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I fought a wicked smile. “I only know what I’m told.” Her glare was lethal, and I shivered in mock fear. “You don’t care anyway, right?”
A noncommittal grumble escaped her.
“Tribeca Film Festival is in April. At least we know we’ll see him then,” I said, unable to stop pushing.
“That’s six months from now,” she said, her voice a rising protest. M snapped her mouth shut when she realized what she’d done.
“I don’t know why you don’t just call him. Hell, text him. He hates that, but I guarantee he’d love to hear from you.”
She finished cleaning up our lunch, quiet for a minute.
“I can’t. You know why.”
The understated pain in her voice was enough to shut me up. I wanted her to be happy. To find what Daniel and I had had. But I couldn’t stand to hurt her.
“Yes, I know.” The subject of Stone was effectively closed.
She checked her watch. “I’d better get back to it.”
I stuck the magazine back in her purse and stood. “Thanks for lunch. We should do this again sometime,” I teased, like we didn’t meet nearly every day.
She grinned and gave me a quick hug. “I’m open tomorrow.”
I pointed at her. “I’ll hold you to it.”
* * *
The budget meetingwith the director of Paths of Purpose went better than planned. We’d received a million-dollar donation anonymously that morning, which gave us lots of breathing room. My excitement was nothing compared to what it would have been under normal circumstances. A donation that size would have been worth celebrating, but I couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm.
I went back to my small office in the new facility. I closed myself inside, mostly avoiding going back to the old apartment. There was work to be done, but I couldn’t concentrate. I just stared out the window without really seeing anything.
Daniel was front and center in my thoughts. That was nothing new, but now it hurt to think of him, and I couldn’t get used to it.
Why was I too chickenshit to confront him? He’d blindsided me, and I’d barely fought back. That wasn’t like me. I went after what I wanted, had learned to squash my fear and man up, so to speak. But I’d never been this afraid of anything before. I knew that deep down, I was scared shitless that Daniel really did want me out of his life. I was cowering in fear instead of leading the charge with guns blazing. As long as I avoided him, there was hope. Without closure, I could hang onto whatever delusions I could conjure up.
But seeing him at the restaurant was like a death blow. It had been the best and worst part of my day, the contradiction tearing me apart.How is it that men have this ability to look better after they leave you?It was like they did it on purpose, and damn if it didn’t leave me wanting. This had been the longest stretch I’d gone without fucking since I’d been with Daniel. My last night at the apartment, I’d masturbated with his pillow under my hips so my scent would be all over it when he got home, but the orgasm didn’t have the potency of the ones he gave me. I was hungry for him. He’d created needs in me that only he could fill, made me vulnerable in that way.
“On your knees.”
Daniel gave the command the second we entered the bedroom. I immediately obeyed, filling with a warm desire, expectant of things to come as my knees hit the plush rug.
“Hands behind your back.”
I complied, crossing my wrists, my rear hitting the heels of my feet. I tilted my head back to look up at him. He radiated power in a three-piece suit while I was naked, my clothes shed at the front door by his order.
“The last time I told you to keep your hands behind your back, you couldn’t do it. This time, I’m going to ensure you do.”
Daniel unbuckled his belt, his movements deliberate as he slid it out of his pants. Goosebumps rose on my flesh as the leather whispered against the fabric. Then he was behind me, securing my wrists. The leather on my skin sent a shiver of excitement through me. I was bound tight enough that I was restrained, but if I wanted out, escape would be easy.
When Daniel came back into my view, my breath faltered, and I licked my lips.
“If you want my cock, you’ll have to get it out.”
It was a challenge I was more than up for. I rose on my knees and took the fabric of his suit pants in my teeth, tugging so the button popped, the zipper lowered, and my prize was free. All mine.
“Goddamn, Princess. You do want me.”
I nodded and looked up at him, both of us pleased. His erect shaft taunted me. I admired how beautifully long and thick he was, well aware of what he could do.
