“Your blessing?” Had he heard correctly? “You aren’t her father. You aren’t even related. She’s your employee. You pay her to work for you. Outside of that, she’s a grown woman who can do whatever the hell she wants.”
“Yes, she is my employee. She’s also a young single woman who lives in my house. Add in the fact that she’s a submissive and I’m a Dom, you damn well know I’m going to do anything in my power to protect her from . . .”
“Protect her from Doms like me?” Simon finished for him. “That’s what you mean, isn’t it? If I were a Dom like Luke or Daniel, you wouldn’t have an issue with me. Hell, I could be into the twenty-four/seven thing like Cole and you wouldn’t mind. But I’m not like them, am I? I’m a sadist, and that’s not good enough for her.”
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair. “I think you just put an awful lot of words in my mouth that I never said. And you’re wrong. I wouldn’t want her with Cole either.”
“I don’t hear you denying that you don’t want her with me.”
Nathaniel sighed, obviously torn. He scrubbed his face. “Would a sadist be my choice for Lynne? No. I won’t lie about that.”
“She may have lived under your roof for almost a year, but you have no clue what her needs are. Lynne’s a masochist.”
He’d rarely seen Nathaniel surprised, but hearing his nanny, the woman he viewed as a little sister, was a masochist? That did it. His look of utter and complete shock didn’t last long.
“Well, if that’s what she needs? Who am I to argue?” Nathaniel asked, seeming to have rebounded quickly. “Just because something isn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I do wish you would have told me when you started seeing her.”
“I know and I apologize for that. As soon as I talked to her, I should have told you. If the situation were reversed, I’d be mad at me, too.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m mad. Disappointed? Yes. But maybe more than anything, surprised as hell about Lynne. And not just the masochist part. Abby told me all about how Lynne kept her true identity from you.” Nathaniel laughed. “Did she really convince you her name was Faye and you didn’t know it was her?”
Simon could have groaned. He would never live this down. It made him want to spank her again. Or maybe fuck her ass. “How was I to know it was her middle name? I thought she was scared about being recognized in public. I didn’t know it was just me she wanted to hide from.”
They both had a chuckle over the situation even though Simon wasn’t at the point that he thought it was funny yet. But in the midst of laughing, he grew serious at one thought.
“How did you find out?” he asked. “Did Abby tell you?”
Nathaniel frowned. “No. Abby’s loyal to a fault, but she also can’t lie. She only told me when I asked her directly.” He watched Simon carefully as he added, “I actually got an e-mail from an Anna Beth.”
Simon fisted his hands. “When?”
“Last night, and I’m glad you brought it up because I want to discuss her with you as well.”
“She’s a mistake. I played with her twice, and that’s two times too many.”
“She’s also a criminal.”
“What?” Whatever he’d been expecting Nathaniel to say, it hadn’t been that.
“Alleged, anyway. After I got her e-mail, I called Luke, since she mentioned his club. Come to find out he’s had Jeff Parks and his security team look into her. It appears as if she’s been siphoning money from the law firm she works at.”
“Really?” Simon wasn’t sure why that surprised him.
“Yes. We’ve alerted the authorities, of course. They’re following up on their end, but I expect her to be charged and brought in at some point today.”
“Hopefully they’ll lock her up and throw away the key. She called Lynne right before you got here and upset her horribly. I need to go check on her and make sure she’s okay.” He stood up and pushed back from the table.
Nathaniel did the same. “Do you think I should—”
He didn’t hear what Nathaniel said next because the elevator doors opened and Lynne walked out, carrying a suitcase.
“Lynne?” Simon asked.
Her head jerked up and her red-rimmed eyes told him she’d been crying again. Dammit. Had Anna Beth called her back? He walked to her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms and fix whatever had made her upset.
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t come near me.”
Her words were like a punch in the gut. “Lynne?”
“I’m done. Do you hear me? Done. I’m not doing this anymore. She wins.” Her whole body shook and he got the impression she hadn’t been crying because she was sad or upset, but rather that she was angry.
“Where are you going?” he asked. “You’re in no shape to be driving.”
“I don’t need you to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
Nathaniel took a step closer to her, but she held out her hand to stop him. “You, too. I can’t believe you showed up here. Like I’m a child. Screw you, Nathaniel. I quit.”
Though Simon wanted nothing more than to sit her down and try to figure out what the hell was going on, he realized she needed space at the moment. That didn’t, however, mean he was letting her get behind the wheel of a car. Simon was getting ready to forcibly take her keys, when one of the staff members stepped into the courtyard.
“Your cab is here,” he said, looking at Lynne.
“Thank you,” Lynne told him. She turned and glared at Simon. “See? I’m not an idiot. I can take care of myself.”
“I never called you an idiot. Let’s sit down and discuss what’s upset you so much.” He felt like he was trying to reason with a wild animal. He was afraid the outcome wouldn’t be much different.
“Sorry,” she said, though it was clear she wasn’t sorry at all. “My cab’s here.”
“Did Anna Beth call you back?” Simon asked, but she kept walking. Though she did flip him the bird.
But why would she answer her phone? Especially Anna Beth’s number? He didn’t think she’d pick up an unknown number, either.
“What the hell was that?” Nathaniel asked as they watched her backside retreat. “I’ve never known her to act like that.”
“Something happened.” Now Simon needed to figure out just what it was. “I’m going up to the room to see if anything there can shed light on what just happened.”
“Mind if I come?”
“No. Let’s go.”
They took the stairs, walking in silence. Simon was glad Nathaniel didn’t try to carry on a conversation; he needed to think. What could have possibly happened from the time he’d left her in the demo room to when she stormed outside? He hoped there was something in the room that offered some kind of clue.
He saw it as soon as he opened the door. On the large-screen television in the living area was a paused image of him and Anna Beth. She was on her knees, sucking him off, and he had her hair fisted in his hand. It appeared to be from the second time they played together. He cursed and crossed the floor, stepping on an opened envelope. It carried his return address and was addressed to Lynne.
Nathaniel picked it up. “If this was Anna Beth, it’s a bit low-tech for someone with her skills.”
Simon took the remote from the coffee table and turned the television off so he wouldn’t have to see that image anymore, though it was already too late; it was burned inside his memory forever. He could only imagine how Lynne had felt seeing it.
He’d known Luke had security cameras in his club, so he wasn’t surprised the video existed. What made him angry was that it’d been hacked.
“Low-tech or not,” he replied, “the damage is done. Anna Beth got what she wanted.”
Nathaniel gave him a pointed look. “What about what you want?”
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks later
Lynne splashed water on her face and told herself to stop