She backed down, her eyes finding the floor.
“Eat something,” I ordered.
She marched into the kitchen and pulled out a granola bar. She unwrapped it with contempt, yet I watched her eat it in three bites. Then she came over to stand before me, head down.
“There’s someone new living in the building,” she said.
“Yeah?”
She bobbed her head.
“Which apartment?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t been able to speak with her. I’ve just seen her a few times. She lives somewhere upstairs.”
Her nervous chatter meant she knew what I had come to talk about, and she was hoping to avoid it. I tipped up her chin. “Have you thought about what we talked about?”
“I don’t want to go home,” she said, that defiance back in her tone.
The beautiful girl had left her small town and come to New York to find herself, including her sexuality. Her parents had thought they were sending their daughter to attend Columbia University. Somehow, she’d found herself at my club on a guest night. A beauty like hers, coupled with innocence, left her prey for wolves.
My penchant for beautiful things, including women, and a protective side I couldn’t contain made her a perfect fit as my next sub. I’d taken her under my wing to help her explore all the naughty thoughts she’d been harboring for years. What I’d learned was that she was a sweet girl who liked sex a little rough, including hair pulling and slaps on the ass. She also had a fondness for following rules and took orders well. But in my opinion, she wasn’t a true sub, especially with her stubborn nature.
Not wanting to stifle her voice, I replied, “It’s your choice. But the lease here is ending and you’ll have to find a place of your own.”
She didn’t know I owned this apartment or the one upstairs. Or that I wouldn’t let her be homeless. She may no longer be mine—at my choice—but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel responsible for her. If she couldn’t find a place, I’d have the management company that handled all my real estate offer her a sweet deal so she could afford to stay here.
“I found a job,” she said.
I nodded. “Is it what you want?”
She shrugged. “It’s grunt work, but I’ll be in the newsroom. Maybe I can write a story about you.”
I gave her another stare she’d understand. “Just because you and I aren’t together doesn’t mean our non-disclosure agreement isn’t still in effect.”
She pouted. “I know. I would never say anything about that, but you are news as King’s son.”
“I trust you,” I said, because I did. “I still think you should go home to that boy. What was his name, Linus?”
She giggled. “Liam.”
“Yeah, him.”
“I told you he went to the Air Force a few months before I left for college. Who knows what he’s doing, or who, now? Besides, he’ll never understand,” she said, sounding a little sad.
Bingo. The feelings for this guy were still there.
“He will if you explain it to him.”
Most would find it odd, given how many times I’d seen her naked, that I would push her into the arms of another man. Yet I cared enough about her to do that very thing. She was still sweet, not yet jaded. I feared if she sought another man to take control of her, he might take advantage and not make her needs his highest priority.
“What will I do back home? I have an opportunity to become a real reporter here,” she said.
I couldn’t argue that. “You can start something of your own there. You told me before they didn’t have a paper in your town.”
“Yeah, but half the people there probably wouldn’t read it.”
She might have a point. Only I feared she would be eaten alive in New York if left on her own.
“Think about it. I can help,” I offered.
“I know you would,” she said. “But it’s time I stand on my own feet.”
I couldn’t fault her. “Think about it and let me know. I should go.”
When I stood, so did she—only to remove her sleep shirt and kneel at my feet in a submissive pose. There was a time I would have taken what was being offered. Though her heavy breasts hung full with tight nipples, my cock didn’t stir.
“Good night, Carrie. Eat and sleep.”
I left the apartment with a sigh and took the elevator to the penthouse floor. Though it was the only apartment up there, the elevator didn’t open into the space as two units had been converted into one.
I walked to the door, opened it with my key, and headed directly for my bedroom—where I immediately stopped short. There in my bed, barely covered by silk sheets, was a blonde who looked vaguely familiar. I swept my eyes over a long torso to a small but shapely ass. From a side view, I spied equally small, but seemingly firm, tits. She was lying on her stomach.