“Or perhaps you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the brilliance of the sun in your eyes,” he countered.
“I think every eye doctor would disagree with you.”
“Or perhaps they just haven’t lived yet.” Turning, he wandered back inside, and I followed. That was all the invitation I needed.
The inside of his house was as simple as the exterior. There were potted plants in every room, a vintage piano in a green room off the living room, and everything was either cream or light blue. The first time he brought me here, the softness of it all was almost off-putting compared to the stoic man I knew. But over time, I watched his armor fall off, and this place made a lot more sense. I didn’t think twice about it anymore. It was just who he was.
He headed straight to the back of the house, where he kept his office—his real office. The one in the mansion was for looks alone when his presence was absolutely required for something. Despite the elaborate setup, he didn’t keep anything there.
“Tell me what I’m dealing with,” I said as I sat in the chair opposite his desk.
“I think this one might challenge you,” Vincent replied. That certainly piqued my interest. Rarely did anything he assign me challenge me. Swiping up the file sitting in the center of his organized desk, he handed it over. “Take your time. I’d like to hear what you think.”
I flipped it open and started reading.
Liam Baker… personal assistant… thirty-one years old.
“He’s young.” My gaze flicked upwards, meeting Vincent’s. He merely nodded, and I said nothing more. While I wondered how he could afford a fantasy fulfilled, I knew better than to ask.The cost of fantasies was a well-kept secret. Only Vincent knew how that worked. I knew just how much money people spent on other parts of the Society, so I could only imagine the cost of something like this.
I flipped through the file, skipping over information like his sexual preferences, kinks, limits, and so on. I could get into that later. What interested me was the last page—the one where he asked for what he wanted, where he put words to his fantasy.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been touched, longer than I want to admit. I can’t remember what it’s like to feel wanted by someone. I’m not sure anyone ever did. I just want to feel wanted by someone. Someones. A few someones. I’d like to feel wanted by a few someones.
I could practically feel the rambling thoughts through his words on the page. Those last few sentences were all too telling. How long did he stare at the dry ink as he contemplated tossing the whole thing out?
To make him feel wanted was an interesting request. Fantasies were so often specific—deep indulgences that someone couldn’t find in the real world. I was used to a wide array of requests, but this… this made me wonder exactly what kind of life Liam Baker had where he couldn’t find a single person to make him feel wanted.
I scanned the rest of the page. A little grin turned my lips at his comment about being shy. Shy was such an easy thing to fix. A few well-placed touches, and everyone opened up in ways they didn’t expect.
I read through Vincent’s notes at the bottom. Elena, as his handler, was a good choice. She was firm but gentle, and she picked up on micro-emotions better than most as she went through the arrival procedures. The penthouse was a good location—I was familiar with it—but I stopped at the additional support notes. He’d listed Ares and Storm. I made a face as I considered it. Ares was another Architect. As the Acolyte, he specialized in worship and praise. He’d be a smart choice with a scenario like this, but Storm didn’t fit.
“Considering Mr. Baker’s request to feel wanted, I think it’s a poor choice to have Storm there,” I said.
“Explain,” Vincent ordered.
“There are too many moving parts with three partners,” I told him. “Don’t get me wrong, I could make it work flawlessly, but it wouldn’t benefit the client. He wants to be wanted, which means we’ll all be focused on him. The scales will be skewed in his favor. Two people create a balance, but three can become overwhelming. And I have a feeling Mr. Baker wouldn’t do well if he felt overwhelmed in this scenario. Storm needs to be removed .”
Vincent nodded slowly as he considered my words. His expression was unreadable, but I expected that. He gave away nothing unless he meant to. It left me waiting and creating a contingency plan as I prepped for his decision. If he insisted, I’d make it work.
“I’ll email Elena to have her remove Storm from the experience.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Vincent replied. “There’s a uniqueness in his request, and I think it’s going to push you outside of your comfort zone.”
“Oh?” I arched a brow curiously and waited for him to elaborate.
“You orchestrate and conduct these experiences beautifully,” he said. “Every single one is a masterpiece of your own mastermind, but with Liam? Your own thoughts and plans will only get you so far. You’ll have to figure out his wants and his needs as the experience evolves. You have to discreetly let him take the lead without him feeling like he has to tell you. He has to feel heard and seen in every single moment. You can’t prepare for that, Owen.”
I made a sound as my gaze dropped back to the file in front of me. He wasn’t wrong, which was a problem. Bringing Liam’s fantasy to life might just be the first real challenge I’d had in years. It stirred up something inside me—something foreign. An interest I couldn’t put words to.
That alone should’ve been enough reason to tell Vincent no. Feelings of any kind were the last thing we brought to the table when we built fantasies. They were a dangerous and unpredictable variable.
And yet… I still said yes.
CHAPTER 02
Liam
