Page 12 of His to Keep
“I want to do so much more,” I grumble, fighting off the exhaustion that’s crashing over me. “But I’m so fucking tired.”
“It’s okay,” she whispers, pressing a soft kiss to my thigh.
“It’s not,” I grumble. “Fucking jet lag.”
She gasps. “When you said you just got back…you meant today?”
“Flight landed a couple hours ago.”
“You poor thing,” she coos, and I feel the slide of her skin as she slithers up the bed to my side. “Why didn’t you go home?”
“Saw you,” I slur. So fucking tired. I barely even know what I’m saying. “Couldn’t leave after that.”
I’m not sure if she responds. Sleep is winning this battle, pulling me down into darkness. I’m pretty sure I feel her curl herself against my side, though. Pretty sure I feel the weight of her head as she snuggles into my chest. I manage to get my arm around her, sighing in relief at the feel of her there. I want her to be there all the damn time.
“Sleep,” she whispers in my ear, and I do.
* * *
I’m notsure how long I’m out. There are no windows in any of the rooms at Club Wyld. Someone turned off the overhead light, leaving only a small bedside lamp on.
I don’t have to turn over to know I’m alone in this bed. The knowledge hits me with a fierce disappointment, bitterness flooding my gut. She fucking left. I shouldn’t be surprised. I fell asleep on her in the middle of our scene. But I’d won her for the night, damn it. She’s supposed to still be here.
She probably went back to her dom,a nasty voice in my head whispers, and I bolt upright in bed. Her fucking dom. The guy who absolutely does not deserve to even breathe the same air.
Maybe they’re still here somewhere. Maybe I can catch her before she leaves. The thought of not seeing her again has panic racing through my chest as I hurry to find my shirt and zip my pants. The silk robe I normally keep on a hook by the door is gone and that gives me a little comfort. I like the idea of Rebecca wearing something of mine.
I find my phone sitting on one of the cabinets, where I left it when I came in. A quick glance at the screen tells me it’s nearly seven. Damn it. I slept for eight damn hours. No wonder she left. I sprint out of the room and down the stairs, hoping against hope I’ll find her.
The lounge is nearly empty at this time in the morning. A few couples dot the tables, enjoying an early breakfast after what was no doubt a night of debauchery. But Rebecca isn’t amongst them. I run my hands through my hair, wondering what to do. I could go back behind the steel door, stalk my way through every public room. The subs have a dressing room back there, and it’s probably where The Draw contestants got changed last night. Figuring that’s my best bet, I head in that direction—only to see a man and woman slip through the steel door.
It’s Rebecca. She’s no longer wearing my robe, nor is she in the same state of undress as the last time I saw her. She’s dressed instead in a simple blue dress and sensible short heels. She looks tidy and sophisticated. You would never know by looking at her what she’d gotten into last night. Except for her hair—it’s obvious she tried to tame it, but I can still see the signs of tangles. The knowledge that I’m the one who made her look like that fills my chest with a strange pride.
But then I realize who’s walking out with her, and all the blood in my body turns to ice.
Aden Roth. Aden fucking Roth has his hand on her lower back, guiding her toward the exit. Aden fucking Roth is her dom. Aden, who’s been twice reprimanded for not following club rules. The same guy who runs an awfully shady consulting firm. I don’t know him very well, but I know enough to be sure he doesn’t deserve to come within two feet of Rebecca.
He’s a lot closer than that now, and the sight of his hand on her body has anger coursing through me. She’smine, damn it, and he doesn’t get to touch her. I don’t give a shit if he’s technically her dom. I don’t give a shit what kind of arrangement they have. It became absolutely clear to me last night that Rebecca belongs to me.
So why am I the one standing here, watching her walk away with another man?
Rebecca
I’m going to be late for work.
This is not the way I want to start my Monday—especially because it’s only my second week. Ineedthis job. I was a few weeks from having to move back home when I got the interview. I managed to make my meager savings spread during the hiring process, but if I don’t have a steady paycheck soon, I’m screwed.
So the last thing I intended to do today was show up late. A quick glance at my cellphone after I grab my things from the parked car tells me it will probably only be five minutes, but still. I’d made a point to get here early every day last week, just to show my commitment.
That wasn’t in the cards today, though. I’d slept like shit last night, tossing and turning for hours before finally crashing hard just before four. Instead of pressing snooze when the alarm started its incessant blaring at six thirty, I’d somehow managed to turn it off entirely. I’d woken on my own closer to eight, heart pounding in my chest as I realized I’d slept in.
It’d been the same the night before. And I knew there was only one reason for my shitty sleep and racing mind—him.
I force those thoughts from my head as I hurry into the glass fronted office building. The last thing I need to do is screw up my day even more by allowing myself to get preoccupied with memories of Luke.
But if my weekend was anything to go by, it won’t be that easy to keep him off my mind. In the two days since I met him, it had been impossible to stop reliving our night. The way he looked striding up to the stage in his fine suit, eyes on fire. The way he’d made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the club. The way his hands had stung my ass when he—
Stop it,I order myself as I rush for the elevator. I can’t keep doing this. It was one night and that’s all it will ever be. In the car on the way home the next morning, Aden told me he was surprised to see Luke participate in The Draw. Apparently, he doesn’t come to the club very often. Aden was sure to mention that when Luke does visit Club Wyld, he only interacts with unattached subs or those being shared by their doms. He never seems to have a long-term sub of his own.
