Page 50 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
Hence the need for some space.
Not to mention, Braelyn had been through a lot for one day. The last thing she needed was to deal with me and this unsettled feeling I was now battling. Taking things slow had never been my strong suit, but I would make the effort. For Braelyn.
So I was the first to exit the plane, taking Auberon and Rolphe with me in one of the Range Rovers and heading directly to the house while the others took care of the rest.
Now, standing on the private veranda overlooking the four-acre courtyard, which was the main hub of activity on my vast estate, providing both entertainment as well as a means to get from one building to another, I couldn’t help but wonder what Braelyn was doing now. A few minutes ago, I had messaged Tiegan for an update, knowing she had purposely ignored me for the past couple of hours simply because she knew it would irk me.
A short time later, the click of her heels on the slate tile announced Tiegan’s arrival.
Drink in hand, I glanced over when she stopped at the railing to stand beside me. “Is she settled?”
There was a knowing smile on Tiegan’s full lips. “She is.” Her gaze swung to the lush gardens and swimming pools below. “She’s exhausted and rightfully so. If I had to guess, she’ll sleep through the day.”
One could only hope. She certainly needed it.
Because we had flown all night, the sun was still low in the sky, but much of the estate had woken for the day. I had plans to do the opposite, fully intending to indulge in a few hours of sleep before I got back to the grindstone. I hadn’t slept a wink on the flight, and it was catching up to me.
“I did remind her about the job,” Tiegan noted.
“Did she laugh in your face?”
Tiegan grinned. “She’s got spine, that girl. Accused me of lying in an effort to get her here.”
“And you told her…?”
“That my actions were out of necessity. But I reiterated that the job opportunity was real if she was inclined to entertain it.” Tiegan glanced over at me, leaning a hip on the rail and crossing her arms over her chest. “Which got me thinking … have you considered she could be your executive assistant?”
Always playing an angle, this one.
“I have not, no.”
“It’s a thought. You know, having a backup ready for when you decide to promote me.”
Tiegan didn’t know it yet, but her promotion was coming faster than she realized. She’d been vying for one specific job for the past six months, and because I had something else in mind for her, I had yet to give her the news. Although it wasn’t what she was hoping for, I knew she was better suited for it. Plus, it went with another plan I had in the works.
Tiegan peered out at the courtyard, her attention on one of the possessions pushing a rolling cart loaded down with laundry. “You tell her about this place yet?”
“I have not, no. All—”
“In due time,” Tiegan interrupted, eyes narrowing. “Yes, I know. Braelyn’s intuitive. It won’t take long for her to figure it out.”
I knew that to be true, as well. Considering her brother was an active part of the BDSM community, and it appeared the siblings talked quite a bit, I got the feeling Braelyn had a decent understanding of the lifestyle. Not my lifestyle, per se, but overall.
“You think she’s still interested in a position here?” I asked, watching as another one of the possessions, this one pushing a food cart, stepped out of the Owners’ Retreat across the way.
“Define position,” she teased. “Are we talking about a position under you?”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring her. Tiegan was always attempting to rile me up.
She chuckled softly. “I think she’ll come around. Like I said, she’s got backbone. If I had to guess, she can handle what she finds here. It just might take her a little time to adjust.”
“And Ransom?” I took a long swallow of brandy. “Where’s he?”
Tiegan seemed to relax at the change of subject. “Jasper insisted on keeping him close for the day. Something about a concussion. I assume he’s in the clinic. I’ll have a room prepared for him.”
“No. Set him up in one of the villas. He’ll need his own place.”
“You expect they’ll be here a while?”
“I do.”
“Is it still your intention to have him assume the responsibility of overseeing the possessions in training?”
“I don’t know what my intentions are, honestly. I’ll need to spend some time with him.”
Like Braelyn, I suspected Ransom was going to be shocked once he learned what went on here. However, if they were as open-minded as they appeared to be, I got the feeling they would find exactly what they were looking for, if and when they accepted it.
