Anxiety stiffened my muscles as soon as Payton and I were closed in the room. Hopefully Roland was punctual for his appointment and I wouldn’t have to wait long. On top of everything else, I wasn’t thrilled about the act of allowing myself to be bound or to surrender my freedoms willingly.
There was only one man I would do that for, which I suppose I was now, more or less. Getting on the table would remove the final barrier between Silas and me.
“Your client’s already in the holding room,” Payton said. “You want me to tell Julius to make him chill?”
Had she asked because I was staring at the table like it was the gallows?
“No.” I centered myself, searching for the ice queen I’d tried so hard to be. You aren’t cold fucking Roland. He’s not a threat. Stop being a pussy and do your job. I tore open the robe, hung it on the hook, and marched to the table. My voice was certain and business-like. “I’m ready.”
I sat. I lay down and stared up at the crystal chandelier, listening as she opened the drawer and pulled out the blindfold.
“This is my last night here,” Payton said matter-of-factly.
My surprised gaze found hers. “What?”
“Dominic and I are thinking about kids. He’s thirty-five, and loves to remind me he’s not getting any younger.”
I took the silky blindfold from her. “What about Julius?”
“He gets it, and it’s not like he needs my help. He knows what he’s doing.”
She stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to don the mask. I held my breath and slipped the elastic band behind my head, tugging the blindfold down over my eyes.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said. There was a sharp pain in my chest, even though it wasn’t a lie.
“Aw, you’re sweet. I’ll fucking miss you, too.”
I flinched at the sound of the Velcro ripping open. She closed it tight around my left wrist, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. In a moment, she’d steal the last bit of control from me.
“Can you do the other one sort of loose?” I whispered.
She laughed softly. “Yeah, of course. Joseph told me you weren’t a natural submissive, so baby steps, right?”
“Right.” I swallowed as her heels clicked across the floor.
She curled the ribbon around my wrist. “How’s that?”
“Good, thanks.”
Her hair brushed my shoulder as she leaned close. “And just because I won’t be here anymore, doesn’t mean you get to be a stranger, Regan.”
A faint smile warmed my lips.
She leaned even closer so her breath was hot in my ear. Her tone was sinful. “I heard about your night here with Tara. Let me know if you ever want to play with me and Dominic.”
Beneath the mask, my eyes popped open. I was flattered, and the image sparked of Payton and Dominic together. I’d watched them on the monitor at the conclusion of the fake negotiations last year, and they’d been scorching hot. Would Silas want to play with another couple? Fuck, there was already too much shit on my mind, I had to compartmentalize it.
“I’ll . . . keep that in mind.”
She chuckled as she drew back. “Julius, Room Five’s ready.”
Footsteps diminished as she went to the chair in the corner and sat.
The air around me grew colder with each painstakingly slow second. My mouth went dry, like someone had shoved it full of cotton. Striking this deal with Roland would put a lot of things in motion. Would this be the first time he’d attempted to cheat on his wife? Or was he the clichéd man in politics who grabbed any piece of ass he could?
It had to be the second one. He’d been awfully quick to pull his wedding ring off at the gallery showing.
The door groaned open, shoes clopped into the room, and there was a thud when the door shut behind him.