Page 45 of Power and Possession

I stepped into the bathroom and washed my face. I figured Steele would be coming back in, and I felt unkempt and gross.

Just as I was done in the bathroom, the door opened and Steele entered the room, carrying a large tray. He was shirtless, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His knees hit the bed, and he laid back with his back on the headboard. I hesitated, but Steele gave me a scowl and patted the other side of the bed emphatically. I gave in, the smell of bacon drawing me close.

I wasn’t sure who’d arranged the tray, Glinda or Steele, but there were a couple of croissants, fresh cream and strawberries, and bacon and sausage. There was a rose on the tray as well, and I blushed when I thought about what Steele had done with the rose the previous night.

Steele drank a cup of coffee, and I brought a glass of orange juice to my lips. He watched me drink, his eyes unmoving from my face.

“You’re making me nervous.”

He kept his gaze trained on me. “You make me nervous. You make me question everything I’ve ever known.”

I gulped, the guilt tugging at my insides.

Steele didn’t seem to notice and scrolled on his phone while I played with my food.

“Ashlynn?”

“Yes?”

“I have to go run a meeting for one of the foundations I’m on the board of. After that, I have a surprise for you.” He didn’t look up from his scrolling, missing the shocked look on my face.

“What kind of surprise?”

“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously, and then kissed me on the lips like a husband off to work. “Can you be ready to go in an hour?”

“Yes,” I stammered, still unsure as to what the hell wasgoing on.

“Good girl,” he said, as he left his room. I found myself getting turned on by his phrase so I figured a cool shower would be in order.

I took the tray off the bed and placed it on the coffee table. What kind of surprise would Steele plan? Another event? Some dirty little sex game? Although, after last night, I couldn’t imagine he would have anything ultra dirty in mind. The way he slowly made love to me last night was so pure. I’d never experienced such a true connection—and it frightened me to my very core.

I finally went back to my borrowed room and into the bathroom to take a shower and dress for whatever Steele had in store for me. I turned on the water, opting for a warm shower instead of a cold one at the last minute. I got in, amazed that even the shower curtain was brought over from my old apartment. The warm water hit my back and washed Steele’s scent off my body. I smelled like a mixture of the two of us, and I had a feeling that after last night he smelled of me too. I found myself wondering if he would shower or want to keep the smell of me on him all day. He certainly enjoyed my scent when he—I quickly turned the water to cold and punished myself for my thoughts. No more thinking about Steele. I’d have to condition myself to disregard him.

I shampooed my hair, enjoying the familiar brands I was used to. My sugar cookie scented body wash was even brought over, and it made me think of Christmas as I lathered up.

I dried off and blow dried my hair, letting the ends fall in loose curls like Steele preferred. Whenever my hair was free, he loved to wind the tendrils around his finger and—oh boy. This Steele boycott was going to be harder than I initially planned.

I dressed in jeans and a feminine, pale-blue blouse, and then I put on my black booties. I wasn’t sure where we were going or what the surprise was, but I wanted to look nice in case it included going into the city. I’d just finished putting on my make-up when Steele entered my room.

“You didn’t knock,” I said, pulling out a jacket from the closet.

“Everything in this house belongs to me—including you.”

I was going to fight with him, but he gave me a grin and I let it slide. He was goading me for fun. For whatever reason, Steele liked it when I disobeyed and pushed him. The more I became a pain in his ass, the more—well, the more he seemed to want mine. I blushed at the thought, and then turned my head to hide it.

“Are you ready?”

I picked up my handbag and dumped my lipstick in it. “As long as I’m dressed sufficiently for whatever you have planned.”

His blue eyes moved up and down my body. “You’re always perfect.”

I tried not to let his comment get to me. His praise was getting harder and harder to ignore.

Steele left the room, and I followed him as he made his way to the garage. It was starting to get chilly. I shivered, wishing I’d brought gloves or a scarf.

Steele seemed to know what I was thinking. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm,” he said with a wink.

Today’s car was a Bugatti. He opened the door for me, and then started the car. I watched idly as the countryside passed by for a few minutes. Steele glanced at me out of his peripheral vision, like usual. He was hyper aware of everything I did, and it surprised me that he had no idea that I was plotting a major betrayal against him. I tried to shove the thought aside as it washed over my brain.

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