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But as we walked further and further from the Oleander towards the lake, I felt like the shackles were being freed. I clutched Walker’s hand tighter and I knew he wasn’t like them. Not really. Or at least not yet. Hopefully not ever.
It felt so innocent, holding his hand like this, considering the absolutely depraved things we’d done the last time we—well, I didn’t know what else to call that but fucking—the last time we fucked.
But after fucking me like that while all the most-esteemed men in our community came in geysers all over me, including his own father, Walker had been nothing but a gentleman towards me. An annoyingly consummate gentleman.
All week while we were cloistered in the room, he turned around and gave me his back when I changed my clothes for bed. And during bedtime, he put a sheet between our bodies. Even though after he fell asleep, he would sling an arm and a leg across me and pull me close.
Then in the mornings, I’d wake to his stiffness against my ass. The first time it happened, I was startled, and he immediately pulled away. But the last two mornings, I lay still and thrilled in the feel of him there. But as soon as he woke, he still pulled away.
When we reached the lake, somehow I felt freed to say what I couldn’t in that stuffy room. “Are you not attracted to me anymore?”
“What?” He sounded shocked. “Why would you think that?”
“Well, you’ve barely touched me outside of—” I finally pulled my hand away from his. “After what happened last time. I’m just worried… that you can’t look at me the same after that.”
“Shit, no. No!”
Walker stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the lake. He took my hands again. “I didn’t want you to think that all I saw you as was—” He dropped his face to the ground. “I’m so ashamed of him.”
“What? Oh my God, no. It wasn’t your fault! I know your father’s not—” I reached forwards and cupped his cheeks, urging his face back up. “He’s not you.”
His brow was still deeply furrowed. “Well. Still, I think it might be best… To keep things separate.” He blinked a couple times, even as I’d swear he turned his cheek slightly towards my touch. But then he stepped back. He took my hand with his instead. “But it’s certainly not because I’m not attracted to you.” He laughed humorlessly, looking out at the lake. “Anything but.”
I smiled. “Yeah?”
He shook his head at me, chuckling. “You fishing for compliments?”
I shrugged. “A girl needs a little reassurance now and then.”
“Jasmine, you’re stunning. Alluring. Smart. Sexy and—”
“Okay, okay, okay,” I waved my hands at him, then put them to my cheeks. “Now you’re making me blush.
He grinned, coming closer and lassoing me around the waist with his arms, tugging me near. “I think you’re amazing and I am very attracted to you. I’m just trying, as much as possible in this hellhole, to be a gentleman.”
A smile tugged my cheeks upwards. And I thought, only him. Only he could make me feel genuine happiness in the middle of this nightmare.
We walked the circumference of the lake, chatting and gossiping about all the people we knew and dreaming about the future. All the great things we’d do once we were gone from here. About when I’d be running VanDoren Enterprises and turning it around the way I wanted. I had so many ideas to really get it solidly in the black again. Montgomery was so busy with his own business, he simply didn’t have the time to give it the attention it really needed. But I was brimming with ideas and enthusiasm.
And Walker was so encouraging. Unlike so many men I talked to, he didn’t question whether or not I had the business savvy to do all I talked about. He just took it as a matter of course.
By the time we made it around the lake and were headed back towards the Oleander, I was a little sunburned, finally had an appetite, and was glowing from the inside too with happiness and renewed strength.
I felt ready for whatever the Oleander and life beyond had to throw at me.
At least until I got to dinner and saw the larger than expected box waiting there. I opened it and could only blink at the latex catsuit inside. With instructions to have my hair in a high bun and to be downstairs in an hour and a half.
Well, shit. How was I supposed to eat now?
I didn’t feel better after I managed to get a few bites down. Then Walker and I went back to the room to make sure we could get me into the damn catsuit. It was powdered inside to make it a little easier to slide on, with a zipper up the back. And I was surprised, because it was actually kinda loose after I pulled it on. As if for once, they’d made allowance for the fact that a regular, human-sized woman would be wearing it and not a sample-sized stick-figure.
