I dropped my hand from my nose and stared at the intercom on my desk. I only knew one woman by that name—and she better not be inside this building. I hit my finger against the button. “Isabella what?”
“Not sure, sir. She said she’s from Ruin.”
Fuck, it was the same Isabella. I knew it wasn’t smart to ignore her. Whatever she came down here to say was obviously important. If I didn’t give her the attention she wanted, she would get it some other way—by showing up at my home. “Send her in.”
“Of course, Mr. Owens.”
I didn’t get up from my chair because that was too much work on my end. This had something to do with seeing me at Ruin last week. Maybe she still thought there was hope for us to resume that relationship.
I had to squash that fantasy.
The door opened, and Isabella walked inside, head held high with confidence. She sauntered into the room as she shook her hips, looking like a model on the catwalk rather than a normal person stopping by someone’s office. She was in a tight black dress like she’d just left the hottest club in town.
Any man would think she was beautiful. Stunning, even. She really did have amazing features. High cheekbones, full lips, and almond-shaped eyes that made her features even softer. The first time I looked at her, I thought she was one of a kind. It was strange to look at her now and not feel anything, so contradictory. “Is there something I can help you with, Isabella? I hope you aren’t looking for a position. My staff is full.” I kept the conversation light because she would take it to a dark place the second she took the reins.
She sat in the leather armchair facing my desk. She crossed her long legs and flipped her hair, clearly trying to capture my sexual attention with her beauty. She’d tried this tactic several times, and I wasn’t sure why she kept bothering. “I was just in the neighborhood.”
My temper was getting more difficult to restrain. “I’m at work, Isabella. I don’t have time to keep you company.”
She ignored the last thing I said. “Jackson tells me you’re still with that plain girl.”
“Trust me, she’s not plain.”
“She’s vanilla,” she hissed.
“Vanilla, yes. But not plain.” There was a big difference. If Rome could keep my attention with vanilla sex, then it was insulting to Isabella who couldn’t get me to stick around with whips and chains. “And yes, Rome and I are very happy.”
She propped her elbow on the armrest and set her chin above her slender fingertips. “How long is this really going to last, Calloway? You’re just going to hurt the poor girl.” Her condescension filled the air, like she was superior to Rome.
“A very long time.” It was difficult to imagine it ever ending. The month that we were apart, I was insanely depressed. Couldn’t remember the last time I was that low. I went through my entire liquor cabinet and had to have Tom restock it because I was too drunk to do it myself. “I hope that’s not why you’re here. I assumed you moved on from me.” I saw her with that man in the hallway. I couldn’t be sure, but he seemed like a Dom. Very few men went there who weren’t Doms.
“What we had was too great just to forget about.”
“I never said we should forget it. Just move on.”
She continued to watch me with her almond eyes, her slender neck soft. I remembered the way it used to feel when I grabbed it. “I know you better than anyone, Calloway. I know exactly what you’re into. I know exactly what you need.”
“You aren’t the only one.”
“She doesn’t accept you for who you are. She doesn’t appreciate you for the man you’ve become. But I do, Calloway. I understand exactly what you need and can give it to you. Eventually, you’re going to hit a wall in this relationship. You’re going to realize you can’t keep up with all the sissy shit she’s into. You’re going to break her heart and waste your time in the process. But with me, you could get exactly what you need.”
After all this time, she still wouldn’t give up. “Out of respect for what we had, I’ve been patient with you. But my patience is nearly gone. You and I will never be together again, even if Rome was long gone. Do you understand me, Isabella?”
“Yes.” She dropped her arm and continued to stare me down. “I understand you so well that I see the future even better than you do. Calloway, you need to tame your dominance if you want this relationship to work. If not, you’ll blow up at the most unsuspecting time. I can fix that for you.”