Tied to the Billionaire(82)

Richard stared into the black depths of his coffee. What more did he have to offer her? He’d already given her his dominance. He’d offered her plenty of pleasure over the years. He’d told her he’d take care of her, he’d make sure she was comfortable. Besides money, what did he have to offer?

“Like what?”

Dante rolled his eyes. “Think about it real hard, Rick. It’s one word, four letters, starts with an L.”

Love. Richard shook his head, sure he must have misunderstood. “Why would I tell her that?”

“Because it’s true, moron.” Dante rubbed his temples, letting out an exasperated groan. “And she deserves to know it.”

Could it really be that simple? Was that all she wanted to hear? If that was all she needed… His heart pounded harder at the idea, yet it didn’t bother him the way he would have guessed. He rolled the notion over in his mind, trying to find a reason to deny it, to throw the thought aside, but couldn’t come up with one. It felt calm, true, right.

He cast a glance up at his best friend. A new lightness filled him. “Do you have any contacts in the area? I have something special I need to buy. I need to show a little pet exactly who her owner is.”

Dante smiled. “I think I know who to call.”



* * * *



“Ms Carter, may I speak to you?”

Serena turned to find Richard standing before her. Even after all he’d done, even after all he’d said to her last night, even after the long, lonely night she’d spent in her room wishing she were with him, a shiver still skated down her spine at the sound of his voice in her ear. Damn traitorous body!

“I was just heading over to the mixer, Mr Barrett.” She motioned towards the ballroom filled with already drunk co-workers. “I can meet up with you then.” And maybe if she got lucky she’d lose him in the crowd. She wasn’t interested in talking to him period, least of all about work.

His eyes held that dangerous gleam that had been a precursor to so much pleasure in the past. Her body sagged beneath his intense stare.

He stepped closer and her nipples beaded. How long would it take for her body to stop responding to him this way? For her heart to forget the Master he’d once been to her, and remember he was now just a man. A man who didn’t understand or respect the real her.

“I’d prefer to have this conversation in private, Serena.”

The way he spoke her name, so much like the way he used to whisper to her late at night, brought tears to her eyes. She’d never thought she’d hear him speaking so lovingly to her again.

Richard grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the common area and ushering her into a smaller room off the main hallway. Away from the prying eyes of the company, the threat of tears intensified. Serena sniffled, trying to keep them back, desperate to hold onto what remained of her dignity.

Richard pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. His rich male scent overwhelmed her senses, so familiar and comforting that all she wanted was to curl into him. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t give in to the urge. Not anymore.

“What’s wrong, pet?” His breath whispered across her cheek. His hand wrapped around her nape, offering more comfort than she realised one touch could.

“I’m not your pet anymore.” She tried to pull from his hold, the tears falling freely down her cheeks, but he held her tight, not allowing her the space to escape.

“You can reject me as your Master. That’s your right.” He leaned a little closer, his thumb rubbing across the base of her throat, right where her pulse pounded, almost making her moan. “But you’ll always be my pet.”

The tears broke through, pouring down her face, racking her body with sobs. He can’t mean that. Not after she’d rejected his proposal and walked out on him. She tried to hold them back, but it was like a tiny tornado inside her—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep back the storm. And through it all, her Master held her, cradling her against his chest, offering her support where she had none.


“It’s all right, pet. Let it out,” he whispered in her ear. One hand held her tight to his body, while the other rubbed her back, calming her the best he could.

When the tears subsided, mostly, she looked up at him, surprised by the earnest concern she found in his eyes. The urge to drop to her knees and offer to do anything to ease his torment welled up within her. She’d even bend over and let him spank her to bruises if it would remove the pain from his face.

Worry lines raced across his forehead and bracketed his mouth. Without thinking, she reached up, smoothing out the wrinkles with her fingers. At her touch, his eyes blazed, heating with a different emotion.

Instantly, she dropped her fingers. What had she been thinking? She shouldn’t touch him. Such a sign of weakness was enough to tempt the beast lying within him. But she couldn’t take it back now.

“What did you want to talk about, Mr Barrett?” She tried to use her most professional tone, hoping to address the reason he’d first approached her and get out of this room as fast as possible. But the husky sound still penetrated her voice at the mere proximity to her Master.

“I wanted to talk to you about the question I asked last night.”

Oh no. Cold instantly surrounded her, shivering across her skin. Locking her knees to remain upright, she dropped her eyes to the ground, unable to look at more than his boots and maintain her composure. Why was he bringing this up again? It had been torture for her to leave him last night, to stay alone in her hotel room when her Master was only a few short floors away. She’d walked away for a reason, one that couldn’t be changed overnight. What more could there be to say?