Rush

“Dree?”

“Hmm?” I realize I’m gazing up into his mismatched eyes and I’ve completely missed his question. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, it would make me so happy if you took the job. Could you do that for me? I promise to take care of you.”

I feel myself melt a little at his choice of words, and I want to press my lips to his jaw and whisper, Thank you, Daddy.

I’m a strong, independent woman, damn it, and yet, when he looks at me like I’m the most precious creature he’s ever seen, I feel a dangerous impulse to tell him that I’ll do anything he wants.

Anything at all.

6

Rush

I don’t know what makes me phrase it like that, but looking at Dree, the words just slip out of my mouth.

Dree’s eyes are dark and liquid as she gazes up at me. Her head is tilted up as if she’s offering her lips to me. How perfect it would feel to lower my mouth to hers and taste her. I can vividly imagine what her tongue would feel like against mine. How her breasts would press against my chest as I pull her closer.

I suspected it the moment I laid eyes on her. I felt it even more as I saw her walking determinedly along my long driveway the epitome of I’ll do it myself. She’s the girl I’ve been imagining for months. Adorable. Vulnerable. Cute as fuck. She’s stubborn, but I sense it’s only because she’s been hurt. With the right man, she’d melt like butter.

Be a good girl for Daddy and do as you’re told.

Yeah. Probably shouldn’t think about that right now.

“Okay. We’ll try. I’m not signing anything, though.”

It takes me a moment to realize she’s not saying yes. “I’m sorry?”

Her fingers slide down my chest, sending a cascade of sensations through me, and she takes a step back. “I don’t want to be locked into a contract.”

I stand frozen, thinking. “I can’t pay you if you don’t sign a contract.”

“I’m not saying I won’t ever sign a contract, but I want to be sure what I’m getting into.”

I don’t know how to make things any clearer. I’ve invited her to the place where I live and do most of my work. She’s seen me in the studio and how things are organized here. We’ve discussed the project and she’s excited by it. I’m not some amateur. “What aren’t you sure of? What else do you need to know?”

She smiles thinly. “You work your way, and I work mine. If you don’t like it, then maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

I rub the back of my head, feeling confused. “No, it’s fine. All right. No contract for now. Can you manage to eat, though? You haven’t got a paycheck on the way.”

It’s entirely the wrong thing to say. Her cheeks turn an angry red. “Itch Scratch is more than paying my bills right now, thank you.”

“Of course. Sorry. I just like to know that you’re…” That you’re okay. That someone’s taking care of you.

Let me baby you a little. I’ve never babied anyone, and I really fucking want to.

“I’ll drive you,” I tell her, seeing her pick up her overnight bag.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll order a cab.”

My god. Quit arguing with me.

“I’ll order it for you,” I say, pulling out my phone before she can say no again. Once it’s done, Dree picks up her bag and heads out to the front door with a murmured goodbye.

A few minutes later, I hear the crunch of a car coming down the gravel drive. Dree’s leaving, and I didn’t get anything locked in. The second she gets back to London, she’s going to email Thomas telling him she’s out.

No, I’m not fucking having it.

I go out to the front door, in time to see her walking down the steps toward the car. “Dree, wait.”

She turns back to me, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. “Rush, what if…”

I know that look. I see it in my bandmates faces sometimes, right before they tell me an idea they’ve had for one of our tracks.

I join her on the bottom step. “Go on. I’m listening.”

Dree looks out over the garden, chewing her lip thoughtfully. “What if there was a reason the woman is luring the man to his doom? He’s an intruder into what he thinks is a celebration, but that shouldn’t mean he has to die. Perhaps he surprises the woman while she’s bathing, preparing herself for sacrifice, and she’s angry that’s someone’s seen her naked. Artemis vibes. Pure, but bloodthirsty. She leads him to his doom along with the rest of the revelers, but as they’re dancing, she falls in love with him. So she goes back and saves him.”

I imagine the scene in my head. The extra layers of myth and punishment that it would add to the video. “That’s perfect.”