By the time I had blinked myself back to full awareness, Jocelyn was buttoning her blouse, staring down at her ruined skirt. At the wet splash on the floor beneath her.
“Sorry about your carpet,” she said, sounding honestly a little bit embarrassed.
I could tell she had never done anything like this before, and I liked that that was true.
I cleared my throat.
“It’s nothing.”
She picked up her skirt and turned it over in her hands. Frowning slightly, she reached into her purse and rummaged for a moment, coming out with a handful of safety pins.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, reattaching the fabric’s jagged edges with practiced hands.
“You’ll see me whenever I want to see you,” I said.
She looked up at me, her eyes still dull. But then, a little spark.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me,” I told her, with a pointed look. “I have a few more special conditions that will need to be met, in order for this mentorship to keep working. In order for you to be my pet.”
For a moment, she just stared at me. And then, ever so slightly, there was a hint of a smile.
Chapter 9
William
True to my word, I came to visit her at her office the next day. I had arranged for her to have her own, as a Valentine’s Day gift. I wanted to assure that her tenure here at my firm would last.
Her assistant asked me if I had an appointment, and I just assured him that she’d want to see me.
I was in her office a few minutes later.
“I’m busy,” she said, glancing up at me. Her suit today was more severe-looking even than usual, a sleek suit in midnight-black, crisp white underneath, her hair pulled tightly back. I wanted to see it undone again.
I laid my briefcase on the table. She stopped and stared, her hand floating midway between the pencil-holder and some papers.
“What’s in there?” she asked, her voice suddenly low and cautious.
Clicking the latches open, I smiled.
“Another Valentine’s Day gift,” I told her. “I thought it was best if I kept it hidden until we were alone.”
The clerk at the store had wrapped it beautifully, a little box in deep, royal purple with a lavender bow. Jocelyn stood very still, her hands interlaced in front of her.
“Open it,” I said.
She made a move to pick it up, then hesitated.
“I can’t…” She looked up at me. “William, we can’t keep doing this. I talked to my brother about it, and my friend. They were all very honest with me when they said that even though being in a relationship, or, whatever we’re in, with my boss might be fun, it isn’t good for my career. What if you’re just doing all of this for me because I’m sleeping with you?”
Her voice was regretful, and more honest than I’d ever heard from her. She swept her hand around in a circle in the air, as if to make clear that by “this,” she meant all of it.
“Look, don’t you want good experience with me as your mentor?” I asked, calmly. “In more ways than one? There is a mediation coming up in a case of mine, and if I put you on as the lead intern attorney, I know that Ashton and Kane and the rest will be impressed by you. You’ll be the first chosen as a full-time employee here at Davies.”
“You’re only going to do that for me because you want me to sleep with you,” she said, firmly. “I don’t want to play these games anymore.”
I reached out and touched her cheek, gently. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she breathed in deeply.
“That’s not true. I’ll give you the opportunity whether you sleep with me or not. I know you’re a good lawyer, and I know the firm will be lucky to have you. But I do hope you sleep with me. Open it,” I commanded her, again.
She took another deep breath and picked up the box. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unwrapped the ribbon and let it slither away.
“What is this?” she asked, picking up the smooth plastic object.
A slight frown was taking over her face.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out another, smaller object. A tiny remote control. I pressed a button, and Jocelyn’s gift vibrated silently in response.
Instantly, her cheeks turned pink.
“No,” she blurted out, dropping it like it had burned her.
It clattered on her desk, rolling to the edge, and I snatched it up before it hit the floor.
I laid it carefully on the center of her desk.
“I told you there were conditions to continuing on as my mentee and pet. You’ll wear this at the mediation,” I said. “You’ll give a stunning performance, despite the pleasure this will be causing you. No one else will know, as long as you don’t betray yourself.”