Chapter Two

Chapter TwoUltra-blue eyes raked over every inch of me in a slow, bold perusal. They heated. Darkened. Looked nothing like they did when he was in a boxing ring. No, at those moments his eyes made me think of blue ice. They were cold, focused, and hyper intense.He was tall. Broad. Tattooed. His close-cropped hair was the color of unburnished gold—the top layer had a little more length, not quite spiky but unkempt like short wild grass.Having seen him in little more than boxing shorts, I knew he was a specimen of superbly defined muscle. His build spoke of his discipline, strength, and power; told the story of how he’d come to be an undefeated world champion.Call me weird, but I had a weakness for his back. It was sleek and sculpted, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself when all those muscles started bunching and rippling.As we stared at each other, my pulse began to quicken and my feminine parts got somewhat flustered. Well, how could they not? He was an incredible sight to behold, his stance as dominant as the vibe he so unabashedly gave off.Everything happening around us seemed to melt away. With his concentration so intensely fixed on me like nothing else existed, I felt warm. Keyed up. Hyperaware of myself.No wallflower, I didn’t shy away from his scrutiny. I didn’t blush or swallow nervously. I held his gaze just as boldly. The space between us swiftly began to hum with a tension so thick and sexual it made my skin prickle.His eyelids dropping slightly, he pointed at me. “I know you. You once covered one of my fights. You took a real good picture of me holding all my belts. That picture sold many times over.”I blinked, surprised. People more often said something like, “You’re Jaxxon and Connor’s daughter.” It was rare that I was recognized on sight due to my profession. “Youhave a good memory.” The particular event he’d referred to had taken place yearsago, and he’d been in more fights than I could count.One corner of his mouth tipped up. “A man does not forget a woman who looks like you.” He took a step closer and held out his hand. “Cole Delaney.”“I know.” I shook his hand—it was warm and big and calloused. And I should probably spend some time in a church confessional, given the many not-so-innocent things I was imagining that hand doing to me. “Izzy McKenzie.”“I know. I made a point of asking who you were that night. You’d left the arena by then.”Well he was forward. I liked forward.Releasing my hand, he swept his gaze over me once more. “You’re not wearing anything red.”“No,” I confirmed, now very thankful I’d listened to Briar and removed the bracelet.His eyes glinted with something close to satisfaction. “Good. For me, at least.”Again with the forwardness. It made him easy to talk to, because it meant that there was no reading between the lines or—A laughing patron stumbled, bumping into me.In one swift protective movement, Cole smoothly drew me up against him … and my hormones practically swooned like virginal maidens. More, the sexual chemistry kicked up a notch as the space between us disappeared. He shot the other male a hard look that had him raising his hands in apology.“Whoa, you’re fast,” I said to Cole.His gaze dropped to me, and a hint of mischief glimmered there. “Not when it counts.”I felt my mouth curve at the sexual implication. “That’s reassuring.”The hand holding my arm swept a thumb over my skin, leaving a path of tingles in its wake. “I’d give the guy a hard time for bumping into you, but I kind of like having you right where you are. And while I should probably offer to buy you a drink, heading to the bar would mean letting you go—I don’t want to do that.”My smile widened. “You really don’t bother censoring yourself, do you?”He shrugged. “Takes effort I’d rather expend on other things.” He tilted his head. “So, what are you doing here in Redwater? I thought you lived in the UK.”“I do. My parents have a place here. I use it once or twice a year.”He lightly toyed with one of my curls, letting it slide through the pads of his fingers. “How long before you head back to England?”“I don’t know. I haven’t decided.” I wasn’t yet feeling a pull to return. “Do you live round here?” I knew he was from Redwater—his dad was a retired professional soccer player who’d been part of the local team and often proclaimed how proud he was to play for his home town.“I do. I’ve lived in Redwater all my life, aside from the short time I lived in Vegas—I only lasted six months. There’s something about Redwater that pulls you back.”I could relate to that. I’d done a lot of travelling over the years. I’d visited some beautiful places. But of all those places, it was Redwater that spoke to me; that gave me a feeling of ‘home’ that not even London did, despite that I’d been born and raised there.Cole dipped his head. “I have more questions. Like how the hell is your skin this soft. But right now, what I most want to know is what your mouth tastes like. Is it a problem for you if I find out?”Every nerve-ending in my body seemed to light up in anticipation. “No, not a one.”He caught my face in his hands. “Good.” Lowering his head a little more, he coasted his lips over mine once, twice … and then his tongue licked inside.Cole didn’t go easy. He didn’t keep the kiss soft and shallow to test my response. He settled in and made himself right at home, holding my head exactly how he wanted it. He took my mouth in a deep, wet, explicitly carnal kiss like it was his God given right.And my bones fairly liquified.I planted my hands on his stomach, wishing I could slip them under his shirt to properly trace the dips and lines of the spectacular abs I’d seen during his fights. I met him kiss for kiss, giving as good as I got—as much as he’d allow, anyway. There was no denying that the control lay squarely with him right then. He expertly and blatantly dominated the kiss, the moment, even me.I could feel his cock—full and long—digging into my lower stomach through his slacks. My jumpsuit wasn’t thin, but there was no way that he wouldn’t feel my nipples prodding his chest. They were so hard they ached at this point.We kissed and kissed, our breaths turning ragged, our hands roaming, our … Something was vibrating near my hip. His phone.“Ignore it,” he rumbled before slanting his mouth over mine yet again.So I ignored it but, yeah, it just kept vibrating.He cursed. “If this isn’t a fucking emergency …” He pulled out his phone and answered, “Yes? What?” He swore again. “You can’t be serious … Only you could find yourself in that situation.”I felt a smile pluck at my mouth, thinking of similar conversations I’d had with friends whose car had broken down or stuff like that.“I’m kind of busy here … There’s no one else you can call?” Cole muttered something beneath his breath. “You owe me, asshole. You owe me big time. And I will collect.” He ended the call, his jaw hard.“You have to go,” I guessed, disappointed our encounter would end but liking that he was someone who could be trusted to go to a person’s side when needed.Cole nodded, his reluctance clear—he made no attempt to hide it. “But I’ll be back tomorrow night. So will you. We’re gonna finish what we started. Aren’t we?”It was nothing closeto a request. It was a plainly spoken order. And it made me hesitate. “I should probably make it clear that I’m not a sub.”“I’m not looking for one, I’m not a Dom. But I like control, and I won’t settle for anything less—I’ll want everything you’ve got to give.” His eyes bore into mine, hot and dark. “Be ready for that.”I swallowed hard as nervousness clogged my throat.Something both indecent and predatory lit his gaze. “You’re going to be fun to play with.”The way he said the word play made my gut clench.“Tomorrow,” he repeated. “I’ll be here from seven-thirty onwards. See you then.” He planted one last quick kiss on my mouth, and then he was gone.Well.Drawing in a centering breath, I put a hand on my stomach and turned … only to find Inaya, Cat, and Briar stood a few feet away, grinning like fools.“I’d complain about how long we’ve been waiting for our drinks but that scene was extremely entertaining,” said Inaya.I perched my hands on my hips, shooting each of them an unimpressed look. “So you three were standing here the whole time?” Weirdos.“Not the wholetime, but for most of it,” replied Briar without shame.“I kind of wish we’d had popcorn,” said Cat.I shook my head. I loved them but, yeah, they were nosy little mares. Not that I could judge, since I often poked my own nose in their Vault-related business.“You’re going to meet him tomorrow, right?” Inaya asked me, pressing her hands together as if in prayer. “Because I noticed that you didn’t actually tell him you’d be here.”Only because he’d left before I’d had the chance to confirm. And it had to be said … “It was cocky of him to swan right out of the club without waiting for an answer, taking it for granted that I’ll show up tomorrow.”Inaya pursed her lips. “I don’t think he was being cocky. I think the reason he didn’t wait for confirmation was that it wasn’t an invitation to meet. It was an order. An order that literally rang with a promise of all kinds of pleasure if you obey. Tell me you’ll obey.”“You have a very vested interest in my sex life.”“Well if I can’t ensure I get laid, I can at least help a friend get ravished. You’re not gonna leave him hanging tomorrow, are you?”She really thought I’d miss out on an offer like the one he dumped in my lap? “Do I look stupid to you?”“Only when the light hits you a certain way.”I smiled. “Bitch.”“Floozy.”“Whatever. Now let’s get those drinks …”***Apounding on the front door woke me the next morning. Groaning into my pillow, I didn’t move, entirely too comfortable. But then there was more pounding. And more pounding.I awkwardly sat upright, muttering, “For fuck’s sake.”Shoving my curls away from my face, I slipped out of bed and tiredly marched through the apartment, squinting at the sunlight beaming through the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. With its color palette of soothing blues, off-whites, and cool grays, the brightly lit, spacious apartment had a warm, inviting feel that was spiced by the combination of driftwood and rustic furnishings.Wrenching open the front door, I glared at Briar. “What in the shitting hell is up with you?”She blinked, taking in my bedhead, pjs, and no doubt puffy face. “You only just woke up?”“What gave it away?” I asked, deadpan, backing up so she could enter. “Not all of us get up at the arse crack of dawn, you know.”Once inside, Briar closed the door behind her. “I’ve been calling and calling, but you didn’t answer.”“I tend not to do that when I’m asleep. What’s the big emergency?”Briar took a long, preparatory breath and then gently but firmly steered me into the living area. “Okay, you’re not going to like this. In fact, you’ll likely be furious. Beyond pissed, really. But don’t stress about it, the whole thing will very quickly blow over. Probably. Even if it doesn’t—”“Briar, you’re babbling. You know I hate babbling.”“Right. Okay. So …” She sat, urging me to sit beside her on the long upholstered sofa. Once I did, she twisted in her seat to better face me. “There’s an online article about you. And Ryland. It was posted early this morning by someone revealing that a ‘source’ informed them of, um, a few things.”And just like that, I was wide awake. “A few things?” I echoed in a flat tone, unease slithering in my gut.“They alleged that you and Ryland were having a secret relationship; that he dumped you because he got tired of the ‘kinky crap’ he lyingly claims you’re into that ‘makes Fifty Shades of Grey stuff seem tame.’ People are talking about it all over social media … and now your face is going really, really red and I’m scared.”Clenching my fists, I shot to my feet and rounded the coffee table as I sucked in a long breath. “I’ll kill him.” Anger in every step, I paced up and down the soft rug. “Ryland did this to get back at me. He arranged for some journalist to print that bastard article.”“That’s my theory too. If his game was to make people scorn you, it didn’t work. Most are saying stuff like ‘Then he’s a fool because she’s hot,’ or ‘People shouldn’t be shamed for what they like,’ or ‘I didn’t take him for a prude.’ Others are claiming they don’t believe what’s printed purely because Ryland himself isn’t quoted. There’s also a few creeps out there spouting crude shit like, ‘I’d tie her up and ride her ass any day.’ But no one’s being cruel or ridiculing you.”I wouldn’t really care if they did. The opinions of perfect strangers didn’t matter to me. But the impact it would have on my career? That mattered. And there was no way that this wouldn’t affect it.I needed to read this bloody article.Seething, I stalked through the apartment and back into my bedroom. Snatching my phone from the nightstand, I ignored the dozens of notifications and went straight online.Perching herself on the edge of the mattress, Briar rattled off the name of the online magazine where I’d find the article. “It’s basically a gossip rag that focuses on celebs.”I brought it up on my phone and quickly read it. Surprisingly, it hadn’t mocked or shamed me. The article painted me as a woman admirably exploring her sexuality and being unfairly judged for it—a trend that the author believed was too common. I nonetheless felt my blood boil as I read each false claim that had been made about me.I spat a curse. “I don’t even know what half of these kinks are that I’m supposedly knee-deep in. What’s klismaphilia?”“I think—but don’t quote me on this, because I’m really not sure—that it’s when you get your kicks from having an enema.”“I’ve never had an enema. This is—ugh, I want to slap Ryland so hard.”Briar gave me a gentle smile. “I know it’s awful that he did this, but it won’t do the damage he intended.”“Maybe not to my public image, but it will in other ways.” I sank onto the bed beside her, my shoulders slumping. “For a long time, I wasn’t taken seriously as a sports photographer by a lot of men. Some would make sleazy comments or suggest I try underwear modelling.”“People seriously suck.”“Amen. Even to this day, despite my success, I’m not always respected for my skills or hard work. I still get crude comments from blokes in my field. Just how much worse do you think that’s going to be for me now that these rumors are floating around about me?”Briar winced. “You’re right, it won’t even matter if those assholes believe the rumors, they’ll still use them against you purely because … well, they’re assholes.”Putting a palm to my forehead, I pressed down on one side of my temple with my thumb and the other side with my little finger. “I can’t understand how my dickhead radar didn’t go off around Ryland—he completely fooled it. God, I have no idea what I’m going to say to my parents. Maybe they won’t find out about this,” I added, a hopeful note in my voice.“That’s unlikely, I’m sorry to say. They’ll hear about it from their PR people, if nothing else.”I groaned, letting my hand fall from my head to my lap. “They’ll lose their mind.”“So will your brothers. They might be younger than you, but they’re so ridiculously overprotective it comes off as big-brotherly. And by the way, you shouldn’t give your dickhead radar a hard time. I wouldn’t have foreseen Ryland doing something like this either. I didn’t take him for cruelly vindictive.”“People can surprise you that way.”Briar rested her hand on my arm. “I’d imagine you’re longing to call him and verbally flay the skin from his bones, but you really shouldn’t. He’s using you to enlarge his spotlight. I’ll bet one of his reasons for wanting you two to go public was that you’d enhance his image. You took that opportunity from him, so he chose another route. Don’t give him anything to work with, Izzy. Even if he personallydoesn’t leak any texts or phone conversations to the press, he’ll ensure somebody does it on his behalf.”“I know, I know.” I’d already considered that, but it was still rather tempting to roast him down the phone. I wouldn’t, though. If he wanted to employ such pathetic methods to build a PR fire around himself, there was little I could do about it. But I could ensure that I didn’t lob any oil on those flames to feed that fire for him.“Another thing that annoys me is that he won’t even get banned from the Vault for talking to the press about anything that happens inside the basement,” I grumbled. “He talked about a club, but he didn’t even hint at it being the Vault.”“Even if the club was mentioned by name, Ryland might have still managed to keep his membership becausethere’s no proof that he had anything to do with the article.”“True. He’s been careful to do all this in a way that ensures he personally faces no negative repercussions.”“That may have been his intention, but it won’t have been completely successful. I mean, he has screwed himself over where the club is concerned. Knowing he’s apt to spill all when scorned—whether to journalists or to a close friend that’ll sell the information—no members of the basement are going to so much as kiss Ryland after this, let alone sleep with him.”I felt my brows inch up. “I hadn’t thought of that.”“He might not get banned from the club, but he also won’t get any of what he seeks while there.”That thought would have made me smile if I wasn’t so infuriated right then.Skimming through the many texts I’d received, I winced as I came to my mother’s messages. “My mum knows, and she’s definitely ready to light someone on fire. Namely Ryland.”“As much as it might not be the most comfortable conversation a girl could have with her mom, given all the kinks mentioned in the article, I think you should call her sooner rather than later. She’ll keep calling until you do—or fly over here, even. And you know she wouldn’t judge you even if you were into enemas and golden showers etc., etc..”Jaxxon definitely wouldn’t pass judgement but, as Briar said, it wouldn’t be a terribly comfortable conversation. Nonetheless … “I won’t delay phoning her,” I said, scrolling through more notifications. “I’ll have to phone my agent as well and … Oh my God, Ryland has actually tried contacting me.”Briar gaped. “What? No way.”“Yes way. I’ve got several missed calls from him.” I angled the phone so that she could see for herself.“Don’t return them, he’ll probably record them and—”“I’m not going to contact him, I promise. I won’t even send him so much as a blank text.”Briar’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. You have to play this smart.” She stood. “Right, you call your agent and your mom before they come hunt you down. I’ll go make you a cup of tea, though I still don’t see the appeal in that drink. Then I’ll help you pick out what you’re wearing tonight for when you meet Delaney at the club.”A snort popped out of me.She double-blinked. “What?”I fired her an incredulous look. “You really think he’ll turn up after this?” Not bloody likely.She frowned. “Why wouldn’t he?”“Think about it. If Ryland was to see or hear about me being with Cole at the club, the vindictive sod could drag him into this mess. Cole will know that.”This time, it was Briar who snorted. “Delaney doesn’t strike me as a guy who lets things stand in the way of what he wants, including idiotic male models. Plus, you got him hooked with just a kiss—trust me, I was there. I’m telling you, there’s no way he’ll pass on having more of you.”“It’s sweet that you’d be so certain of that—”“I’m not being sweet, I’m being real. And don’t think that the people in the basement will give you weird looks or snicker at you. They’ll be outraged for you. That article took a huge, steaming dump all over what’s considered sacred about the Vault.”Maybe. “But if Cole doesn’t come, I’ll be stood there like a wet lemon.”“You’ll be with Cat. She won’t head off for alone time with Danton until Delaney shows up. You know that.” Briar tilted her head, studying me. “It’ll really bother you if he doesn’t show, won’t it?”“Annoyingly, yes. I know we didn’t talk for long, but it was one of the most comfortable conversations I’ve ever had with a bloke I just met. He’s so easy to talk to. So genuine. And he didn’t do any of the things people usually do when they meet me. He didn’t comment on how much I look like my mum. He didn’t say how strange it was that I got into sports photography. He didn’t talk about my dad’s career, or mention how great it is that my brothers are following in his footsteps. He didn’t mention my family at all.”“He was focused purely on you,” she said with a slow nod of understanding.“Yes. And I liked it.”“So be at the Vault tonight, because he will be there waiting for you. I guarantee it.” She tipped her chin at my phone. “Now go on, make your calls.” With that, she left the bedroom.I called my agent first, who went on a mini rant about Ryland and expressed her utter disdain for him before then advising me to give no reaction to his little stunt. After we ended the call, I phoned my mum. She answered after only three rings. There was no hello, only a growled, “I’m going to rip his balls off, I swear it.”I winced. “You’ll have to get in line.”“I’ll be bumping my way to the front of the queue. I’m not going to ask if you’re into BDSM or anything resembling it—I don’t care, it’s your business. Whatever the situation, he was way out of order. Whether he blabbed to a ‘source’ or to the journalist doesn’t matter—he still blabbed.”“I think he was feeling in a petty mood after I made it clear to him last night that we were done due to his recent betrayal. And for the record, I’m not into the kinks that were mentioned.”“Did he deny getting tongue-tastic with Gwendolyn?”“Genevieve,” I corrected.“Whatever.”“He tried insinuating that it was part of the shoot.” I rolled my eyes at the memory. “When I explained I had an eyewitness account of what he did and said, he swore she meant nothing; that it was a moment of madness; that he was lonely.”“That he was also plain weak and had no integrity?”“No, funnily enough, he didn’t mention that.”“Honesty is not his thing, then.”I felt my lips twitch. “No, it doesn’t seem to be. How’s Dad?”“About as calm as a rabid gorilla. Your brothers are no happier. Between the three of them, they’ve come up with some intriguing ways to make Ryland suffer.”Oh, shit. “Mum, don’t let them do anything stupid.”“Who said it’d be stupid? The silly little twat needs to be taught a lesson.”“Not the kind of lessons you, Dad, Frick, and Frack consider righteous.” My brothers were as nuts as our parents were. “That sort of stuff leads to arrests, charges, and court hearings.”A pfft. “They’d never get caught.”“Mum.”“Richie is furious as well,” she said, referring to the agent who represented both Ryland and Jaxxon. “Ryland isn’t taking or returning his calls. No surprise there. He’ll know that Richie thinks of you as family.”“He’ll also know that Richie is likely to drop him, so it’s no wonder he doesn’t want to talk to him.” I rubbed at my forehead. “I still can’t believe that Ryland actually did this. He had to have known how this could affect my career. There’s no way that it won’t.”Jaxxon exhaled heavily. “I know.” A pause. “But I doubt it would much affect what you truly want to do.”I felt my shoulders tense. “What does that mean?”“I’m not suggesting you lay down the camera. Photography is what you love. You’ve lived and breathed it since you were a kid. But sports photography? Iz, let’s be honest, you mostly specialize in that area because you fell into it. You were given an opportunity years ago, you went with it, and you excel at it. But it’s not what makes you happy.”I pressed my lips shut, surprised she’d sensed it. As much as I enjoyed covering sports events, it didn’t bring me contentment, only excitement—the two weren’t always the same.“I’m not saying give up that area of photography altogether,” Jaxxon hurried to add. “I’m saying don’t let it dominate your career unless that’s genuinely what you want. You have to admit, you find more fun in taking the shots you need for the royalty-free images you sell online.”I did, because it allowed me to dabble in so many areas—wildlife, landscape, fashion, food, time-lapse, minimalist, portrait, still-life, and even night photography. I liked having that diversity. Liked seeing those images on posters, book covers, ads, etc. They sold so well at this point that I didn’t needto concentrate on sports events anymore.“Your fine art pictures are even more amazing,” said Jaxxon. “You print, frame, and hand them off to family and friends as gifts, but they should be hanging in bloody galleries. I’m not saying that because I’m your mum and I’m biased. I’m saying it because it’s true. Would it be so bad to focus more on what you most enjoy?”Scratching at my neck, I admitted, “I have been thinking about switching things up. Mostly because the constant traveling from event to event isn’t as fun as it once was.”“I noticed you felt that way. Your ‘break’ periods are getting longer and longer. It doesn’t surprise me. You’re a homebird. You always were. But I don’t get the sense that London is where you truly want to base yourself. You don’t come back here anymore when you want a break.”No, I went to Redwater.“Look, I’m not going to pressure you to make any changes to your life. I won’t be disappointed in you if you don’t. I’ll always support you and your decisions. But while you’re on your current break, have a real good think about what it is you truly want. Then go get it.”I felt my mouth curve. She said it so simply. Like it was an inevitability that I’d achieve whatever I set out to achieve. “Love you, Mum. You’re the best.”“Don’t get gooey on me, I’m not good with gooey.”I chuckled. “I know. That’s why I subject you to it.”“Brat. It’s a real good thing I love you.”We talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. I brushed my teeth and then tracked down Briar, who sat at the breakfast bar with a mug in front of her.Her nose wrinkled as her eyes slid to the cup of tea waiting for me there. “It’ll be cold by now, sorry. You were gone a while. How did the phone calls go?”I slipped onto a stool. “My agent advised me not to mention the article in any social media posts or to talk to any journalists who might contact me. Crediting the article with any attention would be giving it weight it doesn’t deserve.”Briar gave a sharp nod. “My thoughts exactly.”“The conversation with my mum went pretty much how I expected it to go—she talked of doing grievous bodily harm to Ryland, skipped over the mention of kinks because she quite simply isn’t bothered, and didn’t promise not to make sure my dad and brothers don’t do anything stupid to Ryland.”“Who said it would be stupid?”Oh hi, Jaxxon number two. “She also surprised me by suggesting that I stop pursuing sports photography so hard and concentrate on other areas.”Briar cocked her head, curious. “Is that something you’d want to do?”“It’s something I’ve already been thinking of doing, but it’s not a decision I plan to make while I’m fuming over what Ryland did. It could color my choice. I don’t want to be so pissed off, it gives him power, but I can’t help it. And I’m going to worry that my dad and brothers retaliate in a way that has them standing in front of a jury.”“If I was in your situation, both my dads would lose their minds.” Briar rested her arms on the bar. “Even my mom would go ape shit. We might not have a bond, but she’s protective.”“How she looks out for you can be a little messed up, though. Like flirting with your boyfriends to see if they take the bait.” If they did, Alondra would then proclaim they weren’t good enough for Briar. It was dysfunctional, not protective.Briar sighed. “Few men refuse her.” A pause. “Trace did, though.”I sat up straighter. “As in Trace Lacroix from the Vault?”She nodded, her eyes dancing. “They both starred in the same movie once. Rumor has it that she flirted outrageously with him the whole time but that he diplomatically batted away her advances.”“Isn’t he, like, a decade younger than her?”“Age gaps have never stopped her before.” Briar removed her arms from the bar. “Anyway, let’s get some breakfast down you. Then we can go raid your closet and choose what you’re wearing tonight.”“Why use the ‘we’ word when you fully intend to take the matter into your own hands? We’ve done this dance before.” It always went the same way. “You’ll pick out not only my outfit and shoes but my underwear and every single accessory. You try to do it for Cat and probably countless others as well. Like we’re all dolls for you to dress.”“I don’t poke fun at your pastimes.”“But you do poke my ribs or forehead when I argue with your suggestions.”“So don’t argue.”“Or maybe you could just not jab at me with your finger.”She huffed, edging off her stool. “You know, most people would be grateful to have a clothes designer advise them on what to wear. Yes, I specialize in costume design, but that means being aware and mindful of all kinds of fashion—as such, my input is precious.”“It’s not advice if you insist that people let you decide for them. For a fairly easygoing person, you’re pushy when it comes to this stuff. Though you don’t bully Inaya about it.”“That girl is very fashion forward—she creates her own trends. I only ever make gentle suggestions because I know self-expression is important to her—no shocker when you take her childhood into account. Now stop trying to distract me and let this happen.”I let out a resigned sigh. “You know where my bedroom is. Go choose what you want and put it on the bed.”She beamed. “It’s so much nicer when you simply do what I ask.”I slanted my head. “You sure you’re not a closet Domme?”A surprised chuckle burst out of her. “Oh, I’m sure. But I’ll concede that I can be a bossy bitch. I kind of enjoy it.”“No wonder no man’s ever been able to make you submit.” I twisted my mouth. “Maybe two men could do the job. Like Trace and Kaleb, for instance. Inaya was right, you know. They do look at—”“We are not having this conversation.”“Well that’s a shame.”“Eat some breakfast like a good girl,” she said, heading off to the bedroom. “You’re going to need the vitamins, because something tells me that Cole’s going to give you a serious sexual workout later.”Yeah, if he turned up.