Page 57 of Emergence and Ascendance

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the bed. Then I laughed at myself.

"You really are on a pussy chase," I muttered.

I headed to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water pound against my shoulders. This was insane. I never mixed business with pleasure, or invited women into my home, not since Aja. I damn sure never helped a competitor take something I wanted but here I was doing all three.

After showering, I pulled on a pair of briefs and poured a glass of bourbon. I settled onto my bed, arms folded behind my head, and stared at the ceiling.

What the fuck was I doing? Scotlyn took a business I wanted and was going to cost me money but she was also sleeping in my guest room. The damn woman was supposed to be one and done. I was going to hand over to someone else at Erogenous but demanded she honor a thirty-day contract.

I lifted my glass and enjoyed the smooth taste of the bourbon, trying to figure out why I wanted this so damn bad. She was the full package-smart, confident, and the perfect submissive. A woman who thrived on control trusting me enough to fully submit was priceless. She was the first woman in years who made me feel something other than temporary gratification.

I wanted her, and for thirty days, I was going to have her.

I was also trying to convince myself this arrangement was just convenient. Having her here meant easier access for both business and pleasure with no time wasted. I didn't have to worry about scheduling shit. I could just walk down the hall.

Regardless, I had just thirty days then we would both move on and life would return to normal. No attachments. No complications. No risk of another betrayal.

In my mind I rationalized all of this but part of me knew I was lying to myself. This wasn't just about convenience for a temporary situation. Scotlyn made me want all the things Aja cheated me of and that was a fucking problem...

I barely fucking slept. Knowing Scotlyn was here made it very difficult to be on my best behavior. So when I opened my eyes the next morning and glanced at my phone, finding two missed calls from Cress, I swiped right past them. There were also several messages from Werner confirming he'd sent the contract. Four hours of sleep damn sure wasn't enough.

I headed to the bathroom to clean up then headed to the kitchen in just briefs. Guest or not, I was going to be comfortable in my home. My first stop was coffee. I set up the machine to produce multiple cups, assuming Scotlyn would want some if she was up early. While it brewed, I ignored several calls from Cress who hit me back to back so I gave in and answered on the third one.

"What?"

"Good morning to you too, sunshine."

"It's early." I grinned.

"It's nine, Christian."

I grunted, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. "What do you want?"

"A little birdie told me you crashed a BWB meeting yesterday."

I groaned. "Jhorie can't hold water."

"She was surprised to see you there and mentioned you being there was about a woman?"

"For the extra hundred grand I donated, she could have at least kept that to herself."

"Hundred grand? Damn, you must really want something."

The coffee finished brewing so I poured a cup and leaned against the island. "Is there a reason for this call?"

"Who is Scotlyn Whitney to you and why were you crashing her meeting?"

"Mind your business."

"You are my business. You're my brother."

"Not when you're being nosy."

"Christian." Her tone shifted to the one she used with her kids. "Do you have something going on with this woman?"

"No."

"Jhorie thinks you do."

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