Page 118 of Their Famous Dominant (Office Intrigue Duet 4)
Snatching my clothes from the table, I hurried down the hall. I knew there was a bathroom somewhere. I would get dressed and pull myself together. Once I was home, I could reevaluate my life and figure out what I really wanted.
Because this was obviously not where I was meant to be.
Trent
TO BE HONEST, I HADN’T seen the outcome of our discussion going that direction.
I thought for sure Clarissa was going to talk to me, open up, perhaps come up with a good defense. She was a lawyer, after all.
This had been an opportunity for both of us, but somewhere along the way it went horribly wrong. And yet, I wasn’t going to do anything to try to change her mind. We both needed time to think this through, to figure out what it was we could do to put us back on the right track. I had no doubt we could, provided Clarissa was willing.
Troy returned to the apartment with the pizza. He set the boxes on the counter, then scanned the room as though expecting Clarissa to be hiding somewhere.
“I need you to take her home,” I told him, keeping my tone flat. I fought the urge to rub the ache in my chest. “She’s insisting, and I’m done arguing.”
“What about Zeke?”
“He can follow in his car.”
He nodded briefly. I could tell he had questions, but I was grateful when he opted not to voice them. I didn’t want to talk about this right now. I was too riled up and I knew it would take little provocation for my temper to get away from me. The last thing I wanted was to take it out on Troy when he didn’t deserve it.
Clarissa appeared a few minutes later, wearing the clothes she’d come to the club in, which wasn’t much of anything at all.
“Do you want one of my shirts?” I offered. I couldn’t let her walk out of the building wearing only that.
“No. But I need to get my coat and shoes,” she said softly, not looking at me.
I turned my gaze to Troy and silently urged him to take care of her before I turned and headed toward my office. A couple of minutes later, the front door clicked shut and I knew Clarissa was gone.
That ache in my chest intensified. My heart physically hurt at the thought of her walking out on me. Truth was, I’d never expected it from her. So many people had done it over the years, I thought I’d grown immune to it. Those who had waltzed into my life with high expectations only to rush right back out when they figured out I wouldn’t give them whatever it was they wanted.
Clarissa was supposed to be different.
I had my doubts as to whether she would come back to me eventually. She was a headstrong woman, and while I hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, I saw the moment she realized it, too.
While she had a deep desire to submit, Clarissa had stopped submitting to anyone other than herself for a long time. I suspected Shane had seen the same thing, but since Xander had said they weren’t in a real D/s relationship, he obviously hadn’t felt it was necessary to address.
I dropped into my desk chair and stared at the walls. I was tired, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep until Troy returned. I probably should’ve been the one to take her home, but I knew it wasn’t best for the situation. We would’ve been trapped in the awkward silence. At least this way, perhaps Clarissa would open up to Troy.
That was what I was hoping for, anyway.
Troy
A LITTLE AFTER ONE IN the morning, I was in Master’s Cadillac Escalade driving Clarissa back to her house, Zeke and Ransom following in the car behind us. It wasn’t at all what I’d seen myself doing tonight, that was for damn sure.
I had no idea what had happened during the few minutes I was downstairs getting the pizza. Something horrible based on the fact Clarissa was ready to bolt. Why else would she insist on going home in the middle of the night? I’d seen in Master’s eyes that he hadn’t been the one to make the suggestion. So, when Master asked me to drive Clarissa home, I didn’t argue, hoping I’d be able to talk to her a little at least.
“Are you all right?” I asked, glancing over at her as we pulled out of the parking garage and onto the relatively lonely streets of downtown Dallas.
Clarissa was staring out the passenger window, her arms wrapped around herself. She’d put on her coat and closed it up tightly around her. More as a shield than a protection from the elements.
“No,” she said bluntly. “I’m not. And I doubt I ever will be again.”
