Page 22 of The Collector
He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper as he pushed her to a prone position on the bed, his mouth resting on her ear. "Then you'd better be ready for the consequences, Butterfly."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, the door clicking shut behind him with an almost deliberate softness. Mynx lay frozen, the silence pressing down on her like a weight. Her pulse raced, her thoughts tangled in a storm of frustration and longing. Every fiber of her being screamed for him to return, for the touch she didn't want to admit she desired. But he was gone, he'd left her alone with the ache he'd ignited and questions she couldn't answer. There was one thing she was sure of in that moment. He could ignite her passion.
She rose slowly, shaking off the weight of the moment, taking in the room. It was almost as big as her whole house.
Searching for clothing, she approached the dresser, her fingers brushing over its polished surface before pulling open the drawers one at a time to inspect the contents. The first held neatly folded night clothes—soft fabrics in bold colors, each piece exuding elegance. She selected a simple night set, the texture smooth against her skin as she held it. The drawer beneath the first held panties and bras. She selected a matching pair.
With the clothing draped over her arm, she looked for the bathroom. Opening the door near her, she found a walk-in closet. It was empty for the moment. However, it was well-built with ample space for a large wardrobe and even had spaces designed to hold shoes. Closing the door, she checked behind the second. The bathroom was a masterpiece—marble walls gleamed under the soft glow of recessed lighting, and a sprawling bathtub sat like a throne in the center.
Was she wrong to feel almost giddy at the sight?
The luxurious room made it easy to relax. Mynx walked over to the tub, turned on the hot water, and examined the bottles on the counter beside it, choosing one.
A cascade of water poured from the sleek faucet, filling the tub with steaming warmth. Slipping out of her clothes, Mynx let them fall in a heap and eased into the bath. The water embraced her, soothing and indulgent. For a moment, she allowed herself to sink into her mind as the tension in her body melted away.
Her hand glided down her hip bone, sliding to the tender throb between her legs, that still ached with desire for Raven. In her mind, she pictured him watching her as she rubbed her hand in slow circles. Seeing him sitting across the room on the dressing bench. She saw the heat in his eyes as she sucked in her bottom lip and felt each rotation of her finger brush against her. Watching him tense as she took her own breast in her hand and squeezed. It didn't take long for her imagination to engage fully, and it was no longer her hand that coaxed her tender bud.
Behind her closed eyes, she could see him. His long chestnut hair draped over the side of the tub as he leaned in to kiss her neck. Then moved down her body to her nipple, with each lap of his tongue, her arousal rose higher. She could smell him beside her, the mixture of strength and elegance that covered him. Her stomach tightened with the pulse of her desire to come undone for him. The moment he whispered Butterfly in her ear. Shesurrendered to the tide of her orgasm. Her head fell to the side, resting on the ledge of the tub, as her heartbeat fought to regain its normal stride. The heat vanished, leaving only the chill of porcelain and the echo of her own breath in its wake when she opened her eyes.
It scared her—how easily she unraveled for him. How little of herself remained when he entered her mind. Raven made a bad situation worse, in a good way or a bad one. She had yet to decide, but she wanted him more than anyone she'd ever been with, and that excited her. She smiled at the thought, a flicker of hope—or madness—on her lips, as she slipped beneath the water.
The soft sound of knocking pulled Mynx out of a deep, heavy sleep. For a few seconds, she lay there confused as to where she was, tangled in warm sheets, her brain sluggish as she recalled last night's events.
Last night's bath had done its job—maybe a little too well. The heat had soothed both her aching heart and muscles, leaving her completely drained. Even now, the drowsiness clung to her. The knocks came again, steady and patient. Whomever it was, they weren't giving up.
Throwing back her silky sheets, she looked for the key to the door. It had been in her hand when she'd fallen asleep last night. The knock came again, this time more persistent.
"Just a minute, I'll be right there, hold on." She pushed the covers down to the bottom of the bed, but there was no key. Lifted the pillows, no key. Getting on her knees, she looked under the bed; the brass key must have fallen during the night.She wasn't sure why holding it made her feel safe enough to drift off the night before, but it worked.
The knock sounded again. Followed by an unknown female voice.
"Mynx—my name is Shelby, I'm here to go over today's schedule with you." The voice sounded small through the door.
Unlocking the door, Mynx swung it open.
"Oh." The woman appeared startled, as if she had begun to expect no answer.
"Yeah, what do you want? And for the love of God, why are you pounding on my door at the crack of dawn? Feels like I just went to bed a few hours ago."
The woman straightened her posture slightly. She had a kind face and was dressed like a business professional, in a deep purple jacket and skirt, paired with a violet blouse and matching flats. She seemed to take a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, brushing her thick brown hair behind her shoulders as she did. Mynx's question clearly surprised her.
"Right," she said. "Like I was saying before, I'm Shelby, Ravens assistant. We have a busy schedule today; I needed to get you up and moving so you can meet with Raven after breakfast to sign your NDA and contract. "She looked back at the clipboard and continued, without taking a breath, it seemed. "After that, you have an appointment with Dr. Emily, you'll have a general physical as well as an OBGYN consultation. We'll need to get a clean bill of health for you before we can go shopping for your wardrobe this afternoon." She took a breath and moved her pencil down her checklist.
"Hey-uh- Shelby, if you could just slow down a bit for me. I'm really not a morning person, not to be rude, but I think I'm gonna need a pot of coffee before I can deal with the level of overachievement you are expecting from me here." Taking herhand from the door handle, she turned, leaving it open, walking back to the bed, pulling the covers back over herself.
Shelby laughed at the comment but followed her into the room. "Ah- Mynx, wait no— you can't go back to bed, really— I need to get you on track. Mr. Cordoba, -ah-Raven, not senior, really wants to make sure that we get things moving this morning. So, you can start work at the club next week." She walked into the room and towards the bed, still talking as she did.
"Then I suggest you tell Mr. Fancy Pants Cordoba to send caffeine, stat," Mynx muttered, laying her head back on the pillow. Reaching beside her, she grabbed another pillow and covered her head with it. The soft sound of her door clicking shut was the only indication that Shelby had left the room.
Good, I can go back to sleep.
It felt like mere minutes passed before the faint clatter of dishes echoed through the hallway. A soft knock at the door followed, accompanied by the gentle sound of footsteps approaching her bedside.
"I have your coffee; now, can you please get out of bed, Mynx. "There was a plea in Shelby's voice that made Mynx want to comply.
Pulling her head out from the pillow, she sat up. Shelby poured a cup of coffee. "Cream? — Sugar?" she asked. A kind smile wrinkled her eyes with the question.
"Both- and plenty of it please. "Shelby handed her the cup and sat on the bed beside her.
