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Evan can be intense, but I’ve never been fearful. Though, I remember the brief flash—him throwing a vase across the room, shattering it to bits. When I went to that bar with Sam and Keith, he was upset, almost violent. It just reminds me how little I actually know about Evan.
“What do you mean by dangerous?” I ask.
I’m still lying down with my mask on, so I can’t see Jess, but I hear her sharp intake of breath. “You don’t know?”
“Jess!” Grace snaps. “Honestly, Madeline, don’t listen to all the gossip. One thing you’ll learn about Exeter House is that there’s always drama. Most of it is harmless.”
After that, there was no touching the topic again. Grace was determined to talk about nothing but the weather and which shoes were appropriate to wear to afternoon tea.
After the spa, I’m loose and languid, relaxed, and most of the soreness from all the sex with Evan has been worked from my body. I emerge feeling rejuvenated and ready for another night of passion with the man I now call Master. A heady thrill shivers down every nerve as I pass down another elegant marble hallway. I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t realize that I’m actually lost until I’ve forgotten how I got where I’m currently standing.
Retracing my steps, I turn down another hallway that dead-ends in one of those mysteriously locked black doors that Evan didn’t explain to me during his quick tour. There are several visible mechanical locks and a keypad as well. There’s little chance of someone wandering in by chance, though I try the knob anyway, unsurprisingly unable to open it.
The surface is black enameled paint, shiny and glossy, the fixtures brass and almost old-fashioned and decorative. Before I have any time to turn back and try another route, the door opens abruptly and I jump about a foot, eyes and mouth so wide I’m sure I look like a cartoon character who’s been caught committing some heinous crime.
The man on the other side of the door is gorgeous beyond belief. Tall, elegantly dressed in a designer suit with no tie, dark hair. I blink. Is this some kind of gorgeous-only billionaires club? Beautiful people are everywhere.
“Oh, well hello there, darling. Aren’t you lovely?” His deep voice complements a disarming British accent, only a little different from Evan’s. His face splits in a grin, and he winks at me affably.
My face heats immediately. “I, uh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to—”
His eyes flick to my collar, and a dark brow ticks up. “I’d invite you inside, lovely, but I’m certain your man would not approve. In fact, he’d have my hide if he knew I was the one inviting.”
I blink and swallow. “I was just…I’m lost. Looking for the elevator.”
He nods. “Allow me.” And holds out a hand in the direction I came. I precede him back down the hallway after he’s carefully shut the mystery door.
“It can be rather confusing when you’re new. You’re, ah, quite new, aren’t you?”
I toss him a quick glance over my shoulder. “Yeah, new to here, anyway.”
“Well, you’ll have it down in no time. I’m Ash, by the way. Ash Grayson. Evan is my mate.”
At that moment, the hallway widens, and he directs me to turn left. “I’m, ah, Madeline. Madeline Swanson.”
His head turns to me, and now that we are walking side by side in the wider hallway, I feel his appraising stare sweep me from head to toe. “Yes, I seem to recall him mentioning you once or twice. Good to finally meet you. You’ll be sure to let him know I said hello? Turn right, here.”
We round the corner and are now standing at a bank of burnished gold-mirrored elevators. Without a word, Ash swipes a black card, enters a code and the doors open. “This one will go straight to his penthouse.”
“Thank you,” I breathe in relief. “You’ve been so kind. I’ll definitely tell Evan you said hi and were very helpful.”
His features sober for a moment, and he looks up, meeting my gaze. “Yes, definitely tell him I never touched you, right? Never even laid a finger on you.”
I bark out a laugh but quickly realize he’s not laughing with me. Then, I sober. However, just before the door shuts, he sends me another charming wink.
I swallow, frowning. What is all that about?
When Evan gets home that evening, I have my textbooks spread out across his giant bed. I’m on my stomach, earphones in, reading about solid mechanics, so I don’t even hear him come in. I feel his warm hand on the back of my thigh before it moves upward, slipping beneath the mini skirt I’m still wearing.
I flip over with a squeal, slapping him on the arm. “Hey!”
He’s already on top of me, capturing my laugh with a deep, hungry kiss. My mini skirt is now up around my waist, exposing my lower half. His fingers find my entrance, tugging on the chain between my thighs. Somehow, I managed to keep the balls in all day. “You’ve been a good girl,” he says, and my heart soars at his approval.
“It wasn’t easy,” I say.
He pulls back and looks down at me. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you today.”
I smile up at him. “Oh, really? What exactly were you thinking about?”
