Christmas Pet

“Grant and Jake know. I don’t give a fuck if anyone else does. I despise the cocksucker. I can’t understand why any woman would fall for a man-child like him. You would think by now, he’d have grown up. Not a chance. Ruining lives gives in a boner. Daniel’s a sham. Everything from his smile to his down-home-shucks-ma’am accent is a lie.”

“Bitter much?” Something about what James said didn’t sit right. Something deeper was at play. If he didn’t want to tell me, I wouldn’t pry. “If he’s as bad as you say, someone would’ve outed him by now.”

“Money talks. That’s why I want all of his.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Sophia seemed happy and glowing. Love does that to people.”

James snorted. “She might be. He isn’t. Believe me. Love is just a four-letter word to him.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“No, and I don’t intend to be.”

“What? Really? I feel sorry for you if that’s the case.” I hadn’t meant to say that, but it was too late to take the words back. To silence myself, I rolled my lips between my teeth.

He huffed out a laugh. “Save your sympathy. I’m more than happy with my life.”

“But what about companionship? A relationship? Human contact?”

“That’s something I don’t have to worry about. And by the way, don’t talk to me about human contact. I recall you saying you only needed your vibrators.”

My nostrils flared, and I sucked in a breath. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. “Stop the car and let me out.” He’d heard every single word of my conversation with Bella. I was going to throw up. I was going to pass out. Or maybe I was going to throw up then pass out.

“You’re not going anywhere. We’re in the butt-fuck of nowhere. If I leave you here, it would be like a scene from Deliverance. I can already hear the banjos playing. If you want to end up locked up in a cage in someone’s basement, be my guest.”

I kept my eyes straight forward, ignoring the amusement in my boss’s voice.

“Unless getting locked up in someone’s basement is what you’d like. To be someone’s plaything. What was it you said to your friend? Something about Santa bringing you a Dom who’ll introduce you to the world of BDSM.”

I took several deep breaths and resisted the urge to open the door and throw myself from the car. “You’re not funny, Mr. Matthews. Why did you pretend you hadn’t heard my phone conversation when you had? It was personal. Why not keep pretending you hadn’t heard a word?”

“I don’t like getting lectured.”

“And how am I lecturing you?”

“You’re lecturing me about relationships when you said you don’t have time for one.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t, huh? I know more than you think I do.”

“Like what?”

“Like you get a thrill out of making people happy. You’re a people pleaser. Their happiness makes you happy. A sub lives and breathes to make his or her master happy, did you know that?”

Heat fired my cheeks, and I clenched my fists, thankful we were in a dark car. “Save me the psychoanalysis.”

“Not psychoanalysis at all. I’m calling it like I see it. You’re a natural-born submissive.”

I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of answering.

“I saw how you shivered when I said how delicious your cookies were. How it thrilled you.”

I still said nothing.

“Tell me about the fantasies you have about me? Do they involve me bending you over my desk? You told your friend you wanted me to throw you over the conference table and eat you out.”

“Stop talking right now. You’re acting like a jerk.”

“Are you sure I’m not acting like a narcissist?”

His deep laughter echoed around the car. I was not only embarrassed that he’d heard every single word I’d said to Bella, but I was angry that he saw right into my heart and soul. How did he know me so well?

***

James hit his palms against the steering wheel. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

I didn’t want to say I told you so, but I glanced over at him. “Told you so. We should never have attempted to drive into the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania at night when a blizzard was forecast. There’s no way we’re going to get anywhere near Daniel’s cabin in your car.”

He pulled over and nodded grimly. “We can’t turn back because we won’t make it. We have to find somewhere to stay.”

I took my phone from my purse and opened Waze. “My family has a trailer on the edge of Lake Mirror. It’s a summer community about forty-five minutes from where we are and about an hour and a half from where Daniel and Sophia are. I don’t see that we have any other choice. We won’t find anywhere else to stay.”

“It’ll have to do.”

“Listen up, Mr. Matthews. We can stay at my family’s trailer or try to get back to New York. There isn’t a gas station for miles. Like you said, we’re in the butt fuck of nowhere. If you’d listened to me, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I blame you.”