Page 33 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
“Rolphe, dry Miss Bishop’s hair,” I ordered my other possession.
I could see the surprise on Braelyn’s face when Rolphe moved toward her, but she only hesitated slightly when he held his hand out for hers, leading her back to the bathroom.
While they took care of that, I went into the office attached to my sleeping quarters, pleased to find that Auberon had started the electric fireplace, warming the space immensely.
“Find the first-aid kit,” I instructed him, sending him on his way once more.
Fifteen minutes later, I returned to the bedroom when I heard the hair dryer turn off. I stepped into the room at the same time Braelyn stepped out of the bathroom. I saw the way she eyed the bed speculatively, so I decided to put her at ease.
“This way,” I said when she looked my way.
Her gaze shot over to the single door, and I could sense her questions.
“It’s my office.”
Her soft sigh was one of relief and I found myself smiling. Although she’d appeared bold and sure of herself, it looked as though it was a bit overinflated.
I followed Braelyn into my office, stopping abruptly when she did. I peered over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. There, kneeling on the floor, was Auberon, at his side, Rolphe, both having taken up the positions required of them when they had completed all their assigned tasks.
“They’re waiting for me,” I assured her, guiding her around them.
“Do they do that often?” Her voice wavered slightly when she glanced back at them.
“Only when they’re waiting for me to give them something to do.” I followed Braelyn across the room, gestured toward one of the two plush recliners that would keep us secure during takeoff.
While Braelyn took her seat, I retrieved the first-aid kit from the desk, carried it over to her.
Her eyes widened. “What’s that?”
“I need to take a look at your feet,” I informed her. “You’ve been limping since we left the party.”
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly, tucking her feet back as much as she could.
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
She hesitated but finally loosened her muscles when I knelt down before her, reaching for one foot. Lifting it up, I gave it a quick glance, noticing the numerous scrapes and abrasions. Nothing too serious, but I was certain they would be causing her some pain. It was when I looked at the other that my concern grew. Her skin was torn, a jagged gash running down her instep. It was already angry red and inflamed.
Because I wasn’t a doctor, I opted to hold off on doing anything more than dabbing peroxide on the cuts and applying a light layer of antibiotic ointment.
She must’ve caught me frowning, because she bent forward, tried to look. “Is it bad?”
Her worried eyes followed me when I stood and headed for the telephone.
“Have Dr. Tate come to my office when he has a few minutes. After takeoff.” I didn’t bother waiting for a response before disconnecting the call and turning to my possessions. “Auberon, Rolphe, take your seats in the bedroom.”
With practiced movements, they stood, immediately retreating to the other room and into the two chairs in there.
“A doctor?” Braelyn was attempting to look at her feet, pulling one into her lap. “Oh.”
“I’ll feel better if he looks you over, fixes you up.”
“Sure.” Braelyn’s gaze shifted to the doorway as I took my seat next to her. “Are you … um … married to them?”
The question wasn’t nearly as ludicrous as it had been the first time I’d heard it many years ago, but it still caught me by surprise. It had taken me time to realize that not many understood my relationship with my possessions because they weren’t around to see it.
“Certainly not.”
Braelyn relaxed in her chair, crossing one mile-long leg over the other then draping the robe to cover herself. “Are they … I don’t know what you call it? Like temporary submissives?”
I glanced over at her.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It’s just … I really don’t know what I’m supposed to talk about. I mean, you just saw me naked and you’ve clearly got two submissives waiting for you, so…”
I opted not to correct her, more than a little curious to see her dig her way out of this hole.
EIGHT
Braelyn
Nervous. That was what I was. And as was par for the course, I tended to ramble incessantly.
But I was feeling something else, something more potent. It was the same thing I’d felt the first time I met Talon, the same thing that had haunted me for the past year.
That was likely the reason I hadn’t freaked when I noticed Talon watching me in the bathroom mirror. Perhaps I would have if I hadn’t been inundated with this overwhelming … warmth. It trickled through my veins, ratcheted up my heartbeat, and seemed to encompass my entire body. The way it had the very first time I met him. During an encounter much the same as the one earlier, only that had been a false alarm and this … well, I wasn’t sure what this was yet.
