Page 28 of His to Keep
Shit. He sounds hurt. “I didn’t mean…Luke, we’re atwork. We can’t do this kind of thing at work.”
His eyebrows go up. “I can have you naked in my bed in twenty minutes. Is that better for you?”
The image of the two of us in bed flashes through my mind before I can stop myself. The way he’d looked when he collapsed against the pillows in his room at Club Wyld, sleepy and satisfied as he cuddled me in next to him, asleep within moments. I’d stayed up for a while after, watching him, wondering how on earth I’d gotten so lucky to have a man like him, even only for one night.
It wasn’t luck,a nasty voice in my head reminds me.You were with him because your real dom commanded it.
That cold water feeling rushes over me again. I’m not with Luke. I’m not entirely sure I can ever be with Aden like this again—how can I let him touch me, see my body, dominate me and hurt me, after all this? Regardless, I haven’t even talked to him yet, and that’s definitely something I need to do before I go jumping into bed—or the playroom—with another dominant.
“I have to go.”
Luke must be able to see the resolve in my expression because he doesn’t argue. He simply sits there while I gather my purse and smooth out my hair, watching me prepare to leave. Just as I walk through the door, he speaks.
“This isn’t over, sweet girl.”
Rebecca
Ican’t decide if I’m relieved or terrified the next morning to find an email from Wesley when I first wake up. Luke has insisted that he stay home with Jeff which means my workload was just upped considerably. Luke is hosting a business dinner with new investors at his penthouse this evening. I’m to help the temp secretary in the morning then spend the afternoon running errands for the dinner—including going to Luke’s penthouse to oversee the caterer’s arrival. Since Luke is scheduled for meetings on the other side of town all morning, that means I’m not likely to see him—hence the relief.
It also means I’ll be spending a considerable amount of time in his home, surrounded by a million reminders of the man I already can’t stop thinking about. Working in his home seems unbearably intimate—hence the terror.
Luke lives in a modern high rise. I show my ID to the doorman, explaining that Wesley sent me over, and he sends me right up to the penthouse level. I have to use the key card and enter the code Wesley gave me to even get the elevator to work. The doors slide open right into an entryway and my mouth immediately gapes open. If I thought Luke’s office was impressive, it has nothing on this.
I can see half the city from here. The entire front wall is made of windows. The penthouse has an open floor plan, sleek modern kitchen flowing right into a dining area with a massive metal and glass table for twelve, and then into the living room. The furniture is obviously high end and very modern, lots of glass and metals and sharp angles. It doesn’t look entirely comfortable to me, but it sure does look fancy.
“Wow,” I whisper, walking slowly through the space. I can’t imagine living in a place like this. I remember being surprised, that first night, that Luke could afford to rent a room at the club even when he wasn’t using it. Now I feel a little silly—Luke can clearly afford to buy the whole damn place, many times over.
“Can I help you?”
I jump about three feet in the air, spinning around to see a woman standing in the kitchen. Dressed in slim fitting dark washed jeans and a crisp white button up, she looks more amused at my reaction than uncertain about the presence of a stranger in the house. Her blond hair is swept up into a perfect french twist, her makeup sophisticated and understated. Her only jewelry is a pair of simple diamonds at her ears.
Is she Luke’s girlfriend? The thought has my stomach crashing down to my knees.
He’s just your boss, Rebecca,I remind myself.You don’t get to be jealous about his personal life.
No matter what his filthy magic fingers did to me on his office couch last night.
“I’m Rebecca,” I finally manage to say. “Mr. Davis’s new personal assistant?”
The woman’s beautiful face lights up and she steps around the massive marble kitchen island to approach me. “Rebecca! I’ve heard so much about you!” Now that she’s a little closer, I can see more laugh lines around her mouth and I realize she’s a little older than I’d originally thought. She holds out her hand. “I’m Emily. Mr. Davis’s housekeeper.”
“You’re ahousekeeper?” I blurt out, then smack a hand over my mouth. But I’m seriously shocked. Her clothes are simple, but obviously high end. She looks so…put together. So sophisticated. “I thought you might be his girlfriend,” I admit sheepishly.
She throws her head back and laughs at that. “Oh dear Lord, no.” Her kind eyes are full of mirth as she meets my gaze. “Mr. Davis is the last man I’d ever date. Handsome, but far too stern for me.”
My cheeks heat as I think about how much I like it when he’s stern.
“Are you talking shit about me, Emily?” a low rumbly voice asks from just behind me. For the second time in five minutes, I spin in surprise but this time, it’s Luke who’s standing there.
“What are you doing here?” I gasp.
“Wesley told me you were here, I thought I should show you around.” His eyes gleam in the late afternoon light. “Since you’ll be spending so much time here.”
“Since…I…what?” I’m totally flustered by his sudden appearance. And by the clear insinuation in his tone.
He gives me an innocent look. “In your role as my PA, of course.” He looks over my shoulder at Emily. “What nonsense have you been telling her about me?”
I turn to see her shrugging, that amused look still on her face. “Only that you’re far too grouchy for someone of my exquisite taste. It’s bad enough that I have to see you all day at work.”
