Page 16 of Under Control

“You looked perfect with the light against your body earlier,” he says as if he hadn’t heard me. “Truly, Karine, I want to put you in dresses and show you off.”

“That’s not happening. Are you listening at all?”

“Tonight, when you’re alone in your bed and you start thinking about what we did here, you’ll reconsider. And you’ll call.”

“None of that is happening.” Except for the first part: I amdefinitelygoing to use this as masturbation material for a very, very long time. I hesitate as I turn to the steps. “Seriously, Valentin. Let’s just leave it here, okay? You got what you wanted.”

“No, I only got a very, very small taste of what I really want,” he says.

I don’t answer. I hurry down the stairs, burning with embarrassment and confusion, wishing I understood how the hell that just happened and what I’m going to do next.

Chapter 6

Karine

The depths of my apparent insanity only become clear to me the next day when I’m on shift.

I keep thinking about him.

Valentin coming into Merrick’s studio. Valentin taking off his clothes.

Valentin’s fingers in my mouth as he fucks me into by far the best orgasm of my puny existence.

Valentin’s lazy, beautiful body sprawled on the floor, and the way he watched me with such confidence.

Like in his mind, there was no possibility that I might not do what he wants.

Which actually makes me even more determined to tell him to fuck off.

Midway through my shift, I shoot Merrick a text.

Karine: You’re an asshole, by the way. Don’t talk to me again.

Merrick: Oh, come on, darling, you would’ve done the same in my position.

Karine: I wouldn’t have. I thought we were friends.

Merrick: We are! But I’m also friends with Valentin, and he pays much better than you do. Please, don’t be angry with me. Honestly, from what he told me, it seems you two had a productive conversation.

I stare at the phone, mouth gaping. Did Valentin actually tell Merrick about the sex? But no, he wouldn’t do that.

Karine: Just don’t come around for a while, okay? I’m pretty pissed.

Merrick: All right, darling, I’ll respect that, but don’t stay angry for long.

It isn’t Merrick’s fault I ended up banging Valentin on his studio floor, but I still blame him anyway. He set me up, and that’s a pretty huge violation of our trust. Merrick knew damn well I was sitting up there in nothing but a silk robe, and maybe he didn’t realize I’d have it basically hanging open and sunning myself, but still. He knew, and he sent a hungry lion up to feast on me.

It was a nice feast. But still, screw him.

It’s a slow night at Stove and Smoke. I have a lot of time to stew. I took Plan B earlier, which should handle any potential unwanted pregnancies, and I wonder if Valentin’s the kind of guy that goes around having random unprotected sex with strangers.

I should probably ask him about that. But that would involve having a conversation.

God, what a stupid mess. I’m really kicking myself as I pour drinks and I just barely get through the night.

I head home after closing, around two-thirty in the morning, and take a long, hot shower. Midway through, I start thinking about Valentin, which leads me to thinking about his hands on my body, his mouth on my pussy, the way he wanted me to sayno.

And yeah, I touch myself.

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