Chapter Five
“Come upstairs.”
Braden’s voice, but where is it coming from? There must be a speaker in here somewhere that I didn’t know existed. Of course he probably has an intercom system; I just had no reason to look for one until now.
“Braden? Where are you?”
“Come upstairs,” he says again, ominously.
I don’t leave the room yet, though. I want to know where the speaker is. I flip on all the light switches and scramble around, looking in each crack and crevice for his hidden speaker. Is there a camera, too? Can he see me?
Probably. Which means he’s watching me as I rustle around trying to find the source of his voice.
I stop abruptly. Not the best look. I inhale deeply, exhale, and then leave Braden’s bedroom, closing the door behind me.
I walk back into the living area. The stairwell—the stairwell I’ve never stepped foot on—stands against the back wall like a mountain between Braden and me. I’ve never been to the second floor. His living room, kitchen, office, and bedroom are on the first floor, along with a couple other rooms.
What could possibly be on the second floor?
Maybe a meeting room. A large conference room, even. A home gym. Maybe a sauna and hot tub. Of course. The billionaire could have a second floor full of lots of things normal people like me wouldn’t even think about.
No reason at all to be ambivalent about walking up the stairs. No reason at all.
Except…
Why does he want me to go upstairs to a large conference room or home gym?
Be ready for anything.
Certainly he didn’t mean a meeting or a workout.
I read Fifty Shades of Grey. I already know Braden likes toys. What if he has one of those playrooms up there? And what if he wants to…
The staircase seems to pulse with a heartbeat of its own.
In tandem with my own heartbeat.
I walk toward the first step slowly. Methodically. It seems to get no nearer until the toe of my shoe actually hits the first step.
I walk upward, still slowly, but not slowly enough because I reach the top of the staircase all too soon.
A hallway looms, and when I flick on the light switch, I see pink rose petals strewn across black plush carpeting. They lead to a closed door at the end of the hallway.
Be ready for anything.
My heart thuds.
I stride forward, following the rose petals left by a phantom flower girl. Pink on black, like something sweet and innocent heading into something dark and mysterious.
I am the innocent flower girl, and that closed door ahead of me is the dark mystery I crave.
I take another step and then another—
My phone vibrates in the back pocket of my jeans.
Really? Right now?
I pull the phone out of my pocket and glance at it. Tessa. As much as I want to answer and get her advice, I decline the call. I’m in this now. Braden is expecting me, and he’s warned me to be ready for anything.
I gave him control already in the darkness. Of course, I have no idea how dark he can actually get. How dark I want him to get.
The phone buzzes again, and again I decline Tessa’s call. I turn the phone to silent and shove it back in my pocket.
I continue walking until the door stops my progress.
I run my fingertips along the varnished mahogany. The door is just like every other door in Braden’s palatial penthouse. Why should I fear a door?
Should I knock?
Or go right in?
I knock lightly.
“Come in, Skye.”
I inhale deeply, preparing myself for what might await me on the other side. Has Braden rebuilt his harness contraption inside this room? Will I find a leather table, complete with bindings and straps and things I can’t even imagine? Will he tie me up and blindfold me, use one of those spreader bars on my legs?
And these are the only things I know about. What else might be behind the door? Things I’ve never heard of, never imagined in my darkest dreams.
Finally, I can wait no longer. I open the door, closing my eyes without meaning to.
“Open your eyes.”
I hesitate and then open my eyes slowly. Colors greet me first. Blurred colors. There’s a dark red. There’s black. There’s brown.
Slowly, the room comes into focus, and I gasp.
This isn’t a dungeon. It’s a bedroom. A beautiful bedroom.
“Do you like it?” Braden stands before me wearing navy dress pants and a white button-down, no tie. The burgundy tie I grabbed earlier today. The burgundy tie he bound me with. Did he put it back on after I left his office? I’m wet just thinking about our afternoon.
“I… I love it, but Braden…”
“It’s yours.”
“Mine? We already have a bedroom, Braden.”
“I have a bedroom, Skye. This is your bedroom.”
“But…I want to sleep with you.”
“You will. You can sleep in my bed with me, or I’ll sleep in your bed with you. But you need your own space, Skye. A closet of your own and a bathroom that’s your own.” He cocked his head. “I thought you’d like this. I’ve been working on it for a while.”