Page 127 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
“He presented himself as a Dominant, did he?”
“Yes.”
“And you as a submissive?”
Braelyn nodded, glancing up at me. “I was going through a phase.”
I ignored that comment because it was a lie. “Then what? You got together, went to bed? Meshed well?”
“Actually, no. Not right away, anyway.” She turned her attention to the pool house ahead of us, began moving in that direction. “We dated for a couple of months.”
“Ah. Dated. As in dinner, dancing? Movies?”
“Mostly dinner. Jake said we needed to get to know each other.”
“In order to determine if you were sexually compatible? Is that something you can determine through conversation?”
Braelyn didn’t look my way, but I heard her breathing change. I could tell she was shocked by my questions though I wasn’t sure why that was. They were logical asks, were they not? Someone claimed they were a Dominant, proudly spouted this on a website for all to see. I could only assume they were referring to sexual domination. Otherwise, it would’ve been obvious without the need for a profile cloaked in fancy poetry and pornographic pictures.
“No, it can’t be determined through conversation,” she finally said.
“How long was it before he seduced you?”
“He didn’t,” she said, the answer coming easily now.
“You seduced him?” That made me chuckle. “A little forward for a submissive, no?”
Braelyn took a drink, kept walking. “I didn’t want to do it. But he wasn’t making a move.”
“And that, dirty girl, was your first mistake. By making the suggestion when he didn’t, you robbed the poor man of his control.”
She stopped suddenly, pivoting to face me. There was a look of sheer horror in her eyes when she blurted, “Are you saying I broke him?”
Thankfully I hadn’t been taking a drink, otherwise I would’ve made an unnecessary mess.
I managed to contain my laugh but not my smile. “You did not break him. He never had the control in the first place.”
“What makes you such an expert on the subject?” she asked, a haughty tone to her voice. “How’d you learn?”
“I didn’t. It’s a part of my chemical makeup. And I’m not an expert. But I do know a bit about Domination and submission.”
“Because you own … people. Why do you own them?”
“Because I want to.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Actually, it is. It’s my desire to control every aspect of their lives. And I’ve surrounded myself with those whose desire it is to relinquish that control.”
“Just like that? Did they have a say in the matter? Back before you perfected your website?”
Because I’d answered this many times in my life, I knew exactly what she was getting at. “The only choice they had to make was to give consent for me to choose for them. And that was the last decision I allowed them to make.”
Braelyn’s expression sobered and she exhaled. “I hate that you make so much sense when none of this makes sense at all.”
Taking her hand, I continued toward the pool house.
“What are your thoughts now that you’ve witnessed some of it?”
When she looked up at me, frowning, I could tell I’d surprised her with the abrupt shift in topic.
“I … uh … I’m trying to wrap my head around it all. I’ll get there. Someday.” Braelyn glanced back toward the house. “I know the party’s still going, but I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”
“I’ll walk you to your room.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I disagree.”
I could practically feel her tension. If I had to guess, Braelyn expected me to make a move, perhaps talk myself into her bedroom. Or demand entry, as she seemed to believe was the way a Dominant handled things.
Did I want to? Absolutely. Would I? No.
We were still on rocky ground, and until I felt as though she trusted me again, I knew I had to keep things casual. I was sincere in my apology for my outburst last night, and it still angered me that I’d reacted so poorly with her. She deserved so much better than that. And she deserved to come to terms with this new world I’d thrust her in.
This woman had captivated me in ways I never expected. She was evoking strange emotions, ones I’d never experienced before, and I wanted to pursue them, to see where this might lead. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t opposed to the possibilities of something … different. Something more. I had everything I wanted except for that one person who would own my heart.
And while there were never guarantees of success to any venture, I suspected Braelyn Bishop was the one and only person I could actually fall in love with.
And there was a better than good chance that was already happening.
THIRTY
Braelyn
I couldn’t sleep.
Not only was my mind restless, so was my body, a layer of chaos coating everything, making me feel out of sorts. Normally I would’ve thought it was stress induced, but that wasn’t the case now. No, this was due to my overactive libido. I was … horny.
