Not enough. Now get the hell out of here before you have a souvenir on your body to take home with you.”

My eyes stayed on Vivien as she slowly got out of my bed. If she felt threatened by me, she didn’t show it. Standing up, she strutted over to the chair where she’d left her dress. I watched as she pulled it over her head and shimmied it over her hips.

“Jaime, can you do me a big favor and zip me up?” She looked over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”

Still holding the whip, I did as she asked against my better judgment. Once zipped up, she flipped around.

“My whip, please.”

“It’s mine now,” I gritted out, not wanting to give her any ammunition.

She grinned. “You are so cute.”

Silence.

She grabbed her bag. “Oh, and Jaime, next time I see you, I won’t have to pretend to be Gloria. I will be her. Don’t forget to visit me next week in my new office when I’m CEO.”

Squeezing the whip in my fisted hand, I trailed her as she sauntered toward the door to my suite. Cranking the door handle, she turned to face me.

“Oh, and by the way, if you still want my business, we’ll be revising your BDSM campaign. The woman will be a brunette who looks like me and is cracking a whip. Slowly but surely with Daddy’s blessings, I plan to rebrand the company. Say good-bye to Gloria’s Secret and hello to Forever Vivien. The tagline: Let yourself take control. Don’t you love the sound of that?”

With that, she disappeared. And at that very moment, my cell phone rang twice. Then stopped and rang again. The signal. I slipped it out of my jeans pocket and hit answer.

I listened intently to the familiar voice. Five minutes later, I tossed the whip into a wastebasket, took off my watch, and stripped off my clothes to shower away this evening. In the haze of steam, the antique ring that I’d given Gloria shimmered on the bathroom counter. The two entwined diamond hearts a symbol of eternity.

Toi et moi.

Never Vivien.

Forever Gloria.

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