Chapter Fifteen

The smell of musk and spice drifted pleasantly across the pillow and into Jewell’s sleep-fogged brain. She inhaled, wondering where she’d smelled that before.

Then her eyes flew open and she twisted her head to look around, her body stiffening until she realized she was alone. The night before came flooding back to her, and her face flushed when she realized what she’d done.

Okay, she’d known she was going to “do it,” and it had been out-of-this-world great, but she wasn’t supposed to feel that way. She was supposed to be doing this for one reason, and that reason wasn’t for herself.

Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes from closing in soft remembrance as she thought back over last night. After falling asleep, or, more accurately, passing out, she hadn’t even noticed when Blake had carried her to another bed. Sometime in the night, she’d woken to find his head buried between her sore thighs and it hadn’t taken him long to send her spiraling into another mind-blowing orgasm.

When he then moved up the bed and brushed her lips with his incredibly hard arousal, she hadn’t hesitated to open to him. She’d taken his velvet skin into her mouth and sucked him until he’d released his pleasure onto her greedy tongue.

They hadn’t spoken, hadn’t acknowledged the power of their night. He’d simply pulled her back into his arms and she’d fallen blissfully back asleep. Now, as she sat up in what had to be his bed, she wondered what was happening. Hadn’t he told her when she’d first arrived that she wasn’t allowed in his room?

She had no idea what she was supposed to do next. This short time with Blake Knight was a constant up and down, and yet she wasn’t miserable being with him. Was it because he kept throwing her so off balance?

She had five more nights with him. After that, she’d go back to Relinquish Control, and the muddle her brain had become would get straightened out. That was good. It was what she needed.

Finally getting up, she walked to his bathroom and gasped at the large sunken tub and a glass-enclosed shower big enough for at least six people. Oh, her mouth watered at even the thought of using either one, but she didn’t want to risk his wrath. Granted, he’d brought her into his bedroom himself, but she was sure he’d want her to leave right away and not take advantage of the super-fancy facilities there.

Grabbing a thick robe she found hanging on the wall, she wrapped her petite body in it and returned to his bedroom. She cracked the door to the hall open and looked both ways. No one else had been in his apartment the day before, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be someone today, and she really didn’t want to meet anyone for the first time while doing the walk of shame from Blake’s room in his too-big bathrobe.

The coast was clear, so she snuck down the hall, entered her own temporary room, and headed straight to her bathroom. Climbing into her shower — it was large, but nothing like Blake’s — she stood beneath the hot spray for several minutes without moving, welcoming the relief to her stiff muscles.

She had used muscles she didn’t even know existed last night, and she suspected she would continue to be sore for a few days. That was a real bummer. After all, she’d be with Blake for the next five days, and he probably wasn’t going to give her much time to rest.

Though she would power her way through it, she may go searching for a hot tub. A place this large and grand would have to have one, wouldn’t it? If not, she’d soak for hours in the tub in her bathroom. She wouldn’t be very good to him later that night if she couldn’t even bend.

When she felt a bit better, she turned off the shower and went back into her room. That’s when she noticed a bag sitting on her bed. Damn! No doubt Blake wanted her to wear some skimpy little outfit again for his own pleasure while he checked in on her any time he wanted with his house cameras.

Maybe if she didn’t open the bag, she could pretend ignorance. That sounded liked a fantastic idea to her. So she walked to her large closet and dressed in the most comfortable clothes she could find — though she’d hardly call them comfortable. The shorts barely covered her behind, and the sheer top showed a lot more than it hid, but at least she wouldn’t get overheated. That was always a bonus.

When she reached the kitchen and found her phone on the counter, several messages showed on the screen. Could she pretend she hadn’t seen them as well? As a new message beeped in, she knew that wasn’t going to be possible.

So she picked it up reluctantly, unlocked the screen, and opened her inbox.

You appeared to sleep well. Make sure you are well rested for tonight.

I want you to take a long soak in the tub in my room. I’ve had special bath salts delivered that will help ease your soreness. Spend at least an hour in the hot water.

Don’t pretend you didn’t see the bag. Go back up there and open it.

Before she could even think about which message to respond to first, another one popped up on her screen. This one made her smile and then frown.

Yes, I am watching you. Good morning, Jewell. You did well last night. We will discuss it at length later.

She looked up along the walls, trying to discover where the cameras were located. If she could somehow find them, maybe she could find some places in his home where she could hide. She so craved some semblance of privacy.

Did he have cameras in his bathroom, too? Would he watch her as she bathed? Just the thought caused her stomach to stir. Blake seemed to have awakened something inside her, and she didn’t know whether she’d be able to turn it back off. That was a terrifying thought, because this was absolutely temporary.

And still, even though Blake wasn’t Mr. Perfect, and he was demanding and curt, he also didn’t seem to be the type to do really sick things. What if the next guy wasn’t so easy? What if the lifestyle he was into was something she just couldn’t do? She couldn’t get past the words some of the other girls had spoken.

They’d talked about how men liked to whip them, make them bow down at their feet, feed them from a bowl on the floor. There were other things, sex things, that made her gag just to think of them. She couldn’t do such things. Or could she? Hadn’t she vowed to do anything for her brother? But would he want her to sink so low? Would he do the same for her? Of course he would, at least if he were older.

She just prayed she would never be forced into choosing between her brother and her pride. Because if she were treated in such a demeaning way, it might well not matter whether she saved her brother or not, because she would be lost forever.

Answer me, Jewell. Now!

Oh, you are impatient, Mr. Knight. I was just trying to decide what to answer first.

I don’t like waiting for anyone.

Then you will surely be disappointed a lot in your lifetime.

Not knowing why she was doing it, Jewell added a bit of salt to her comment by looking up at the walls with a mocking smile. She might not know where the cameras were, but she certainly hoped he got the message. She felt a whole heck of a lot braver when she was communicating with Blake by text message and not in person. He wasn’t quite so intimidating.

You really need a good spanking. You’re not jumping when I say jump.

You didn’t tell me how high.

Instead of striking terror into her, his threat gave her a shiver of excitement. She didn’t know this man, and had no idea what he was capable of, but if he wanted to really hurt her, wouldn’t he have shown that already? She hadn’t seen anything so far in his place that looked menacing, and she had spent the entire day wandering the apartment, so she would have turned up something if it were there.

You’re pushing me, Jewell…

Maybe you need to be pushed. Maybe too many people kiss your ass and that makes you a grumpy man.

When there was no response to her last message, Jewell wondered whether she’d taken things too far, just like the last time they engaged in a phone war. Although texting a message made her feel braver, she didn’t want him to send her away, didn’t want to lose the money future jobs would give her, the money to get her own apartment, the money that would show the judge she would be a fit guardian for her brother. She was again close to apologizing when a message finally came through.

Go take your bath, Jewell. Now! I will show you later what happens when someone displeases me.

This time she didn’t reply. Pacing worriedly from the living room to the kitchen and back again, she chewed on her thumbnail. Was he serious?

I can see you are wising up, Jewell. Don’t try to challenge me. You will lose.

Relief flooded through her at seeing his message. True, it was another order, and it wasn’t a very pleasant one, but he wasn’t telling her she’d have to leave. He wasn’t screaming at her with exclamation marks galore or in all capital letters. Why she felt the need to challenge him she didn’t know, but as much as she was trying to suppress her personality to get through this week, she couldn’t kill it completely.

She’d been raised by a strong, beautiful, brilliant mother, and she respected herself. Sure, she didn’t always make the best choices, but couldn’t that be said about everyone? She was still a good person and she still deserved to be treated with respect, even if she had agreed to work for an agency with the name Relinquish Control.

Even if she was selling her body.

With an extra sway in her hips, she turned and moved toward the stairs. Hadn’t she told herself she wanted to use his bath anyway? Of course she had. So even though he was ordering her to take a bath, it was no skin off her…back. Let him think he’d won some imaginary skirmish in their battle of wills.

She went first to her room and looked at the bag on her bed. She didn’t want to open it, but she also didn’t want to keep challenging this man. So she picked up the bag and looked inside, then really hoped he was decent enough not to have a camera in her room — but she knew, oh yes, she knew, that he did. Of course the bag contained more lingerie, in a style that would show everything to him. And of course it would make her feel like the slut he wanted her to be.

Angry tears sprang into her eyes, but she refused to acknowledge them herself or lift her face so he could see them. If she didn’t show that she cared, he couldn’t be satisfied by his stupid little games. Once the tears went away, she looked up with another smirk and moved toward his bedroom.

Once back in his large bathroom, she walked to the tub and started the water. He doubtless had a camera pointing right at her here. Good! She hoped he suffered while he was at his stiff desk with his tight pants. Because she was ticked off now, and she was more than happy to put on one hell of a show for Blake Knight.

She took off her clothes slowly, letting them fall to the floor in a nice little heap, then went over to the vanity mirror and lifted her arms, pulled up her hair and placed it in a bun. At least the man thought of everything, having far more vanity products available to her than she had owned in her last apartment. She ran her hands down her neck and over her breasts, then down her stomach.

Her phone was sitting on the counter and it immediately beeped, but she ignored it. Instead she sashayed over to the tub and picked up the jar of the bath salts he’d demanded that she use. As she bent over to spread them on the top of the water, she hoped he got a really good view.

When her phone beeped again, she looked toward the ceiling and shook her head with a smile. He’d told her to take a bath and that’s exactly what she was going to do. The phone went off three more times, and with a frustrated breath, she went over and picked it up with the intention of turning it off. However, she would just check the messages first.

You don’t like your garments? I picked them out personally.

Don’t ignore your phone. I’ve already told you I don’t like that. I shouldn’t have to repeat myself.

Dammit, Jewell, quit being difficult. Do you want this to end? I’m more than willing to go and find a woman who is more cooperative.

That one made her stomach clench, but she couldn’t show that to him, couldn’t give him such power. He thought she was nothing more than a slut, and she had to agree with him there, but she couldn’t fully let go of her pride. Still, she needed to make him happy.

Is that little striptease for me? You’re redeeming yourself.

Turn off your phone now, Jewell, and enjoy your bath. I’ll be watching…

Watch away, Mr. Knight.

With that message sent, she clicked off her phone and walked to the tub. If he wanted a show, he was soon going to find that her earlier performance had merely been a teaser for the main event.