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I swallowed back a sob and gripped his strong body, holding tight one last time. He brushed his hand over my hair as the sound of his thundering heart echoed in my ears.
Pulling back slightly, he captured my lips in one final passion-filled kiss.
Even when his lips left mine, I couldn’t let go. Clinging to Joshua, I watched Dylan and Nick load my luggage.
“I’ll see you soon,” Joshua whispered.
When the cab driver opened the door, I sucked in a deep breath.
“Yes, I’ll see you soon.”
Squeezing Joshua tight one last time, I pried myself from his arms and rushed inside the taxi.
“I’ll see you soon. I love you,” Sanna called to me.
“See you soon, sis. Love you more,” I replied in a quivering voice.
Forcing a smile, I waved as the cab pulled away. I only made it two houses before the tears I’d bravely tamped down rose to the surface.
Willing a calmness I didn’t feel, I could smell Joshua’s ghost in the cab. Dipping my head, I sniffed my blouse; his scent was all over me. It was going to be a brutal three weeks.
Stretched out in first class beneath a blanket and wearing sunglasses to hide my swollen eyes, I stared out the window. Paying little attention to the blue sky, I relived every precious second I’d spent with Joshua. Emptiness settled through my soul like a black hole eating the life out of me.
Halfway through the flight to Heathrow, I decided I’d wallowed in enough misery. It took a mighty crowbar, but I managed to pry my ass off the pity pot and started focusing on work. No matter how hard I tried, my thoughts inevitably wound their way back to the tall, sandy blond artist with the shimmering green eyes.
With an inward curse, I exhaled a heavy sigh and pounded away at my computer, prioritizing a sizable list to expedite the renovation of Hayes and Dixie’s dining hall. Catching my last flight to Manchester-Birmingham, I was exhausted. When I landed, I was relieved to see the driver Hayes had sent to pick me up, and the short hour drive to Northshire was a piece of cake compared to the unending hours I’d spent in flight.
Hayes and Dixie met me at the door. They were both in their mid-seventies, and neither fit the stereotype of castle owners, not by any stretch of the imagination. Loud and gregarious, they dressed in comfy flannel shirts, blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots. They were serious, down-home country people without a refined bone in their bodies.
Unable to curb her excitement, Dixie chattered about all the changes she wanted made to the dining hall. She was more animated and full of life than I’d ever seen before. I followed her up the grand staircase, nodding in a sleep-deprived stupor as their somber-faced butler dragged my luggage behind him.
Leading me to one of the massive suites I’d redecorated on a previous trip, Dixie beamed with pride. It seemed a shame the only time I’d get to spend in the elegant room was when I tumbled into bed, exhausted from a long day of multi-tasking and overseeing a small army of workmen.
“You get your gear stowed, darlin’, and I’ll have some grub sent up to you. You look worn thin,” Dixie fussed. “I’m sure you’re half-starved by now.”
I smiled. “Thank you. It has been a long day, but don’t worry. I’ll be good as new in the morning.” I hope.
After dinner, I started to unpack. The inviting bed all but goaded me to lie down and float away into peaceful darkness. Not yet, I scolded inwardly. I still had clothes to put away. Once the sun came up, I’d have no time for anything except work.
When the last suitcase was empty, I carefully unwrapped Joshua’s sub statue. Cradling her in my hands, the urge to repack my bags and fly home pressed hard. Longing for a man I’d known a whole five days was ridiculous, yet the ache within was real, and foreign, and unsettling. Lifting the statue to my lips, I placed a reverent kiss on her head, in honor of the Master who’d shaped her. The same Master who had set my body ablaze, climbed inside my soul, and stolen a piece of my heart. I positioned the figurine on the nightstand next to my bed so she would be the first vision I saw in the morning and the last at night.
My cell phone chimed, notifying me of a text. My heart nearly leapt from my chest as a stupid grin crawled across my face. Palming the device, I blinked. Reading the message, my hands began to shake as a ripple of dread snaked up my spine.
Unknown: A phone call would have been nice, bunny. I hope you liked the flowers. I’m waiting for your call. Don’t disappoint me. Understood? Davis.
The blood in my veins turned to ice. “How did he get my number?” I wondered aloud. Frowning, my initial question didn’t disturb me as much as the last line of his text. He actually presumed I was his sub again.
“No fucking way,” I mumbled. It was time to nip this shit in the bud.
My fingers flew over the letters on the device as I delivered a message of my own.
Mellie Carson: I threw the flowers away. I’m not interested in pleasing or disappointing you, Davis. Don’t waste your time waiting for my call. It’s never going to happen. You don’t get a second chance. We are through. Over. Finished. You made the choice—you have to deal with the consequences. Don’t contact me again. Understood?
It took only a matter of seconds for his reply.
Unknown: It’s over when I say it’s over, slut. You don’t get to decide what’s a waste of my time or what isn’t. You obviously don’t remember a fucking thing I taught you. Don’t worry. I’ll retrain you with my belt. You don’t get to shut me out, bunny. It’s not up to you. I’m going to get you back, one way or the other. Count on it.
It was a good thing an ocean separated us, because a wave of anger washed over me so strong it threatened to drown me. Gripping the phone, I growled. The man was certifiably insane if he thought for one second I’d subject myself to the farce he called Dominance.
