I grinned, doing my damnedest not to look at his mouth.
“Are you hungry?” he asked as I moved into the kitchen. “I can order something to be delivered. I’m not sure when you ate last and I noticed there isn’t much here.”
I wasn’t sure when I’d last eaten, either. I’d skipped breakfast and lunch and … hell, I hadn’t had anything except for coffee since lunch in Chicago late yesterday afternoon.
“I could eat.”
“Great.” He grabbed the iPad. “Oh, and I called the spa to check on Clarissa, make sure they were taking care of her. They said to assure you she’s doing fine.”
I stared at him for a second. I hadn’t expected that, although I wasn’t sure why not. An assistant was there to ensure things were taken care of. Troy had good follow-through. But there was something else. I knew from the past few years that he was good at his job. His attention to detail always impressed me. This was different, though. If I pegged him correctly, he was doing his best to please me in more ways than merely his job.
I liked that he was putting forth the effort.
“Thanks.” Shaking off the intense heat I felt, I turned to the refrigerator. “Order from wherever. I don’t have any preference today.” I grabbed a bottle of water.
“Oh, right. Case and Brax are in Chicago,” he said with a chuckle. “Not here to monitor your kale intake.”
It was true, Case and Brax kept me on my toes. More so during filming. And strict was an understatement when it came to Case monitoring what I ate and how often I worked out.
“But don’t worry,” Troy added, “I’ll continue to sneak you chocolate as long as he’s not looking.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I did like Troy.
Far more than I’d anticipated.
Troy
ALTHOUGH I EXPECTED THEM TO be, things between Master and me weren’t awkward. I ordered from the Vietnamese restaurant nearby, knowing how much he enjoyed it. Master seemed pleased with my selection, so I considered that a good thing.
After we ate, he disappeared back down to the club for a little while, giving me some time to receive the contract Landon said was on its way over. I didn’t know the first thing about legalese, so I didn’t bother to read it, I merely printed it out so Master could go over it when he was ready.
I also signed the membership agreement, went through my emails, and declined two requests for Master’s attendance at specific functions, informing the inviters that his calendar was bogged down with other engagements.
When that was finished, I called his Dallas house manager to ensure Master’s groceries had been delivered. We’d been getting low on quite a few things and I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. I wasn’t sure what his plans were for next week, but at the very least, he would have food at home.
I had even thought ahead, purchasing a few things I could make myself. With Brax in Chicago, I wanted to ensure Master was taken care of. Just in case he wanted to eat in at some point. With Clarissa perhaps?
My eyes drifted to the apartment door and I thought about the club below.
Although I couldn’t deny the attraction I had to Master and Clarissa, I was equally curious about this lifestyle. I had read plenty, but I knew it was nothing compared to experiencing it for myself. I had no idea what to expect, but I was looking forward to tomorrow night.
I had just finished emailing the maintenance crew with this month’s issues when the door opened, and Master stepped inside. The same as the previous time he’d come in, his eyes instantly landed on me.
“Landon texted and said he sent the contract.”
“He did,” I confirmed. “I printed it and it’s on your desk. I figured you might want to look at it.” I turned on the stool as he neared.
“Thanks. I’m not sure I’ll get to it tonight, but I’d like to have Clarissa look at it when she has the chance.”
When he didn’t say anything more, I decided to get something off my chest. “I’m not sure what to expect tomorrow night, Master,” I admitted. “You know, down in the club.”
He seemed surprised by my abrupt subject change and eyed me for a moment. “You’ll do exactly as I instruct you.”
There was an authority in his tone that I didn’t usually pick up on. Now that I thought about it, though, it was always there. Everything about Master spoke of power and control. Which made perfect sense considering. Trent Ramsey exuded control and authority from every pore. It was always there, brimming just beneath the surface.
“The question is,” Master continued, “how much are you willing to submit?”
I wasn’t sure what sort of answer he was hoping for. Was there a measurement system? Like one to ten? Or was it simply a little or a lot?
