I’m back in his penthouse.

I’m surprised that I actually missed this place. It feels like I’ve never left. My cheeks heat up as hot flashbacks of what we did in almost every corner of this place pop up in full color.

“You take a rest. If you need anything, food, personal effects, anything, Dial 7. The hotel staff will personally attend to you. I’ll be out for a couple of hours. I’ll come pick you up at nine in the evening. Dress up. We’ll be meeting some people.”

“Is that an order?” I ask, my tone sarcastic, my back to him.

He doesn’t answer. I feel his footsteps quietly moving away. When I look behind me, he’s gone.

I sigh and look around me. I took a nap on the plane, so my energy’s up. Bron didn’t even attempt to get into the cabin with me. He let me have some privacy, for which I was thankful. We hardly spoke to each other since we left the McCarran airport and boarded a limo going here to the hotel.

What am I going to do now?

I walk to the main door and carefully open it, peeping outside. The foyer is deserted. Slowly, I approach the elevator. I punch the ‘down’ button.

Nothing happens.

I punch it again.

Nothing.

I make a disgruntled sound. The bastard has locked me in!

I march back to the penthouse, going to the balcony.

Fresh air greets me. The city is coming alive now. Lights are setting the Strip on fire. It’s going to be breathtaking as the night progresses. Vegas is enchanting. I’m in the most exciting city. I should be lapping it up like an adventurer. Except I’m a prisoner.

Tears prick the back of my eyes again.

I just escaped one prison, only to walk into another one.

After taking a shower, I realize I don’t have anything else to wear. He’s kidnapped me and I haven’t brought anything with me. I don’t even have my phone. Maybe I’ll Dial 7 for clothes.

Or maybe I can borrow one of his shirts or something.

I decide to investigate Bron’s walk-in closet attached to the huge bathroom. The closet, I found out the last time I was here, is a whole new separate room that can fit my entire bedroom at home. It’s a posh men’s boutique recreated here. I grew up in an affluent environment, but this is how the really loaded live. Luxurious. Extravagant. His penthouse is fit for royalty. Which he probably is, in Vegas, anyway. Not that I fucking care.

I open the frosted glass double-door and gasp.

I immediately see a red dress hanging from a stand. It’s exquisite. I love it on sight. I know it’s for me.

More dresses on racks. I check out the labels. Designers. French and Italian. All of it. They are all my sizes, too. And shoes. Bags. Makeup. Perfumes. Lingerie.

I feel like an expensive mistress now. Very expensive.

I lift my hand to stare at the ring he gave me.

Marry him?

I shake my head. I can never forget the five women from last time. I won’t become another Stepford wife in Vegas kept in a tower by a ruthless king while he indulges in a harem somewhere.

At least with Bill, our contract guaranteed fidelity. With Bron, I know I don’t have any power at all to make any bargain. He will control everything.

I take the red dress from the hanger and put it on. It flatters my best assets but in an elegant way. I work on my hair and face.

Several minutes later, I walk out of the room to wait for him.

If he thinks he can lock me up here while he does his business elsewhere, he’s dreaming.

I will play his game, then beat him at it.

He comes back at fifteen before nine.

I’m on the balcony, staring at the blazing man-made galaxy below. This building is higher than the rest.

His eyes rake me. I don’t move from the railing to greet him.

“Leigh…” he calls out to me.

I don’t even look at him.

“Enjoying the view?”

I glance at him then, giving him a wan smile. “It’s a long way down…and I don’t have Rapunzel’s hair. No one’s going to rescue me from this tower.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.

“Have you eaten?” he asks, his expression impassive, but his dark eyes are glistening with an emotion I can’t define. He’s very hard to read.

“No.”

“Me neither. We’ll eat in my restaurant.”

He disappears into the penthouse. Five minutes later, he comes out again, wearing a different suit. “Ready?”

I move from the railing, stepping toward him. “So, who are these special guests of yours that need to be graced by my vapid company?” I can’t help being snarky.

“You’ll see. Let’s go.”

He escorts me back into the penthouse, putting his hand lightly on the small of my back. His woodsy cologne tantalizes my nose. Dammit, why does he need to smell good all the time?

I hate him, but his distance is irritating me. I’m used to him always hot for me like he can’t keep his hands off of me even for a minute. He hadn’t touched me once since we left the airport this afternoon, except to assist me out of the limo.

God, my thoughts are shameful. The man is holding me here against my will, and I want him to touch me.

We reach the elevator. He punches the ‘down’ button. The doors slide to the sides.

“Is that fingerprint activated?” I can’t help asking.

“Yes.”

“So, you’re gonna keep me a prisoner here,” I state as we enter the car.

The doors close.

“No, Leigh,” he answers softly.

“Why won’t they open for me then?”

“Because I didn’t want you to leave before we can even give it a try.”

“Give it a try. Funny, that. A person must be truly free to give it a try.”

Silence.

“Is being with me so disgusting to you?” he asks softly.

I don’t answer. I want to say yes, but I can’t bring myself to because it will be half a lie. I can’t deny it to myself. I love him. God, I do. But this love is destructive. It will eat me up whole, and I will lose myself completely.

“After this meeting, you’re free to decide. I won’t stop you if you still want to leave,” he mutters quietly.

I’m shocked. His eyes are dark and intense, and I see a vulnerability there that I’ve never seen before.

“I promise, Leigh.”

We enter the restaurant. It’s one of the best in the country. Very pricey. I’ve dined with my parents in the Chicago branch several times. I didn’t even know Bron owned it.

The maitre d escorts us into a private section that has the best view of the Strip. It’s breathtaking.

Then I get another shock of my life.

My parents stand up from their seats.

It looks like they’ve been waiting for us.

“M-mom? Dad?”

“Honey!” My mother rushes to hug me.

Confused, I glance at Bron, but he’s busy shaking my Dad’s hand.

My father hugs me next.

“Dad….what are you and Mom doing here?”

“Bron invited us.”

I don’t get it. “He…did?”

“Yes, honey. We flew to Vegas not long after you and Bron left Chicago.”

“But…I don’t understand. Bill…”

“Let’s sit down and talk, Leigh,” my father says, pulling a chair for me.

Bron clears his throat. “I’ll leave you guys to talk. Dinner will be served shortly. I’ll see you later, Leigh?”

I have no words. I can only look at Bron, still shocked at this sudden turn of events. He smiles and leaves me with my parents.

What the hell is happening?

But judging from Dad’s happy face, I reckon he’s not mad at me anymore. And seeing Mom’s glowing eyes, I can fairly conclude I still have parents.

“I can’t believe what I’ve learned about Bill. His company is on the verge of bankruptcy. My God, I thought his company was solid! Where the hell did he get those millions to support me?”

My father is livid. I didn’t even have to ask the questions. He’s spewing all the answers.

“I know now. It’s Bron’s money. Bill was stringing me all along. He owes Bron and his brother Luc hundreds of millions, and he can’t pay up, so he was counting on me to help him secure lucrative government contracts. That’s why he wanted to marry you.”

“We thought he believed in our causes. We thought he really loved you,” Mom chimes in dramatically.

I just watch and listen to them quietly. I don’t believe for one moment that they were so naive to be fooled by Bill. Dad is the shrewdest lawyer I know. Of course, he knew that there would be a payback of some sort. Maybe he just didn’t expect it to be of such magnitude. Dad is peeved that Bill was trying to use him on a far bigger scale than the other way around.

“Bron is going to take over Bill’s company,” Dad continues.

Poor Bill.

“My goodness, honey, am I glad I agreed to your little getaway trip! He’s like the King of Vegas! Look at this place! And he’s quite famous, too!”

“Famous?” I blink at Mom. “Bron?”

“Honey, he was an undefeated mixed martial arts champion! Didn’t you know? Your father used to watch him!”

I shake my head. I don’t know anything about mixed martial arts. It’s a brutal sport, and I avoid it on TV.

Mom looks like a starstruck teenager now. “You must keep that man, Leigh. He’d be able to help your father. He hinted at it.”

Oh. There.

I sigh inwardly, disappointed that they’re seeing Bron now as another Bill. But I’m comforted by the fact that they can’t manipulate Bron. He will see through them right away.

And speaking of, where is he? He hasn’t come back to dine with us.

Dinner arrives shortly. It’s a feast fit for royalty. Bron wants to impress my folks. Mom and Dad dive into it like starving children, chattering happily.

It’s quite surreal. Just hours ago, they were so mad at me I thought they’d disowned me. Now, they’re acting like no scandal happened in Chicago courtesy of yours truly.

But no matter what, they’re still my parents. Bottom line, I’m happy I still have them. Really, when all is said and done, we can’t choose who we love. We can just hope that they will change for the better as we continue to love them.

I have chosen who to be with for the rest of my life, too.

To give my everything to.

My love.

My devotion.

My trust.

My loyalty.

My passion.

And he’s waiting for me.

I can’t shake off the sight of her looking down from this height, her eyes so sad.

“It’s a long way down…and I don’t have Rapunzel’s hair. No one’s going to rescue me from this tower.”

God, just the thought of her jumping from this balcony kills me.

It would end me. I know it.

I’ve always taken what I wanted, discarded what I no longer needed and moved on to the next, uncaring of the women’s feelings.

Now, I care about my woman’s feelings. Yes, MY woman.

It’s important to me that she’s happy. My goddess looked so unhappy as she stared out into the distance. I’m keeping her here against her will. I was just deluding myself. She didn’t choose to be with me. I made her choose me. There’s a difference.

So I left her with her parents to really choose this time, of her own accord. She might not come back to me. She might decide to leave Vegas with them.

I hope not. Because I don’t know if I can keep my promise to really let her go. But I’ll try. No matter how it will kill me every day to exist without her, I’ll try to honor my word.

It’s not in my nature to wait. It’s my nature to take. To conquer. But I will. This time, I will.

I will wait for her to come to me.

She’s free.