Page 113 of Corrupt Game

We needed each other to get through this. She had the same drive and desires that I did, and it would be a waste to ignore the chemistry that flowed between us.

A sigh of relief filled me when she accepted my offer to come back to the condo. Granted, she’d done it in her own sassy way, but that was one of the things I’d grown to love about her.

I’d meant it when I offered to have her as a partner and not exclusively as a submissive.

Her question to Rossi had made me pause.

She was smarter than I’d given her credit for. If we were to get along and start fresh, then Rossi had to approve of her. Until he did, there would be such a wall between the three of us that the tension would be unbearable.

There were reasons for the things that Collette had done, but I wouldn’t have guessed that she was racked with guilt over her actions until she explained her lack of knowledge about Andrew’s current life.

She couldn’t have known what was going on in Andrew’s life if he hadn’t wanted her to know. As a schemer, he knew when to be closed-mouthed about what his plans were. Unless he wanted her to know about Heather and the baby, he would have made sure to keep her as in the dark as possible.

It was funny the way in which she was so street savvy and tough, but yet all those around her just wanted to protect her.

Andy knew the kind of people he was involved with, and he had to keep her out of it. I was grateful that he did. This world needed Collette in it. I for sure did.

There was something about how she acted that made me want to try to protect her forever, too. Yeah, I’d done a great job up until now. I’d been the one doing all the torturing, which ended up hurting her instead of protecting her.

I felt defensive about my actions. In my case, I’d always thought that was just how I was built, but that was complete bullshit. I got off on seeing other people in pain. Not understanding where the twisted wires in my brain happened, I just knew I had to be careful.

Unfortunately, I was a monster. Unsure of what she could possibly see in me, I vowed to do better if she’d forgive me. And do everything I could to ensure she did.

I walked into the bedroom and listened to the water running. When she emerged from the room, she’d changed into comfortable clothes, looking like a sexy treat.

“Would you do me the honor of sharing my bed?”

She looked like a skittish horse that wasn’t going to trust the sugar that I held in my hand.

I confessed, “I have never had any of my other contracts sleep with me. They’ve always stayed in the guest room or the basement.” I hoped that helped to reassure her that I was willing to change.

There was one last thing that had to happen. I picked up the contract that she’d signed two months ago and ripped it in half.

“We’ll have you sign an NDA and a normal assistant contract when we get to the office tomorrow. For now, I’m trusting you in a way I’ve never trusted anyone before. No more games,” I promised. I vowed. I would try my best.

She nodded and climbed into bed, curling up next to me.

I found myself putting an arm around her and pulling her up close. Satisfaction and peace rolled throughout my body. At the simple act of holding her, I found my place in the world, and I wouldn’t let it go without a drag out war.

There was no way that I could make up for all the things I’d done to her, but at least I could try.

~~~

When I woke up, she was still sleeping.

Her beauty could still catch me off guard. Never before had I waxed poetic, and I wouldn’t now, but it would be a lie if I said I didn’t feel the need singing through my veins. Caressing her skin would be the only way she could hear it. Action was my romantic language.

Unused to having anyone near me when I was asleep, it had been a huge leap of trust to actually close my eyes with another person in the room.

As I lay there, millions of thoughts were running through my brain.

While I wanted to work things out with Collette, I found myself turned on by her need for revenge. The motivations for her actions when she had submitted to me hadn’t been how I wanted to win her over. Somehow she had still managed to keep her own independence, even while bending like a reed.

It was nice to see that she had a fire inside to keep her going. She wasn’t fake or using it as just an act. It was the real thing. I wanted and needed her in my life way more than I could ever have imagined before meeting her.

There was something about her that intrigued me. She’d lived such a hard life up until I’d met her. It was amazing that she was willing to consider giving me a second chance. Although, I suppose that because of my ties to Andrew; it had made her more willing to accept me.

If it wasn’t for him, she would never have walked in through my doors, and she sure as hell wouldn’t have stayed and put up with my games.

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