Page 19 of The Owner's Temptation

It sounds… simple. And yet, my stomach twists.

I think about Elena—untouchable, desired, in control. But then I think about myself.

I’m not her. I don’t have her confidence, her experience.

Hell, I don’t have much experience at all.

A dull heat creeps up my neck. My only real partner was Ben, who barely put in any effort and never even?—

I shake the thought away, suddenly hyper-aware of how little I know about pleasure—real pleasure. The kind that makes a person weak. The kind that makes them pay for it.

Am I even capable of this?

The question echoes in my mind, sharp and taunting.

I think of Elena and Eve, standing at the front of the room—poised, confident, completely in control. They are the kind of women who command attention, not just receive it. Who hold power over the men in their lives, rather than being at their mercy.

I want that.

I want to walk into a room and own my space, not shrink into it.

I want to know what it feels like to be desired—truly desired—not as an afterthought, not as something to be tolerated or overlooked.

I want to be the one with the power.

For once.

My fingers tighten around the pen, my pulse drumming against my ribs.

A voice in my head sneers,You weren’t even enough for your ex.

I shove the thought down, refusing to let it sink its claws into me.

This isn’t about him. It’s about me.

I scan the contract again, my mind grasping at every rationalization.

It’s not a commitment. Just training. A few weeks of learning, of discovering—of figuring out what I even want.

If I hate it, I’ll walk away.

If nothing else, I’ll walk away debt-free.

Ten thousand dollars a week.

The number alone makes my stomach tighten.

I could pay off my credit cards, wipe the slate clean. Get out of this apartment—out of the place that still smells like him.

I could start over. Really start over.

My eyes flick to Elena again.

She built a life on her terms. She carved out space in a world that would have gladly overlooked her.

I want that, too.

I want to know what it’s like to choose—not just settle for what’s given to me.

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