“You do realize life isn’t a romance novel, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes. If it were, I’d already be married to a half dozen strapping men with various kinks who spend every waking moment ensuring I am sexually and emotionally satisfied.”
“Six men seems like overkill. I have a feeling the one will do.” Still, something Gabby had said caught Mina’s interest. “So, random question that has nothing to do with anything but, if you had to pick a favorite kink, what would it be?”
“Why?” The greedy interest coming off Gabby was palpable, even through the phone. “Is the sexy lawyer man kinky?”
“Maybe. Probably, yeah.”
“Okay, now youhaveto tell me everything. Did he tie you up? Smack your ass and call you a bad girl?”
Laughing, Mina dropped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. “There was definitely ass smacking. And he did call me naughty girl once but there were more ‘good girls’ than anything.”
“Oh, fuck, that’s hot. What else?”
With anyone else, she would have left it at that, if she’d even shared that much. But this was Gabby, her best friend since high school, and the most open-minded person Mina knew. If she couldn’t talk to her about it, she wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone. “He, um, made me call him Daddy.”
“Oh yeah?” There was no judgment, just sincere curiosity in her tone. “Did you like it?”
“I did. Way more than I thought I would. I never really thought I was into that stuff but with him…” Mina blew out a breath. “Like you said. Hot.”
“You dirty little slut. I’m so proud of you. Oh!” Gabby gasped, then giggled. “You should get him to call you that sometime. I went on like three fuck dates with this one guy who called me all kinds of dirty, nasty names and I still use those memories when I’m having some personal time, if you get my drift.”
“You are the only person I know who would be proud of me for getting freaky on a second date. I love you. I don’t know about the name calling, though.” That was just pushing things too far.
Wasn’t it?
“I love you more, and you should definitely give the name calling a try. Life changing, I promise. But for now, tell me everything, in excruciating detail. I haven’t gotten any good dick in weeks, so I need to live vicariously.”
Because it was Gabby, and because she was secretly dying to tell someone anyway, she shared the entire evening from beginning to end. Including their kiss goodnight and his growled promise of how he would punish her if she didn’t behave.
“That’s it. I officially need a piece of this man. Does he have a brother?”
“He does, but the brother lives in New York. And as far as I can tell, they aren’t close.” Which was a mystery she was dying to solve, even if she couldn’t print it. “I got the impression he’s estranged from pretty much his entire family, actually.”
“Oh, wow. Did he say why?”
“No. He pretty much shut down any conversation around his past at all.”
“Doesn’t he know that’s just going to make you even more curious? Silly man.”
“I don’t think he does, actually. I get the impression he’s used to being obeyed, more or less without question.”
Gabby’s howl of laughter was infectious, and it was several long minutes before the pair was settled enough to speak again. “Seriously, though,” Gabby managed between gasps for breath. “He really thinks you’re just going to, what? Be a good girl and never ask about it again? Boy, is he in for a surprise.”
Ignoring the twinge of guilt her friend’s words inspired, Mina changed topics and they chatted for a while longer before ending the call. The second they did, Mina immediately grabbed her laptop from the computer bag she kept beside the bed and pulled up her research on the Banks family of New York City.
“What is it about them you hate so much?” she muttered as she scrolled article after article about the family’s philanthropic activities. Not only did they throw money around like it was going out of style, they seemed genuinely involved in the local community. More than one youth center owed its continued existence to Cyrus’s family.
So what was he running from?
She searched her saved items, finally locating one of the few family photos she’d been able to find of all four of them together. The boys were almost a perfect mix of their parents. Mrs. Banks stood tall and proud behind her sons, her dark hair spiraling down in tight, sleek coils. The bold amethyst silk of her dress complemented her amber skin perfectly, lending her an almost regal air, and Mina couldn’t help but wonder if that was where Cyrus had gotten his fashion sense from, even more so than the stars.
Beside her stood Mr. Banks, only a few inches taller, the pale gold of his hair swept back in waves from a face that looked to be chiseled from stone, his slender form showcased in a well-cut suit with a tie and pocket square to match his wife’s dress. They were a striking pair, a study in contrasts, and if Mina didn’t know any better, she would have sworn they’d hand-picked the genes they’d wanted handed down to their equally striking sons.
All four members of the Banks family were polished, poised, and perfect. It was nothing like the grinning chaos of her own family photos, which almost always included one or more animals cuddled in someone’s arms or launching themselves into the frame.
Cold. If she’d had to pick a word to describe them, it would have been cold. There was no warmth to the photo, no love lighting their eyes.