I picked up the pen, gave him one last glare for good measure, and wrote down my name.16LandonGrant found me in my office at The Golden Pecker, where I was going over the latest financial figures. The club was wildly profitable, which was thanks to the way William had decided to structure the memberships. Becoming a member of The Golden Pecker wasn’t a right, it was a privilege, and it was a privilege only obscene amounts of money could buy. The eye-watering price had quickly turned The Golden Pecker into a status symbol that New York’s wealthy elite needed to have attached to their name. Over seventy percent of our membership dues came from people who had never set foot inside the club more than once in the past year.
But they had the coin with the Golden Pecker emblem on it, which meant they got what they were paying for. And that meant our finances for the quarter were as ridiculous as usual.
I looked up at Grant expectantly. “Two visits in a single week?” I had a suspicion I knew why he’d come. I’d all but ignored the warning he had passed to me at the apartment a few days ago. I was letting the rumors boil and fester, and it was all because my situation with Andi made me feel paralyzed. It was like the Minesweeper game I used to play when I was a kid, only every available move nearly guaranteed I’d land on an explosive mine. The only play was to sit still for as long as I could.
My talent in managing The Golden Pecker had always been in how I handled the members. I let the eccentrics have their little corners to play with impunity. I kept the general membership happy with the sort of amenities and special treatment they wanted. I solved disputes in ways that left both parties happy more often than not. But this time, the only solution my members would approve of was the removal of Andi from the equation. That, or I could finalize the will and remove any possibility that Andi would inherit it. My gut told me making a move on the will would push Andi away, but waiting much longer might push my members to the brink of their patience.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?” Grant asked. “I’m assuming you haven’t done anything yet, considering the rumors are only getting louder.”
“I’m making sure my choice is the right one before I act,” I said stonily.
“Yeah, well, there comes a point when planning the quickest escape from a burning building becomes an exercise in futility. You know, the point where the entire building is on fire and every exit is blocked?”
“I’m not out of options yet.”
He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “But the door handles are heating up and there’s smoke filling the stairwell. Also, you would hate to lose those leftovers in the breakroom, so you’re going to have to detour for them before you make your escape.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m just really hungry. I skipped lunch to be here. Speaking of,” he wiggled his eyebrows, saluted, and left.
It was only a few seconds before I heard the clattering of glasses at the bar. Idiot. Admittedly, I liked the idiot, but I definitely didn’t need to tell him that.
I did need to think about how I was going to deal with the club, but every time I tried to focus, I could only see Andi and that stubborn glint in her eyes. Just thinking about tying her up again and watching her squirm for me made my dick stiffen.
Now that she’d signed the contract, she was officially my submissive. I knew she didn’t completely understand what that entailed, but I planned to give her a real taste of it tonight.
All that was left to do was wait until she arrived.17AndiI went through the motions like it was a normal day. I helped write a post about whether you should have your baby wear a helmet in the crib for Rachel, read through one of Bree’s college application letters, and listened to Aubria while she practiced explaining her dissertation to me.
Except I only felt half there. The other half of my mind kept replaying the moment I’d signed Landon’s contract—the contract that made me his property. My imagination had run wild with what tonight was going to be like when I met him at the club.
And then it was time. My stomach felt like it was full of Pop Rocks and my stupid hands wouldn’t stop sweating. Just after midnight, I sent a text to Landon, letting him know I was coming. I still didn’t have a key, so he had to meet me at the secret entrance to the wine cellar and let me in.