His smirk killed the next words I had. “I was kidding, pet. Thank you,” he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my mouth, murmuring, “for the food.”
I wanted to swallow him whole. Exist in only a place where we could be together. No family. No politics.
Us.
Just us being us.
Like we were in that kitchen, but that wasn’t my reality.
“You’re bored.” He pulled away from my mouth, contemplating what he was going to say next. “What can I do to fix your boredom, Juliet?”
My mouth dropped open. “You mean … you would let me leave?”
He arched an intense eyebrow.
“No! Not like leave, leave, but off the premises?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“I could leave and go to the mall or something?”
“This is about you wanting to go to the mall?”
“No, not really.”
“Then how about you use your words and stop talking in circles. If you want something from me, then I expect to hear you address it, understood? I don’t play games.”
“But what if you don’t like what I have to say?”
“Then I take you over my knee and spank your ass raw, but, pet…” He paused for a second. “We both know how much you like that.”
I blushed, bowing my head.
“Juliet.”
His gentle voice made me peer up at him.
“Try me.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Okay.”
He leaned back into his chair, arms folded over his broad chest, waiting. I had to shove away all the dirty thoughts I had of him in that moment, wanting my voice to be heard. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t internally flipping the fuck out.
“Pet, I’m waiting.”
Before he could say anything, I exclaimed, “I’m nervous.”
“Are you scared of me?”
“I don’t want to make you upset.”
“So what you’re going to tell me will upset me?”
“I don’t know.”
He grinned in a devilish way. “Only one way to find out.”
“Fine. I want a job.”
At my request, he jerked back. “A job?”
“Yeah, you know. Something I can do for you.”
“Something you can do for me? More than you already do?”
I smiled at his retort. “I’ll do anything you want, Master.”
“And look at that—when she wants something, she’s polite and respectful.”
I shrugged, hiding back my smile.
“What would you like to do for me?”
“I mean, I could help with things. Like Elaina, maybe?”
“Like Elaina?”
“Yes. She helps with the slaves, right? She helped with me.”
“I see.”
His grin was my undoing. God, I loved it when he smirked like that. I wished I could save them all for when I was sad, for when I missed Romeo, when I missed my old life, my old self, only to realize I wasn’t the same anymore.
I wasn’t me.
I was his.
Owned.
And I never wanted to go back to what once was. As sick as it made me, I never wanted to be well.
I metaphorically dumped the prescription for sanity the day he took me against the piano and laughed at the idea of ever returning to normal. I stayed as calm as I could, looking demure, folding my hands in my lap when all I wanted was to run around the room screaming in excitement.
Finally.
I said what I wanted.
“It’s interesting you decided today was the day to tell me you wanted a job. Considering, I already decided you get to host the next auction. You’ll need Elaina’s help, of course, but you’ll be able to decide the menu down to the first appetizer.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key fob. “Also, I was late because I was out shopping for this.”
“A key?” I took it in my hand, rubbing the Lamborghini symbol so much I was surprised it didn’t rub completely off. “For what?”
“Your new car,” he simply replied, standing to his feet. “I’d get going, by the way. You only have a week to prepare for the next auction, and Elaina needs help with the preparations.”
Stunned, I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing a silk nightie since I had to be naked nearly twenty-four seven. My collar never came off.
“I need to go get ready.”
“She wouldn’t be surprised if you showed up like that.” Donovan shrugged. “But do as you wish. I’m going to go take a shower.”
Panic set in as he began to walk away.
Was he done with me? No longer interested? Why else would he be so accommodating?
The idea of him shoving me away had me ready to fall to my knees. I sucked in a breath. And another. Until all I was doing was trying to breathe.
Donovan grabbed my body and pulled me against him. “Shhh, pet, you’re safe.”
I clung to him, wrapping my arms around his neck so tightly it hurt.
“You wanted this,” he reminded me. “And it’s because of your reaction now that I’m giving it to you. Because you can’t live without the pain or the pleasure. You can’t live without your master, and now you know what it feels like when everything secure in your life looks like it’s washing away.” He pried his body from mine and kissed my forehead. “You need me as much as I need you—never forget it.”
With that, he walked away.
I rubbed the key fob in my hand, realizing, maybe, this was more than a test. This was him giving me the space I needed to thrive.
Even if it killed him.
I quickly got ready, and he met me at the door, letting me know I could drive my new car; however, I must follow the ten guards he was sending with me. At that point, I didn’t care if he had a hundred of them on my ass if it meant I could leave the estate by myself.
He told me Elaina was waiting for me at the other property, the one where Troy had hurt me, triggering my body to shiver at the memory.
If Donovan noticed my reaction, he didn’t call me out on it. I knew he must have noticed; the man noticed everything.
I jumped into my new ride, ready to meet Elaina, only to get sidetracked by the gorgeous SUV and the small card and rose waiting for me on the passenger side.
“Yours,” it read.
His.
I was his.
He was mine.
I sniffed the rose way too long and then started the vehicle.
Minutes later, I was smiling at myself in the rearview mirror of my new Lambo SUV, wondering how the hell he was even able to get one on such short notice.
Suddenly, my mind reminded me of all the times we’d traveled this road in my other car, with my family and friends. All the times I’d looked out the window and wished for purpose, something more, better. All the times I’d compared myself to my brother and everyone else in my powerful family, knowing I’d always come up short.
I frowned at the steering wheel, not even knowing I was taking the familiar exit until it was too late. I drove on autopilot, taking a right, then a left, a right, driving on for five miles until I was in front of the gates. It was ten thousand square feet. Huge. Had brick everywhere and a circular driveway. There was a special entrance in the front, a private entrance in the back. It used to be mine.