Page 4 of Dirty Little Secrets
I wasn’t his wife’s son. Just a mistake.
He might not say it.
But I know how things work. I’m not an heir to his empire but I can build my own.
Bash glances at me in the rear-view mirror. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
3
“Make sure you’re ready at seven, Nori,” Landon’s says, his toned clipped leaving no room for an argument.
I shut down my computer a little too hard, the dull thud drawing Kristina’s attention from the next cubicle. Her eyes flick to Landon as he strides off like the building was on fire. I’m surprised the flimsy makeshift wall behind the monitor didn’t fall over. He acts like being my boyfriend gives him power over my time and wardrobe. I’m surprised he didn’t mention what I should wear.
What an asshole?
“I will,” I call after him, my voice flat.
He barely glances back. “And dress appropriately.”
There it is.
I glance down at my blouse. Soft red. Fitted, not revealing, but that doesn’t matter. If it’s not black covering every inch of my skin, it’s inappropriate.
Kristina waits until the elevator swallows him. “Why do you put up with that?”
I sigh. “It’s….complicated.” She doesn’t know about Seattle. About my mom. About why going back isn’t an option, or more importantly why I’m with Landon.
She tilts her head. “Is it complicated, or just toxic with a dose of control?”
I laugh, weakly. “Maybe both.”
“You owe him nothing,” she says matter of fact. “And I swear, if he has a microdick and you’re dealing with all this?”
My cheeks flush. “Average. At best.”
I’d once asked Landon to pull my hair. Just once. To pretend. He stopped mid-thrust and left the room. Later, he told me men don’t respect women who want that kind of thing. Not the kind they marry. Somehow, I ended up feeling ashamed which given my past, is crazy.
She groans. “Girrrrl.”
“He helped get this job,” I mutter.
“And now he holds it over your head.”
I hate that she’s right.
“You’re hot and way out of his league,” she adds.
I roll my eyes. “He has connections, an apartment, a career. He’s driven.”
“And you’ve got brains and a body. And…what are you wearing tonight?”
“Red dress.”
Her grin spreads. “Now that, I love.”
“He prefers black.”
