“I don’t know, sweetheart. Wherever we want.”
He said he wasn’t sure if he could do marriage and kids, but I was sure if I gave him enough time, he would change his mind. We had to take it day-by-day, one step at a time. “You’ll be able to handle vanilla all the time?”
He watched me rub the soap against his body, the suds dissolving into his skin. “I’ll do my best. It’s better than living without you. After six weeks of that, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I would much rather try to make this work than find someone else that means nothing to me.”
My hands faltered as I rubbed the soap into his skin, touched by what he said. “You didn’t have to give up Ruin for me. I’ve never really had a problem with it, just with your demand to make me your sub.” My hand moved again, trailing the soap down his hard chest and even harder stomach.
“It’s not a good environment for me. It’ll only tempt me.” He grabbed the soap from my hand then rubbed me down instead, lathering it into my skin and massaging my tits like they were filthy. “I’m sure Jackson will do fine. And if he doesn’t, he can always call me.”
It was still hard to believe that he’d done this for me. “Are you sure about this?”
Calloway’s hand moved to my chin, and he lifted my gaze until I was forced to look at him. “All I know is I can’t lose you. So if this is what I have to do, I’ll do it.”
I was now the black sheep at Humanitarians United. I was no longer invited to lunch with the rest of the staff, and anytime I walked into a room, the conversation died down like they’d just been talking about me.
It sucked.
I suspected things would be difficult once they knew I was sleeping with Calloway, but I didn’t expect everything to change so dramatically. They’d all liked me before they knew about my personal relationship with the boss. I was still a great worker who was passionate about my job. I gave a hundred percent at all times. But that didn’t seem to matter to them.
Now I was just the boss’s squeeze.
At lunchtime, Calloway visited my office. He leaned against the doorframe and announced himself quietly.
I picked up on his presence because there was abundant electricity in the air. It seared my skin and made me hot everywhere. I turned around and faced him, seeing him look like a model in his black suit. “What can I do for you, Mr. Owens?”
His gaze turned a shade darker, a shade more threatening.
I knew I’d said the wrong thing.
“We’re going to lunch.” He nodded in the direction of the hallway. “Now.”
I really hated being told what to do, but since everyone was around, I didn’t argue with him. They already hated me, and I didn’t want to give them any reason to hate me more. I grabbed my purse and walked into the hallway with him. Once we were in the elevator, I spoke my mind. “I don’t like being told what to do.”
He kept his hands in his pockets and stood on the other side of the elevator, purposely keeping his distance from me. “That’s too bad.”
“Too bad?” I asked coldly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The elevator continued to descend to the bottom floor. “I’ve given up my lifestyle for you, in case you’ve forgotten. You can let me be dominant in other ways. When I say we’re going somewhere, we’re going somewhere.”
“I didn’t agree to that,” I snapped. “You said you would be my boyfriend.”
“I am your boyfriend.” He turned to me, his gaze cold. “I’ll do everything you ask. But don’t expect me to change who I am. Besides, I know you like it.”
“Then why am I so pissed right now?”
He shrugged. “As if I have a clue.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just don’t do it at work.” I had to admit, I did like it. I liked it when he told me to bend over so he could fuck me. I liked it when he told me to cuddle into his side while we slept. Sometimes, it got my engine going. But other times, like now, I didn’t care for it. “Okay?”
He looked forward again, waiting for the doors to open now that we were on the bottom floor.
“Okay?” I pressed.
He wore an arrogant smile, a slight one that was hardly noticeable. He walked out first then held the door open for me. His silence suggested the conversation was finished—to him.
I kept my outrage to myself and walked out.
We left the building then reached the sidewalk. Calloway kept walking like he knew exactly where he was going. We crossed the street then entered the lobby of a beautiful hotel.