For the past two hours, I had been poked and prodded by the team of people that Mr. Gray sent to get me ready for the event. It was a lot, but I had to admit that I kind of liked having my own m squad to help me get dressed. Not only did theye ready to do my hair and makeup, but there was a stylist with a selection of dresses for me to wear.

    I didn’t want to be too shy, so I decided to go with ck. Thankfully they had several ck dresses to choose from. My hair was pinned up in a faux hawk with a few tendrils dangling on each side to give it a little sass. I loved everything about my look for the night even before they helped me get into the dress.

    “Maybe I should try on some shapewear,” I said, looking at Ty, the stylist.

    “Girl, stop. Your body is on point. Mr. Gray told us to keep you looking like yourself at the end of the day. I think he likes this body.”

    “Did he really say that?” I asked, running my hand over the soft pudge at the bottom of my stomach.

    “Yes, ma’am, and you know you look good as hell so stop fronting,” he confirmed.

    “I’ve never been to a formal event. I guess I’m just kinda self-conscious.”

    “It’s just like the prom, but for old folks,” he informed me.

    I smiled softly before admitting, “I never went to the prom.”

    “Well consider this your debut, baby girl,” Celeste, the makeup artist, chimed in.

    “Let’s try something. Turn away from the mirror while we help you get into this dress,” Ty suggested.

    “OK,” I agreed.

    Once my back was to the mirror, both he and Celeste helped me put the dress on then turned me to face the mirror. My lips slightly parted as I took in my reflection. The off-the-shoulder mermaid-style dress was just simple enough to let my hair and makeup shine; at the same time, it was regal and morous. That was the look we were going for. They nailed it.

    “See, I told you,” Ty raved.

    “You’re beautiful, baby girl,” Celeste added.

    “Thank you. I owe it to the three of you,” I said, referring to them and the hair stylist who was already gone for the night.

    “Baby, we only enhanced what was already there. You better act like you know,” Ty said, snapping in my face.

    “He’s gonna love it,” Celeste added.

    I didn’t have the heart to tell them that our rtionship wasn’t like that. I could tell that they were excited about my first formal event. I don’t think excitement was what I felt. There was a ball of nerves sitting at the bottom of my stomach and making itself known in the elegant ck gown. Thank God I went with ck.

    Once the m squad was gone, I paced the floor grateful that the heels we found didn’t hurt my feet. I thought about going downstairs to wait for Mr. Gray. There was about thirty minutes left before we were supposed to leave.

    I didn’t want to sit around down there waiting on him. My anxiety was bad enough. Still, it was silly to not want to go downstairs to wait. I was almost afraid to sit down in my dress because I didn’t want to take the chance of something getting on it before he saw me. I don’t even know why I cared, but I wanted to look good for him.

    He’d gone through all the trouble of hiring a team of people to make sure I looked good on his arm. The least I could do was make sure I didn’t mess anything up before we got there. As much as I detested the idea of going to some boring formal event, I was eager to get out of the house. It had been far too long since I had gone anywhere. I mean, I had been kidnapped a few weeks ago. At the same time, some part of me felt honored that Mr. Gray wanted me to apany him to the event.

    A man like him could have taken any woman in the world, but he wanted to take me. He might have been trying to keep an eye on me, but I was sure his guards were on post outside as usual. Sicily had the day off so she coulde in and keep an eye on the kids while we were gone. As silly as it was, I kind of felt like I was going on a date. A date with my mean boss sh kidnapper, but a date either way.

    Deciding to get out of my head, I grabbed the sequin clutch I’d selected to match my dress and went downstairs. When I reached the living room, my steps halted. Standing in the middle of the room like he was just waiting for me to show up, he looked like the first ck James Bond in a simple ck tux and bow tie. He was too fucking sexy to be so damn mean. I took a deep breath before proceeding toward him. I didn’t have to go far because he met me halfway.

    “God, you’re stunning, Den,” he murmured.

    “Thank you,” I said, dropping my eyes to the floor.

    cing his hand under my chin, he lifted my eyes back to his fervent gaze. “Keep your head up, princess. Don’t lower your eyes from anyone.”

    Forcing myself to keep my eyes connected to his, I nodded.

    “Sicily is getting the kids ready for bed. King has already asked where you were, so I don’t suggest you go in and rile him up. You ready to go?” he quizzed.

    It broke my heart to hear him say King was asking for me. At the same time, he was probably right. I didn’t want to stir him up by going in and telling him that I was leaving.

    “Yeah, I’m ready.” I nodded.

    Taking my hand, he led the way out of the house. Our ride to the venue was uneventful. An instrumental hip hop mix yed as we rode in the backseat of the car. When we made it to the location, the driver stopped in front and climbed out. Mr. Gray didn’t move until he opened the back door to let us out. I didn’t realize that Mr. Gray was still holding my hand until he slid out of the backseat with me in tow. He didn’t stop moving until we made it to the entrance.

    “Good evening, Mr. Gray. Mr. Four Quinn is requesting a moment of your time at your convenience.”

    “Thank you,” he said, nodding as we continued inside.

    The event seemed to be pretty swanky. There was a live band ying ssical music and servers walking around with champagne on trays. As we moved through the room, several people tried to get Mr. Gray’s attention, but he never lost his stride until we were at a table all the way at the back of the room.

    “I hate these things,” heined as he pulled a chair out for me to sit in.

    I sat down before asking, “Why did youe?”

    “One of the first foundations I helped start is hosting. I have to show my face.”

    “What’s it for?” I quizzed.

    “The foundation provides clothing, shoes, and a piece of luggage to children in foster care. It also helps start the older kids with job training and transitioning into the real world.”

    “Oh wow. That’s amazing, Mr. Gray.”

    “Steel,” he corrected.

    “Sorry,” I said, letting my eyes fall to myp.

    “Den, it doesn’t matter how intimidating or scary someone is. You are just as good and just as important as anyone in any room. You hear me?”

    I nodded and gave him my eyes knowing why he said that. Then again, why was he saying things like that to me? Every day the lines of what was going on with us blurred. Sometimes I forgot that I was a hostage. Was I even a hostage anymore? I was out at a fancy upscale event as if there was nothing wrong.

    “Champagne, sir?” one of the servers asked, standing next to our table.

    “Sure, and make sure someone brings mydy both dinner options. I didn’t fill out a card for us.”

    “Coming right up,” the server stated with a nod, cing two champagne flutes on the table before walking away.

    As soon as he left, someone else came to the table and pulled Mr. Gray to the side. He excused himself before following them out of the room. As soon as he disappeared, the server came back to the table with a te that contained a steak entrée and one with baked chicken.

    The portions were on the small side, but everything looked so good. I was afraid to mess up my dress, so I was hesitant to eat. I looked around and noticed that no one else in the room was eating either. Picking up one of the sses of champagne, I sipped it and people watched. Steel returned minutester and upied the seat next to me.

    “How is the food?” he asked.

    “I haven’t tried it,” I admitted.

    “Why not?” he asked with a frown.

    “I don’t want to get anything on my dress. Plus, I don’t see anyone else eating.”

    “Don’t worry about these people. You’re the only one who matters,” he told me.

    His words caused a flutter in my chest. Why was he saying things like that to me all of a sudden? I wanted to ask him what was going on in his head, but I hadn’t forgotten how opposed he was to answering questions. A couple more people came to the table to address him, but for a while it was just us drinking champagne and watching everyone else mingle.

    “I’m obligated by the board to stay at these things for an hour. I’m watching the clock,” he disclosed.

    Iughed under my breath before leaning closer to him. “How long have we been here?”

    He sighed. “Only thirty minutes.”

    We bothughed. In moments like this I actually liked him. Who was I kidding? If it weren’t for the fact that he made sure to remind me that I couldn’t leave his house, I would have forgotten that I was there against my will.

    “Bro, let me holler at you for a minute,” a stocky guy said, leaning close to his ear.

    “What’s up?” Mr. Gray asked as he stood.

    “Who you got with you? When did you start bringing a date to these shits?” he asked as they walked away a few steps.

    “She’s just the kids’ nanny. I didn’t want toe alone because you know damn well, I don’t want all these thirsty single women on my coattail all night, married ones either. I was d I had somebody I could bring to keep them at bay for a change.”

    I don’t know why, but hearing him refer to me as “just” the nanny stung. It wasn’t like I didn’t know my position. Him adding the word just to the phrase seemed to dete some of the air in my chest from all the positivity he had been force-feeding me over the past couple of weeks. I was crushed that the only reason he’d brought me was to keep other women out of his face. Since my champagne ss was now empty, I picked up the one in front of his chair and tossed it back as I continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

    “I swear you’re a perpetual bachelor,” the other man joked.

    “That’s some made up shit and you know it.”

    “I need you toe with me down the hall. We got something for you,” the man stated.

    “All right, give me a second.” I felt his hand on my shoulder before he addressed me. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

    With him away from the table I felt antsy. I went ahead and dug into my steak and was d that I did after the way it melted in my mouth. There were people mingling and talking amongst themselves. There were even a few of them on the dance floor swaying to the slow jazz music. I was bored to death. Thankfully the server came along and ced two new champagne flutes on the table before retrieving the empty ones.

    “What time is it?” I asked him.

    “It’s a few minutes after nine.”

    “Thank you,” I said, taking a swig of the first ss of champagne.

    By the time I finished my food and both sses of champagne, I’d lost track of how long Mr. Gray had been gone. We had been here for over an hour when I asked the server what time it was, so I had no idea what he was up to at this point.

    It was funny that I hadn’t considered trying to get the hell out of here until I was anxious about sitting alone waiting for him toe back. That was partly because we were somewhere deep in South Georgia.

    I was hours away from home at best. That didn’t mean I couldn’t get there. I didn’t trust that the people in the room didn’t work for Mr. Gray, so asking any of them for help was out of the question. Also, I really didn’t want to get him in trouble. Was this the shit they called Stockholm syndrome? Yeah, I read way too many books.

    Deciding that I wouldn’t wait around much longer, I stood from my seat and marched down the hall where I’d seen Mr. Gray and the big guy disappear. As I moved down the hall one of the doors opened and someone carrying bottles of champagne barreled out almost knocking me down. We both uttered excuse me as I moved further down the hall.

    Just as I passed another door it flew open, out of instinct I looked inside. My eyes doubled in size when I saw Mr. Gray with his shirt flying behind him as he stomped the life out of a man lying on the floor covered in blood.

    “Oh my God!” I screamed, immediately covering my mouth with both hands.

    Mr. Gray’s eyes shot to me before he stormed toward the door where the man who pulled him away from the table still stood in front of the door partially blocking my view.

    “Fuck is you doing? Four get her the fuck out of here!” Mr. Gray ordered.

    The man he referred to as Four grabbed my arm in an attempt to escort me away from the door. Resisting his gentle tug of my arm, I kept my attention on Mr. Gray.

    “Is that?—”

    “Go, Dev!” he roared, cutting me off. “Have Hank take her the fuck home.”

    “All right, boss,” Four said with a tighter grip on my arm this time.

    Continuing down the hall instead of going back into the ballroom, Four practically carried me until we were outside on the side of the building where the car we’d ridden here in was surprisingly waiting. After opening the backwards ass door, he ushered me inside the car.

    “Take her straight home. No stops and no fucking talking,” Four instructed before stepping back and mming the door.

    I was fuming as we made the journey back to Mr. Gray’s house, but more than anything I was confused. I wanted to know what the hell was going on in that room. Was that Brendan lying on the floor hanging on to life by a thread? If it was him did that mean that Mr. Gray would let me go or would I meet a simr fate? What the hell was going on?

    When we made it to Mr. Gray’s house, I jumped out of the car not bothering to wait for the driver to open my door. That didn’t stop him from following me to the front door and making sure I got inside. Then again, he was probably just making sure I actually went inside instead of bailing. Not that it was necessary with Mr. Gray’s goons standing guard out front. They made sure no one came or went without his permission. I stalked into the house and as soon as I saw Sicily I tried to temper my mood. I didn’t want her asking me what was wrong because I just might tell her.

    “You look beautiful, mama,” Sicily said, greeting me from her seat on the couch as soon as I walked through the door.

    “Thank you,” I answered, hoping she didn’t pick up on my dejected tone of voice.

    “Where’s papa?” she asked.

    “Don’t ask.” I shook my head.

    “Did you two have a fight?”

    “No, nothing like that. He started getting busy with work stuff. I was bored, so he had the driver bring me home,” I told her, only partially lying.

    “Oh OK. I know how he hates those things. He’ll probably be extra grumpy when he gets home.”

    I wasn’t sure he could get any angrier than he was while stomping a hole in a man’s head, but she was probably right.

    “I’m sure.”

    “On that note, I’m getting the heck out of here. The kids are down for the night. I don’t know what in the world you did with them, mama, but little Mr. King gave me their whole bedtime routine. I gave them a bath, read them one bedtime story, and let them listen to that soothing mix he showed me, and they were down for the count.”

    “Thank you for covering for me tonight.”

    “Seeing you all dolled up makes it more than worth it. Knowing that you went with the boss man makes it even better. I’m praying that he admits his feelings for you. A blind man can see how much he likes you. He’s not even the same man he was before you came.

    “Don’t get your hopes up,” I cautioned.

    “Never say never, mama. He’s rough around the edges, but I know he’s a great catch.”

    “It’s not like that. I promise.”

    “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I love a good love story,” she said, sping her hands together.

    Iughed. “So do I, but I’m not really into fantasy.”

    “Whatever, girl.” Sicilyughed. “I’m gone. See you tomorrow.”

    “Good night, Sicily. Drive safe.”

    “Good night.”

    I looked in on the kids and they were sound asleep just like Sicily said. I walked over and kissed each of their cheeks and tucked them in. They were the sweetest when they were asleep so I quietly tip-toed out of their room and went upstairs.

    I stripped out of my dress and put it back on the hanger before going into the bathroom and removing my makeup. I jumped in the shower and changed into an oversized T-shirt and a pair of leggings.

    Curiosity tugged at me leading me to go back downstairs to see if Mr. Gray had made it home. The door being unlocked was the first indication that he was still out. Still, I went down to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and a bag of chips out of the pantry. I wanted something salty to help soak up the four or five sses of champagne that I’d drank.

    As I strolled back out of the kitchen, the door swung open. Mr. Gray stood there looking as dapper as he had when we left the house. There was no sign that he’d possibly killed a man tonight.

    “What are you doing up?” he quizzed.

    “I have a bedtime?” I asked him.

    He sighed in response to my question. “I can see that you have something on your chest, soe on. Let me have it.”

    “Was that Brendan?” I asked, cutting to the chase. There was no need to beat around the bush. I needed to know if I was next.

    “No,” he said, shaking his head.

    “I want to go home,” I told him.

    “That’s not up for discussion, Den. Good night.”

    “Why are you even keeping me here? I’m not the only nanny in town. I’m not even a fucking nanny. Why don’t you let me go? I’ve never done anything to you, but you cost me my job. Now I’m a prisoner in your fucking home. Now I wait on you and anticipate your mood swings. You’re cold one minute and hot the next. Sometimes I think you might actually like having me here, then I’m left wondering when you’ll finally take me out of my misery and kill me. If that’s what the n is, go ahead and do it now, because I’m tired of anticipating it.”

    “Den, rx. You’ve had a few drinks so you’re not thinking straight. I know what you saw might have scared you but chill before you wake up the kids.”

    “The only thing confusing is you. One moment I feel this undeniable chemistry between us and the next you make me feel like I’m a silly little girl with a crush on her fucking bully. I don’t know what you want from me. You know I had nothing to do with what Brendan had going on. I have no idea where he is. You know that. Yet, you’re keeping me here just to make sure I know you hate me.”

    “You’re not here because I hate you, Den. You’re here because I need you.”

    His statement didn’t clear things up. If anything, I was even more confused. He was such an anomaly.

    “Need me for what? The kids? I asked if you got me fired because you needed a nanny and you didn’t even have the decency to be honest. Tell me the truth, because I know touching you wasn’t enough of a reason for me to lose my job. Brendan tried to tell me that’s just the way you are, but I’m not buying it. You had only been there twice. We only spoke briefly when you asked if that ce was the end of the line for me or if I had other aspirations. I told you I was in school. Was that the reason you wanted me fired? Because I was only nning to be there temporarily. Was I not giving you enough y? You left me a thousand-dor tip both nights. Tell me something, because I didn’t think I did anything wrong. If you hate me so much, why did you bring me here to be the kids’ nanny? Tell me that and be honest with me. Why did you get me fired? Why the hell am I here?” I quizzed.

    He moved, closing the space between us until he was standing close enough for me to feel his body heat. In that moment, I was certain that this was exactly the moment that I would die. He reached out and just when I thought he would choke the life out of me, he cupped my face in his hands. I was physically shaking as he red down at me with the same intense stare that terrified me and wet my panties all at once.

    “I’m aware that there are a thousand other nannies in the city, but I want you. I don’t mean to intimidate you by staring, which is why I try so hard to keep my distance from you. You’re so fucking pretty that I can barely stand to look at you. I’m not doing anything because I hate you, beautiful. Everything I do is because I think I love you. I think I loved you the first time I saw you,” he confessed.

    He said that, then crashed his lips into mine like a wave of passion and frustration wound into one thing. I wed at the back of his head, deepening our kiss as his tongue swept across mine. My knees were weak as I held onto him for dear life. This thing between us was tense and tender, fiery and all-consuming. My hatred for him had gradually morphed into a puzzling whirlwind of emotions. Suddenly his hands were on my shoulders, and he was pushing me away. He stumbled back as if he was the one who had been shoved.

    “I’m . . . that was a mistake,” he said, turning to walk away.

    “Wait,” I called behind him, but there was no use.

    “Good night, Den,” he said, never even bothering to look back.

    Tears sprang up in my eyes as I made a dash for the stairs. I didn’t stop running until I made it to the top. My head was spinning as I stripped out of my clothes and dove into the bed. Everything around here felt like a roller coaster ride. All I ever wanted in life was stability. Why was that so hard to obtain?hr

    By the forty-eighth hour of Mr. Gray hiding out in his bedroom and office, I was so angry that I went right up and pounded on his office door. He didn’t get to kiss me then hide away like I was some kind of inconvenience or unwanted guest. I didn’t ask to be here. Three weeks of being here with him had me going insane. He was inplete control, but he acted like he was being forced to keep me here.

    One minute he was cold and distant, then the next he was saying that he appreciated me for being here like I had a choice. I didn’t know what kind of game he was ying, but I was tired of it. If he was going to kill me when he found Brendan, then there was nothing for me to be afraid of now. There was no use in dying the inevitable, because this was torture.

    The kids were asleep, and both Miguel and Sicily were gone for the day. No one else seemed to notice how he didn’t bother to show his face for two whole days. He didn’t get to kidnap me, give me all these mixed signals, and then just bail like nothing was going on between us.

    I felt crazy for wanting some kind of validation that I wasn’t imagining things. The man was no coward. I had no idea why he chose to hide out rather than to be honest with me and himself about whatever was going through that thick skull of his. He was so infuriating. At the same time, something in me kind of missed him.

    The door of his office swung open, and I swear whatever I had to say died on my lips when my eyes fell to his bare chest glistening with sweat. He must have been working out because he had a towel slung over his shoulder. He took a deep breath and stretched his eyes before his lips parted.

    “How can I help you, Den?” he asked, waiting impatiently for me to speak.

    Hearing his voice reminded me to take my eyes off his chest and put them on his face. That didn’t make it any better. The unexpected softness in his eyes unnerved me.

    “Why are you hiding?” I asked him.

    “I’m not hi?—”

    “Don’t patronize me, Mr. Gray. Those kids miss you. Don’t let whatever is going on in that big head of yours keep you from bonding with those sweet kids. They didn’t do anything. They’re not the reason you run away from your feelings instead of manning up and facing them. Don’t let your guilt from holding me hostage here keep you from facing us. The least you could do is face me!” I fussed.

    He kept his eyes on me but didn’t respond before I stormed into the kitchen to grab the bowl of fruit I nned to take upstairs with me. There were plenty of drinks upstairs, but other than that I hadn’t thought to take food up or ask Sicily to get anything in particr for me to keep up there. So far, anything I asked for came just as quickly as I could write it down on her shopping list notepad.

    When I made it to the counter, I popped a piece of cantaloupe in my mouth. It pissed me off that my eyes stung with tears. What the hell was wrong with me? There was no reason for me to cry about my kidnapper ignoring me. That should have been a good thing, but it didn’t feel like it. I had so many questions and feelings to unpack. Him avoiding me didn’t make it any better. What was that kiss about?

    I yelped when a pair of huge hands snaked around my body. I almost melted through the floor when he leaned down and pressed his lips into my neck. Grabbing my hand off the counter, he pulled it behind me and ran it down the length of the rock-hard mass between his legs. He growled into my ear instantly ruining my panties.

    “You see what you do to me?” he asked in that cold, raspy voice. “Hm? I can barely stand looking at you without losing my mind. I tried to do both of us a favor by staying away from you, but I can still feel you all over this damn house. Your energy is all over this ce, and it’s so addicting that I feel like I can’t breathe with or without it. I’ve been working out for two hours in there trying to burn enough energy to fall asleep without hearing you sing. You make me crazy, Den. Is that what you want to hear?” he grunted.

    “Mmhm,” I confessed.

    “I . . . am . . . trying . . . not . . . to . . . fuck . . . you, Den.” The way he enunciated each word set my body on fire. I wanted so bad everything he was trying to resist. I wasn’t sure how to say that without sounding like a desperate whore. The man had kidnapped me for God’s sakes. Why the hell was I so attracted to him? “Do you understand that?” he asked me.

    “Yes.” I nodded slowly.

    “That’s the only thing I can think about when I’m close to you, and I know it’s not right. Tell me what you want from me, Den. I want you to be happy. Tell me what I have to do to please you.”

    “Let me go,” I whispered.

    Pressing his face against mine, he inhaled deeply before responding. “Anything but that.”

    My body was on fire as he moved his hand down my stomach and shoved it into my panties. He didn’t stop until his fingers were slipping into my wetness and sweeping across my sensitive flesh.

    “Do I do this to you?” he asked.

    “Yes,” I hissed.

    “Why do I make you so wet, Den?” he questioned.

    “I don’t know,” I muttered.

    “You do know. Tell me why I make you so wet, princess.”

    “Because you’re mean and scary, and for some reason, I like you anyway.”

    “How do you think I feel about that?” he asked, adding a little pressure as he made circles on my clit.

    “Conflicted,” I whimpered, bracing myself by putting my hand on the counter.

    “You’re driving me so fucking crazy. I’m doing everything I know to do to resist you, but no matter what I only want you more and more.”

    He drug his hand back up my stomach before rubbing the dampness from my essence across my neck. I hissed when he ran his hot tongue against my neck and licked it off.

    “I’ve wanted to taste your pussy since the first time we locked eyes,” he confessed. “There’s so much shit I want to do to you. I know better though. Having you here when you don’t want to be is bad enough. Go upstairs, Den. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, lingering behind me for a second before backing up and walking away.

    “I don’t want to,” I confessed, not sure if I meant that or not.

    “Go, Den. I’m not doing this to you. Have a good night,” he said, walking away.

    Yet again, he didn’t bother to try to take me upstairs. For the past few nights, he hadn’t taken me upstairs, but each time I checked the door it was locked. Apparently, he could lock the doors remotely.

    “No,” I said, my voice trembling as I spoke.

    He didn’t even look back at me as he continued toward his bedroom instead of the office. The further he moved away from me the weaker I felt. I had to do something to stop him from walking away from me right now.

    “Steel!” I shouted to his back.

    That was it. That stopped him in his tracks. Turning back, he rushed over to me, hoisting me in the air and wrapping my legs around him as he marched through the house. He didn’t stop moving until he stood in front of his bed and dropped me on my back.

    I gazed up at him waiting on bated breath as he stared me down hungrily. He had never looked so good as he did standing there shirtless in a pair of joggers. As a matter of fact, I had never seen him dressed down. Not even in his own home.

    He always wore suits and ties, or at least cks and a button-down. This was a new side of him, and I loved it. Putting one knee on the bed, he hovered over me and looked down into my eyes. He screwed up his face like he was in physical pain.

    “Do you want to do this?” he asked, staring down at me as he waited for my response.

    “Yes.” I nodded my head for emphasis. “More than anything.”

    He ran his hand down his face as if he were contemting. I took deep breaths to calm myself as I waited for him to make his next move.

    “Since you came here, I wake up every morning just to see your smile and hear those children in thereugh and y. I used to live to make money and work until I passed out. Something shifted in me. Now I want this to be my life. I want you to be my life. You asked me why I got you fired. At the time, I was so furious that I didn’t want to talk about it. I wanted you. That’s why I did it, Den.

    “Brendan and I were discussing a deal for me to be part owner of Velvet. I knew it would be a conflict of interest to pursue you while you were one of the employees. Plus, I didn’t want you working there if you were going to be mine. I didn’t want other men ogling over you and doing whatever other crazy shit they do in those ces. Brendan is the majority owner, so I told him to fire you and gave him a week to do it since I would be out of the country on business, anyway. He stabbed me in the back.

    “When I came back from Japan, you were on his arm. I tried to count it as a loss, but I can’t let go. Since I found out about you, I can’t bring myself to live without you. I don’t ever want to do that shit again, Den. I don’t ever want to live without you again. I was so miserable and empty trying to fill myself up with money. I have my hands in so many things that I never even give myself a second to think or breathe. You’ve put all that on pause.

    “My world stopped the first time you smiled at me. I’ll stop this muthafucka forever if you ask me to. Just stay here with me. Not because you’re scared of what I’ll do, but because you can’t stand to be away from me either. I need you like a flower needs rain. I was dying slowly before you came here. I want you to keep watering me,” he said, cupping my face.

    His misty eyes made both my heart and my pussy clench. When his fingers raked up to my hair, I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss. A million tiny explosions went off in my head as his plump lips slid from my own lips down my neck.

    Ripping at my shirt, he tore it apart with one quick yank, sending buttons flying across the bed. Hurriedly he yanked down my bra. I hissed when his mouth found my breast. I lifted my hips writhing against him as his teeth gently grazed one of my tight nipples. His hand covered the other breast, massaging it, and tweaking my sensitive flesh between his fingertips. Both hands found the waist band of my jeans, and he popped the button before dragging the snug fabric down my body. I raised my ass making sure that he knew he had my full permission to undress me.

    “Lay back.” He barked out amand that sent me into instant action.

    t on my back, I stared up at the ceiling. I felt like I was drunk as Iy there waiting for what was toe. Then his face was between my thighs. He nuzzled his nose against my pulsing center and took a long inhale. Any other time I would have been nervous out of my mind and self-conscious about the fact that I hadn’t showered sincest night or shaved since God knows when, but somehow, I’m turned on.

    “You’re so fucking wet,” he groaned as his fingers tugged at my panties before tearing them down my body. They’re barely hanging on by a thread when he freed me of them.

    Without another word, he dove into my center headfirst, running his wide tongue across my entire pussy and moaning as if he was eating the best meal he’d ever had. Hepped and slurped, French-kissing my pussy.

    I was used to faking during sex. Not that I hated it, but it wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, especially oral. Now I felt cheated. Was this what it was supposed to feel like?

    My hips thrashed wildly against his face as I screamed to the top of my lungs and begged for mercy that he wasn’t willing to give. With a tight grip on my thighs he feasted on me until there was nothing left.

    “I’m cumming,” I whined, warning him of my impending doom.

    My trembling legs mped down around his head as a river flowed from my writhing body. He didn’t give a damn about suffocating because that only made him go harder. The hum that escaped him sent gentle vibrations through my entire body.

    When my ass lifted from the bed, he shoved two fingers inside me and sucked gingerly on my throbbing clit. I felt like any second I would either explode or burst into mes. Either would take me out of my misery. I couldn’t take much more, but at the same time I never wanted him to stop pleasing me. I was too afraid that things would go back to the way they were. Then again, I knew things would never be the same. Not for me.

    My legs shook violently as he picked up speed. I clutched the back of his head fucking his face as I cum so hard my hips are suspended in the air. Time seemed to stand still as my body tensed, and I was thrust into a state of constant euphoria. I don’t know how much time passed as I gently floated back down to Earth.

    “You’re so damn pretty when you cum,” he groaned as he kissed his way back up my stomach.

    Leaning back on his haunches, he wiped his mouth with his hand as he put distance between us. I watched as he slid over to the edge of the bed and reached in his nightstand. I was slightly annoyed that he had condoms at the ready but grateful that they were there. My eyes almost popped out of my head when he shoved his pants down over his hips and stroked his impressive length. If my entire body wasn’t still buzzing, I would have had the wherewithal to mp my legs shut.

    “Can I fuck you, Den?” he asked as he sheathed himself.

    I was so mesmerized by the sight of his veiny fist, pumping his dick that I didn’t speak at first. His husky chuckle brought me out of my daze enough for me to lift my eyes to his face.

    “Hm?”

    “I need to fuck you. Can I do that?” he repeated his question.

    Lazily, my head bobbed up and down. He didn’t hesitate to oblige, sliding between my thighs and locking my ankles around his back. I braced myself for his size as the head of his dick pressed against my soaking wet center.

    With one swift motion, he jerked me down onto his dick quickly spearing me before slowly sinking deeper. The groan that ripped through him was animalistic. His knitted brow made me think that he was about to cry. His eyes were locked with mine as he plunged into me hard. His hips still once he’s fully seated, but I didn’t mind the brief reprieve as his girth stretches me to the limit.

    The delicate bnce of pain and pleasure had my fingers clinging to the sheets. My relief was short-lived as he pulled out and mmed into me again without restraint. The pressure was so intense that tears sprang to my eyes. Then he picked up the tempo. He grunted with every unabandoned thrust of his hips. I released the sheets and clung to his forearms as unrestricted pleasure coursed through my veins. My hips lifted, craving to be closer to him, and my head pressed against the bed, thrashing from side to side as he ravaged me unmercifully.

    “I want to take . . . my time with you, but I can’t . . . control myself,” he professed, huffing through his nose after every few sybles.

    It didn’t matter because whatever spot he’d discovered deep inside of me was the key to my sanity. I felt like I was slowly unraveling as he tapped that button over and over, and before long, I was feeling the urge to burst into mes all over again. He mmed into me again and again until pure, unfiltered pleasure thrust me back into orgasmic bliss. I was consumed by the fire he ignited, and it felt so good that I didn’t want to be put out.

    I mp my eyes shut and cry out, pressing my head even further into the bed as he keeps the same aggressive tempo literally fucking me senseless. I couldn’t see or hear anything. On the other hand, I could feel every single thing. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he jerked my head forward.

    “Look at me,” hemanded. When my eyes popped open, he was still wearing the same tortured expression. “I love fucking you, Den,” he professed before crashing his lips into mine.

    I panicked when he pulled out of our kiss, so Itched my arms around his neck to hold him in ce. His facial expression as he pounded into me repeatedly had me in a trance. I tried tomit that face to memory for when this is all over.

    The visceral sounds he made as he grunted and groaned with each stroke of his hips was maddening. I did this to him. I made him react this way. I drove him so crazy that he couldn’t control himself. He admitted it, and now I knew that it was true. I made him lose control.

    With our eyes locked, he went even harder, plunging into me even faster. His animalistic groans were now bellowing cries of agony and pleasure. I did this to him. My arms tightened around his neck as I pulled him even closer. He resisted my hold enough to keep his eyes pinned to mine.

    When he came, the sound that escaped him seemed to make the entire house shake. Humming softly, he buried his face in my neck. He fought to catch his breath, and I did the same as he rxed his long frame against mine.

    I was speechless as the swirl of emotions danced around in my head. At the end of our session, that’s all I was left with. This time there was nothing confusing about what I was feeling. The contentment and adoration that I felt in the moment were crystal clear. The unmasked desire for more of him was at the forefront of it all. More than anything, I wanted to explore this growing thing between us.

    For as long as he allowed me to, I held him, feeling his racing heartbeat as he snaked his arms around my back and pulled me closer. We settled into each other’s embrace, and I said a silent prayer that this was the only man I would fuck for the rest of my life. I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that anyone in the world would ever live up to the expectations he’d just set.

    He kissed my shoulder before pulling away from me. As soon as our bodies disconnected, I felt cold and empty. I kept my eyes on him as he stood to his feet and removed the condom. After dropping it into the trashcan next to the nightstand, he crawled back in bed and slowly finished undressing me.

    I didn’t even realize that what was left of my shirt still clung to my body until he removed both the ripped shirt and my bra. Once I waspletely naked, he kissed me again. This time his kiss was patient and soft. He studied my face briefly before I lowered my eyes, unable to withstand the intensity of his gaze.

    He didn’t speak as he pulled the covers back and motioned for me to get under them. Why in the world was I so happy? What the hell was happening right now, and why did I like it? I tried to remind myself of how my feelings had evolved over the past couple of weeks.

    When had I stopped looking at him as the evil, mysterious Mr. Gray? When had I stopped being afraid of him and start seeing him as something other than my captor? Because now I only saw him as something that belonged to me. I just needed reassurance that he felt the same way.

    Once I was under the covers, he eased in behind me until we were in the spooning position. His bed felt so good. The one upstairs wasn’t bad, but in his bed, I felt like I was lying on a literal cloud as my eyes drifted closed. His hands explored my body moving up and down in slow passes. He swept my hair away from my face and peppered my neck and jawline with soft kisses.

    This time there was no rush as he carefully pushed his dick back into my aching center from behind. Squeezing me tightly against his hard frame, he rocked into me slowly. I rolled my hips, matching his rhythm as our bodies moved together in a fluid motion. He buried his face in my hair, groaning slowly as we writhed in anguid, sensual dance. For what seemed like hours, he made love to me until I fell into a deep sleep.

    I panicked when I woke up naked in an unfamiliar ce. It was dark, but there was just enough light creeping in from the moon that I remembered where I was. The aching between my thighs assured me that I wasn’t dreaming.

    Still, I didn’t know what to think of the situation. I didn’t want him to think that I thought too much into things, if that was even possible at this point. Instead of lingering and wondering, I eased out of bed and tiptoed around the room until I found what was left of my shirt next to my jeans on the floor. I hastily pulled on my jeans and covered the top of my body then scurried out of his room and sprinted to the stairs.

    Once I was securely on the top floor, I shut the door behind me and pressed my back against it. The clock on the wall indicated that it was two in the morning. My head was spinning as I made my way to the shower. A quick shower soothed my tired muscles enough for me to fall back into a deep slumber when I finally crashed into bed.hr

    “That’s a beautiful dress,” Sicilymented as she breezed into the kitchen where Miguel and I were making breakfast.

    Both King and Evie were at the table doing their individual activities while we cooked.

    “Thank you,” I said, smiling in response to herpliment.

    I had worn a couple of dresses since I’d been there, but for some reason today I felt particrly beautiful. It was a simple pink skater dress that probably cost too much. After a couple of days, I stopped looking at the price tags.

    Since I hadn’t had the strength or energy to braid my hair downst night, I had to sweep it up into a gigantic puff ball today. King thought it was hrious, so that was a plus. When the door to Steel’s office opened, I fought the urge to look up. I didn’t even know he was up already. Apparently, he had been up for a while because we had been in the kitchen for over an hour now.

    “Uncle Steel!” King chanted from his seat in the dining room.

    “Good morning, buddy,” he called across the room as he made his way to the kitchen.

    Each ck of his shoes against the marble floors made me more uneasy. I focused on cutting thest of the strawberries for the stuffed French toast Miguel was making as Steel’s intense energy filled the room until it overflowed with everything Steel. God, he smelled good. The sound of his footsteps didn’t stop until he stood next to me. Gently grabbing the side of my face, he pressed a soft kiss against my temple.

    “Good morning, Den,” he said.

    “Good morning.” I managed to mutter as I allowed my eyes to find his.

    He winked before casually turning as if nothing had happened and greeting everyone else in the kitchen.

    “Good morning, guys,” he stated, either oblivious or unfazed by their ck jawed gazes.

    “Good morning, Mr. Gray,” Sicily and Miguel spoke in unison.

    Keeping his stride, he walked over to the dining room to talk to the kids. He was impossibly sexy, dressed in a silk ck shirt and matching cks. Even his shoes were the hue of midnight, only allowing a peek of the red bottom with each step. I was under his spell as I watched him reach down and wiggle his fingers across Evie’s tummy. Her shrill giggles as he tickled her seemed to break the three of us left in the kitchen from his trance.

    “Good morning, sweet face,” he said, joining in on herughter.

    I picked up the strawberries and tossed them in a bowl before walking over to the sink to wash my hands.

    “Look what I made, Uncle Steel. That’s my name and that’s myst name. Ms. Devy said myst name shows who is in my family. That’s why it’s the same as yours. This says my name is King Gray. I am four years old. Then these are just numbers,” King exined.

    “You’re doing a great job, buddy. We will have to do something special soon to celebrate how smart you are.”

    “Yes!” King cheered.

    As if he hadn’t turned the entire house upside down with one simple gesture, Steel walked back into the kitchen. “Miguel, have everything set up by noon. I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he ordered before the cking of his shoes carried him all the way out of the house.

    “OK, what the hell was that?” Miguel said, turning to me with the biggest grin.

    “What?” I asked, pressing my lips together to bite back my smile.

    “Drop the act, heifer. Who the hell was that man? I’ve been working here five years, and I’ve never heard Mr. Grayugh or seen him smile for over three seconds. If you would have picked up your guilty head, you would have seen that megawatt smile before he freaking kissed you like it was something he does every morning. What happened? Spill,” Sicily demanded.

    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, in a weak attempt to feign innocence.

    “No wonder he came to me as soon as I got here this morning telling me that he’s grilling today. I have never seen him use that grill,” Miguel observed.

    “Maybe he wants to change things up a little.”

    “He doesn’t change things up a little. We follow a simple routine around here. He works day and night even when he’s not here. We keep our heads down and do our jobs. He pays well and gives great bonuses. It doesn’t matter that he’s not much of a conversationalist, or he holds up in his office. Everybody has a job to do. Now he’s whistling and smiling and wanting to do things different. There is one thing that changed everything.”

    “And what is that?” I asked, tilting my head and waiting for Sicily to answer.

    “Your pretty ass.” Miguel chimed in.

    “Wow.” Iughed and shook my head. “Y’all are tripping. I can imagine that it gets boring out here, but you two have made up an entire storyline behind a man smiling for a change. When one of you writes the book, I would love to read it.”

    Narrowing her eyes, Sicily moved closer to me before leaning in to ensure that the kids didn’t hear her.

    “Did you have sex?” she asked.

    “What?” I scoffed.

    “Please tell me you did. He needed to getid. I knew it! It’s been months since I’ve seen him taking a woman out of here. Now Ie in and his bed is already made. He even changed his own linen. He never does that. I know something happened. You don’t have to say anything. Just nod your head yes or no to confirm.”

    “Wow,” I said, shaking my head again. I had never been big on kissing and telling, not even with Kelsea. Part of me wanted to confirm their suspicions, but it was kind of fun letting them wonder too. “What are y’all grilling?” I asked Miguel in an attempt to change the subject.

    “Mr. Gray wants me to prepare some Ribeye steaks and chicken with all kinds of veggies and potatoes. It’s going to be a feast. We haven’t gone outside and used the grill in a long time. He wants everything set up so the kids can y outside. He ims that he’s going to do all the cooking. I’ll believe it when I see it. Even if he doese out there, I’m sure he’ll be working, but at least he’s trying to add a little adventure to the day.”

    “Sounds fun.”

    “Fun my ass. Miguel, you owe me twenty bucks,” Sicily told him.hr

    We had a freaking st outside. The best thing about the entire day was seeing Mr. Grayugh and actually enjoy himself. I loved to see how he interacted with Miguel and Sicily. You could tell that he really valued them as his employees. It was easy to see why they loved their jobs.

    After spending the day out in the sun, everyone was down for the count. I’d let Sicily go home promising that I would do the dishes and finish cleaning up the kitchen once I put the kids down for the night. The kids were so exhausted that I gave both of them baths while they were asleep. They didn’t even need a bedtime story.

    As I stood in front of the sink, I started to imagine this being my life for good. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to me. Aside from the lingering Brendan issue, everything was going well. It felt good to have Steel loosen up for a change. My heart swelled as I watched him y with King and Evie when Miguel inevitably took over the grill duties. Hands on my shoulders caused me to jump, but I quickly recovered once I felt Steel’s calming energy.

    “When I came in and saw you cleaning up for that nigga that night, I wanted to kill him even more. My princess is nobody’s servant. You need to be sitting on your throne resting so you can take care of me and the kids. That’s why I hire people.”

    “I don’t mind pulling my weight,” I said, turning to face him.

    “Pulling your weight is taking care of me and the kids,” he countered.

    “If you’re not careful people are going to think something is going on between us. They’re already suspicious.”

    “There is something going on between us. Let them suspect.”

    “Is that why you kissed me in front of everyone?” I asked the question that had been nagging at me all day.

    “What?” he asked, knitting his eyebrows.

    “I’m just asking if you wanted them to know,” I stated.

    “When did I kiss you?”

    The puzzled look on his face made meugh. “This morning when you came in the kitchen, Steel. You kissed me on the temple and made everybody’s jaw drop. Do you not remember doing that?”

    He narrowed his eyes as if I was ying a joke on him or something. “I honestly don’t.” He chuckled.

    “Do you even remembering in the kitchen this morning?” I asked him.

    “Yes, I came in and spoke to everybody and reminded Miguel to set up the grill.”

    “And when you came in and spoke to everybody, you walked right up to me and kissed me on the side of my head before you went to the dining room and tickled Evie.”

    “I remember tickling my sweet face. You’re telling me I kissed you good morning in front of everybody?”

    “Yes!” I raised my voice.

    “How did that make you feel?” he asked.

    That wasn’t the response I expected from him. Well first of all I didn’t expect him not to remember kissing me.

    Lifting my shoulders, I told him. “I don’t know.”

    “Hm, what did they have to say?” He wondered.

    “They were excited. Miguel lost twenty dors. Apparently, he thought it would be three months before you gave in to your attraction to me and Sicily said it would be less.”

    “So, everyone around here knew that I was attracted to you?”

    “Everyone but me.” I grinned.

    “I don’t think you were oblivious. I think you were in denial.”

    “Let’s see, you kidnapped me and locked me in an attic. You yell at me every time I ask a question. You avoid me most of the day, then lock me back in the attic again. I don’t see where I would have thought you were attracted to me.”

    “I took you out of a situation where a guy left the country and abandoned you in his house. I brought you to a beautiful mansion and gave you an apartment rent free. I stayed away from you in an attempt to fight my desire for you. I avoid conversation to keep you from getting too close to me, but shower you with gifts. I gave you ess to a chef and a maid. Not to mention the fact that I’m building you a library one book at a time,” he said with a wink. “I’m sorry. It’s been a while. I’m not too good at courting.”

    I actuallyughed at his statement. “Tell me about it.”

    “Come here let me show you one of the things I’ve been working on while I was locked away in my office,” he requested, taking my hand and pulling me with him to his office. “I got into woodwork after I got out of the hospital. It was a long time before I could walk.”

    “What happened?” I asked. He’d mentioned something about the hospital before but so far, the details were hazy.

    “It’s a long story. Anyway, I wanted to ask you about the project I’m working on,” he said, snatching a sheet off of a wooden dollhouse. “You think Evie is too little for this?”

    “Steel, did you make this?” I questioned as I kneeled in front of it.

    The pink and white farmhouse design was absolutely adorable. As I sat in front of it, inspecting the intricate design, he turned it around so that I could see the back. There were two floors, and he had already started to put furniture in it. There was a little wooden rocking chair and even a bed and a dresser.

    “The first one I made was just a replica of this house I live in. I designed it from top to bottom.”

    “Wow!”

    “The furniture too. I think by the time she’s five she will be ready for it,” he stated.

    “Steel, I don’t know what to say. This is beautiful.”

    “Oh wait, I haven’t added the best part,” he said, rushing over to his desk.

    His excitement was so cute. I stood as he walked back over carrying something in the palm of his hand. My jaw dropped when I saw the little figurines in his hand.

    “This one is Evie, and the other one is King.”

    “Wow,” was all I could manage to say.

    “It’s just a hobby. Something to keep the demons in my head at bay, you know.”

    “You’re really good.”

    “I’ve only shown you and the architect that helped design this ce that I do this. I learned from an old man that used to buy crack from me when I was about fifteen. I dabbled with it over the years, but it was just one of those things that I could do. Once I was out of the hospital, I didn’t have anything else to do for a long time. So, I started figuring out how to make furniture to go in the houses. I never keep them, and they sell for a fortune wherever my guy sells them.”

    “Every time I think I’m starting to understand you, you show me something else.”

    “Good things I hope,” he said, taking a step to get closer to me.

    Reaching out to him, I touched the side of his face. When I was around him, I always got the urge to touch him. Now it finally felt like it was OK. At one point, I thought it was the whole reason I’d gotten fired. As my hand swept up the side of his face, he nuzzled his cheek into the palm of my hand.

    “Why were you in the hospital? Did someone try to kill you?” I asked.

    “You don’t have to go upstairs unless you want to,” he replied.

    “Why don’t you want to talk about what happened? Is it one of those ‘if I tell you I’ll have to kill you’ things?”

    “It’s just hard to talk about. I don’t like dwelling on the past.”

    “I get that I guess,” I said, removing my hand from his face and turning to walk away.

    “You never answered my question.”

    “You never answered mine,” I countered. “And you never asked a question.”

    “Sleep with me and I’ll talk. Not for sex this time. I just want you with me. That’s why I said you don’t have to go upstairs if you don’t want to.”

    “I don’t want to,” I confirmed.

    “Good because I’m tired of not having you with me.”

    I yelped when he scooped me up bridal style and carried me to his bedroom. Just like the first time, he dropped me on the bed. Only it was gentle this time. I kept my eyes on him as he undressed. He removed his shirt first allowing me the perfect view of his sculpted chest and abs. A smile curved my lips as I enjoyed my own personal strip tease.

    “It’s hard for me to navigate this shit, but make no mistake, I want you. I haven’t let anybody new get close to me since the woman I built all this shit for walked out on me and aborted our baby. She thought I was going to have one of my legs amputated. That was the n. My sister made the doctors wait until I woke up to make the decision,” he exined as he stepped out of his shoes and shoved his jeans down over his hips.

    When he was down to a pair of navy-blue boxers and his socks, he sat next to me on the bed and crossed his left leg over his right thigh. Instinctually my hand moved to the scarring near the inside of his ankle.

    “Obviously, they made a different decision.”

    “Every day I have to remind myself that it could have been worse, especially when the nerve pain is kicking my ass,” he said, as he slowly removed his sock. “I’ve always hated my toes. Not that I cared, I just knew they were fucked up. Men have fucked up feet. I was OK with that. The decision to allow them to amputate was one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. A big toe is way less important than a whole damn leg.”

    I was careful as I hesitantly trailed my fingers to the spot where Steel’s big toe should have been. How the hell had I not been able to tell he was missing part of his foot? His sexy ass walk was one of the first things I noticed about him. To think that it came from a physical deformity was mind blowing. He had never been so attractive as he was sitting on the side of his bed baring his most personal w. I didn’t see it as a w at all. I massaged his foot hoping that my touch was enough to soothe his deep-seated pain.

    “My foot was crushed in an ident. It was a car wreck. I was speeding and so was the other guy. A drunk driver hit me when I was on my way home from taking care of some nigga that used to work for me. I can barely remember anything that happened that day aside from that. I was out for two days before I woke up in the hospital. My sister Ang was waiting at my bedside with a note from the woman I loved saying she couldn’t do this and thest thing I needed right now was a baby. It took over a week for me to get in touch with her and by then she had already been to nned Parenthood. She asked me to let her go, so I did.”

    “I’m sorry that happened,” I said, as I continued to rub his foot. “I had a bad wreck in high school that caused me to stop driving. I don’t even think I can anymore. I can only imagine what you went through. I really am sorry.”

    “You called my house a prison. For a long time, that’s what it felt like to me too. Then I brought you here. The sun shines brighter these days. There are childrenughing and ying. For the first time in a long time, my house feels like a home. I don’t want to let that go. That’s why I can’t let you go,” he confessed.

    “I guess I get that. I can’t remember thest time I felt like I had a real family, but I feel it here and it terrifies me because I know it can’tst. Not under the circumstances. What happens when you find Brendan? What happens if you don’t? Those are the things that I think about when I go to bed at night.”

    “Maybe tonight you’ll finally understand that you don’t have to worry,” he said, standing and pulling the covers back. He climbed in bed and slid back making room for me to get in. “Come on. Just let me hold you for tonight.”

    Once I wasfortably situated in bed, he pulled me on top of him and wrapped his arms around my back. With my head on his chest, I allowed myself to rx for the first time since he’d brought me to his house.

    “I’m so disgusted with myself for all the time I wasted meeting women and thinking I was in love over the years. What a fucking coward I must be that I didn’t have the courage to wait for you. I’m so sorry for giving up on finding you, princess. Now I can’t let you go. If you’ll let me, I promise to worship you every day that I live until I don’t have any life left in me,” he dered, kissing the top of my head. “Good night, Den.”

    “Good night, Steel.”