I regard him. His bare chest, muscled arms, bronze shoulders, perfectly sculpted abs. There is so much more to Braden Black than meets the eye, and even though he’s let me get closer than anyone, I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface.
He’s a good man. An excellent businessman. A philanthropist. A dominant.
A generous man and a generous partner.
So much to love.
And I do love him. I love him so damned much.
But there will always be a part of Braden I can’t touch.
Always.
And I have to accept that.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
My phone rings, waking me from a sound sleep.
I jerk upward. Where am I? Still at Braden’s penthouse in Manhattan. I look toward the other side of the bed. No Braden.
Shit! My phone’s still ringing.
“Hello.”
“Skye, it’s Eugenie Blake.”
“Oh.” I clear my throat. “Good morning, Eugenie.”
“Good morning?” She laughs.
I eye the clock on the night table. Noon? My God. No wonder Braden’s gone. He’s probably already put in five hours this morning.
“Sorry. Afternoon,” I say. “What can I do for you, Eugenie?”
“I’m just calling to see if you’ve made a decision on the contract yet.”
“Oh. Yes. I’d be delighted to sign with you. I can bring it by your office today.”
“That would be great. It will be wonderful to see you again. How does two p.m. sound?”
“I can do that. See you then.”
Now, where did I put the contract? First things first. I need a cup of coffee and a shower. I rise and stretch—
Ouch! My arms and shoulders are sore.
I don’t mind, though. It’s a reminder of how Braden bound me last night, just the beginning of what he has in store for me.
Excitement courses through me. I don a robe quickly and walk to the kitchen to get some coffee. I have to start a pot. No Marilyn here to make me coffee no matter when I rise. Odd that Braden doesn’t keep a staff here.
I laugh out loud. Since when is not having a full-time staff odd? God, I sound like Addie.
Time to come back down to earth, thank you very much.
Once the coffee is brewed, I pour myself a cup and head back to the bedroom. I shower quickly and dress in another one of the outfits chosen for me by Mandy, the personal shopper Braden hired. Now, to find the contract. I’m due at Susanne Corporate in an hour, so time is of the essence.
I text Braden, but he doesn’t reply. Probably in a meeting.
Crap! We were reading it in the kitchen before we met Eugenie and the team for dinner. I head back to the kitchen. No contract. The dining table. Nope. It isn’t in the bedroom, so where is it?
Okay. Not a huge deal. I can ask Eugenie for another copy and sign it at our meeting at two. But that won’t make me look very responsible.
Where is the fucking thing?
Shit! Why did I offer to bring it by? Why didn’t I just say I’d have it messengered over?
I sigh. If I were a signed Susanne Cosmetics contract, where would I be?
Does Braden have an office here? Other than the big one in the front of the penthouse?
Who knows?
Ding!
I jerk. A text from Braden. Thank God.
I had it messengered over to Eugenie this morning.
Fuck. That’s right. He said yesterday he’d do that. How could I have forgotten? Now I look disorganized. I have a meeting with Eugenie to deliver the contract, which she’ll already have in her possession by then.
I text him back.
Okay. Thanks. I’m on my way to see Eugenie.
Then I race toward the elevator, using the card Braden supplied me with. Time to hail a cab.
…
I walk into the building that houses Susanne Corporate, check in with security, and make my way to the elevator.
Only to see—
“Skye. Back again?”
Addison Ames. Seriously?
“Yes,” I say simply.
An elevator opens.
And it’s fucking empty.
Which means I get to ride up to floor twenty-seven with Addie.
Only Addie.
I hold my head high and enter the elevator ahead of her. I push twenty-seven. “Floor?” I ask her.
“Same,” she says.
Which I already knew anyway, but I was hoping she was going somewhere else.
“You’ll make a wonderful discount-cosmetics influencer,” she says snidely.
God, she’s such a bitch!
“Nice outfit,” she continues.
I say nothing.
“Cat got your tongue today, Skye? Or has Braden forbidden you to speak?”
Nice touch. Not only does she diss my new contract, she brings Braden into the mix, and she seems to know he likes to keep me from speaking during sex. Not surprising, since she also knows about his penchant for nipple clamps and butt plugs.
I say nothing.
But only for a couple of seconds.
Before I can stop myself, I turn to Addie, my temper on fire. “You want to have it out? Take your best shot.”
She gazes down at her hand, looking at her perfectly manicured fingernails. “Please. Your immaturity is showing, Skye.”
I resist the urge to whip my hands to my hips. And the urge to bitch-slap her. “My immaturity? I’m not the one sending snide texts and making rude remarks.”