Page 112 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
Nope.
Not even close.
They were a hodgepodge, an eclectic mix of race, gender, sex, and most definitely personalities.
There were seven Owners who arrived, their names I’d yet to memorize. Four of them were single, two were married and had brought their spouses, and the last one had brought along a possession they already owned. That was a total of ten in that group and another dozen employees of Owned, Incorporated, as well as Gideon and Zed, along with Zion and Micah, a very moody Tiegan, and the other trainer, Memphis, who seemed to be at odds with Tiegan. Put them all together in one spot, and you got what equated to semi-organized chaos.
Being that I had no idea what went on at these things, I was doing my best to keep out of the way, but it wasn’t working. Every time I made an attempt to step back, Talon would draw me to his side again. He made a point to introduce me to everyone, although I noticed he did not refer to me by name, but he wasn’t shy about touching me or keeping me close. He had a way of making me feel important and safe at the same time, and it stirred all those warring emotions I was trying to ignore.
Once Talon had made the rounds, he pulled Tiegan aside. I noticed she was glaring at him, as though rays might shoot out of her eyes and kill him where he stood.
“I expect you’ll be on the jet when it leaves,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“She will,” Memphis answered for her. “As will I.”
Talon nodded, glanced between the two of them.
That was when I noticed Memphis silently communicating with Tiegan. She still looked like an angry lioness, but something in her eyes softened. Barely noticeable, but it was there.
“I’ll set up a call for tomorrow morning,” Talon told him. “You, me, and Zion.”
“Sounds good.”
Talon looked at Tiegan once more, nodded his head, then turned away without a word. He took my hand, guided me toward the door leading outside.
“We’ve got about an hour before I have to start delivering possessions,” he informed me. “I need to take care of something. It’s a personal matter. Would you care to join me?”
I found myself nodding. I figured the only way I was going to find out my true feelings for this man was to get to know him better. The more time I spent with him … well, the better I would know him.
With my hand securely in his, we made our way over to the main house. The closer we got, the more I noticed the shift in Talon. Something was wrong, but I wasn’t comfortable asking what, so I walked silently beside him while he stewed.
He stopped at an electronic panel just inside the doors, keyed in something, skimmed the screen, grunted, and then we were on the move again. During our trek, I got a fairly good look at the rest of the house: kitchen, dining, library, study, several more rooms that looked to be for relaxing, and finally a laundry room that could’ve held two of my apartments within its four taupe-colored walls.
Inside, Bram was tending to towels and sheets. The moment Talon stepped into the room, he stopped what he was doing and gave him his full attention.
“Find Taurus. Have Auberon bring him to the main level.”
With a clipped nod, he was out the door.
“What’s on the main level?” I asked, curious.
“It’s an entertainment space.” He motioned for me to exit the laundry room. “Pool table, bowling alley, theater.”
Wow. And to think I’d spent my time reading in my room when I could’ve been bowling. The thought made me smile. I’d never bowled a day in my life. Wasn’t even sure what the objective was.
“And a dungeon.”
I stumbled only slightly as I processed that information, but managed to keep up with Talon as we went down a long hallway.
He stopped at a set of shiny gold doors. “Elevator, down.”
Elevator. Because why not.
Nothing should surprise me, I figured. He’d already admitted he didn’t hesitate when it came to luxury.
The doors opened; Talon urged me forward.
“What happens in the dungeon?” The words came out hesitantly as we entered the elevator, the doors closing silently behind us.
“Elevator, lower level,” Talon commanded. “Punishment.”
Oh, boy.
Why was I coming along again? Maybe getting to know him wasn’t such a brilliant idea. Not when he was in a mood, anyway.
“Who’s getting punished?” Please don’t say me.
“Taurus.” He sighed. “Of all my possessions, he’s the one who ends up receiving the most punishment at my hand. He’s got a tendency for jealousy.”
“He’s jealous? Of what?”
“If I had to guess, you.”
I took a step back, real concern filling me. “I’m sorry, Talon. I had no idea.”
“This is not on you,” he stated firmly. “My possessions shouldn’t be experiencing such emotions.” Another sigh from him. “But as is the way of human nature…”
