Enthrall Him (Enthrall Sessions Book 3) (42 page)

He looked surprised. “I am.”

“And things are the same?”

“They are.” He arched a brow. “How are things with you and Richard?”

“Great,” I said. “He’s started this climax ban…”

And I’m not really sure why I’m telling you this.
I turned away, mortified.  

“How’s it going?” he said.

“I’m not very good at it.” My eyes fixed on those beads.

He scratched his chin. “I’m sure it will be over soon.”

“What will?”

“Your climax ban.”

“Oh, yes, that.” I felt self-conscious, as though all those times we’d been intimate had happened to someone else. “Thank you for letting me continue my studies. Can I do them at Enthrall?”

“You don’t want to study here?”  

“Too many memories.”

“Good or bad?”

“Mostly good.”

“Mostly?”

“You know. Having to face my trauma.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“How do you feel about that?” I mirrored.

“Seeing you happy is all I care about.” He raised a hand to correct himself. “My employees are my concern.”

“I should go,” I whispered.

“Yes.”  

“Goodbye then.”

“Goodbye, Mia.”

“I’m going to go then.”

“I would walk you out, but I’ve a ton of work.”

With a nod, I hurried past him, made it to the door, and scurried down the longest hallway I’d ever walked.

CHAPTER 36

OH NO.

I was almost out of Chrysalis when I saw Arianna heading right for me. She was not only one of the most seasoned subs, she was Shay’s girlfriend, and even though Arianna and I had braved the lion’s den together and faced off with some scary businessmen, she’d made it quite clear she didn’t like me.

The door was in my sights.

“How was London?” she asked.

“My trip was great,” I said, and gestured I was running late.

I hoped Shay hadn’t relayed to her we’d spent the night together in a hotel. Though nothing happened, a woman’s imagination had a funny way of filling in the blanks. Her numerous tattoos were proof she didn’t fuck around. She really had nothing to worry about as she was ridiculously pretty, but something told me before finding Chrysalis, life had been hard on her and this was the reason for her trust issues.

“So you and Shay spent Christmas together?” she said.

“Cameron and Richard too,” I said. “Sorry you didn’t get to see Shay Christmas day, but apparently you guys are spending New Year together?”

She looked defensive.

“He talked about you a lot,” I said. “I know you guys are close.”

“So you’re back with your old master?”

“Yes.” I made it sound upbeat. “All back to normal.”

She turned around and glanced down the hallway. “Is the director in?”

“Cameron, yes?”

“Master Cole.”

“He has lots of paperwork to catch up on.”

“So what did you guys get up to?”

“We visited the London Tower, and the London Eye, and did a bit of shopping.”

“Heard you got to check out Oberon Grove?”

The place I wasn’t meant to talk about.

She shrugged. “Are you doing anything right now?”

“I’m heading back to Enthrall.”

“Wanna have a drink?”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Only it’s my birthday and I’ve no one else to celebrate it with.”

“Happy Birthday, Arianna. Is Shay taking you out?”

“If he remembers.”

Having a drink with her would ease this tension between us, and after the harrowing day I’d had with that exam, not to mention Hope turning up out of nowhere, I deserved a little treat. Still, work was waiting.

“Richard’s expecting me back,” I said.  

Disappointment settled on her face. “We don’t need to go anywhere. They have a bar here. No one’s in there. Just one drink?”

“I think Leo might be waiting.” I gave a wave and hurried outside.

Arianna joined me on the front steps and we both scanned the horizon. Leo wasn’t here yet and there was no sign of a town car approaching.

“Looks like you have time for one drink,” she said mischievously.  

“Okay. Let’s go toast your birthday.”

She squealed with delight and sounded so cute, as though her tough demeanor had slipped a little.

We made our way into the lounge. Arianna seemed to know her way around the bar and within a couple of minutes had poured us two shots of tequila. She joined me on the other side and we settled on barstools.   

“Cheers,” she said, raising her glass and tapping it to mine.

“Cheers. Happy birthday, birthday girl,” I said, knocking my drink back.

The warmth of the liquor caused a wave of headiness.

I beamed at her. “Oh God, Arianna, you have no idea how much I needed this.”

“Me too.” She jumped off the barstool, rounded the bar, and poured two more shots. She pushed mine towards me.

“I have to go back to work.” I nudged away the glass.

“You’re not driving.”

“No, but Richard’s expecting me back.”

“Tell him your meeting went over.”

Breaking her gaze, I knew she had no idea about my lessons. Cameron had promised me this private schooling would be our secret, other than Dominic knowing about it. I was reassured it would remain that way.

I hated math, but Cameron had refused to take it off the table, forcing me to endure this suffering during each lesson. And Richard hadn’t exactly handled reuniting with Hope in a painless way for me. He hadn’t even introduced me as his girlfriend, for goodness sake. Which was kind of odd.

I reached for the shot glass and toasted Arianna then threw it back. Smacking my lips together, I sucked off this bitterness. Lightheadedness made me woozy.

Our conversation flowed with the booze, and as I relaxed a little more and listened to Arianna I was amazed at how smart she was. She told me she had a degree in chemistry, and I was tempted to ask her to help me with my math. She went on to share how she’d gotten into BDSM after surviving a troubled marriage, and how Shay had been the one to help her learn to trust men again.

I was heartbroken to hear she’d suffered abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, but reassured she’d come out of the experience stronger.

She showed me the tattoo she’d gotten to mark her breakthrough. It was of a flame and it lapped over her shoulder. A few therapy sessions later with Cameron, which she reassured me hadn’t included any intimacy, and she felt whole again.

By my third shot of tequila, you’d have thought we were sisters. We were laughing so much, tears streaming, and both of us swung precariously atop these barstools.

A scream came out of nowhere.

Opening my eyes, I realized it had come from Arianna. She was bent over clutching her stomach and laughing hysterically.

My ass was on the floor.

Apparently that barstool had given out and gravity had secured my butt firmly on the floor. I couldn’t stop laughing either. This was ridiculous and I was ridiculous, and the more I thought about this place and everyone wandering around dressed in leather and oh so serious, the more I laughed.

“Oh shit,” snapped Arianna.

I peered up to see her worried expression.

“What’s up?” I slurred.

“Hello, sir,” she said.

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to focus on what she was looking at—

Cameron stood a few feet away and was looking particularly fierce. Beside him stood Shay, and he seemed just as surprised to see us.

“What the fuck, Arianna?” said Shay.  

Cameron came into view as he knelt before me and proceeded to oscillate.

“This is not what it looks like,” I said, and burst out laughing at that.

“Got a call from Richard,” said Cameron sternly. “He’s wondering where his secretary is.”

“We ran into a technical error,” I said.

Arianna burst into laughter again, unable to control her hysteria.

“We’re celebrating her birthday.” I raised a finger to Shay. “You have to take her out to dinner. Spoil her.”

“Not like this I’m not,” he said.

“Well done, Mia,” said Cameron. “If your intention was to sabotage Arianna’s birthday, you succeeded.”

“No,” I said. “Tell them. Tell them you invited me in here.”   

This was the same girl that Dominic had warned me about. The girl who’d scorned me while I’d undergone my training. The same person who scared Pilar, and she was as worldly as it got. The same girl who’d hated me before today.

“Arianna?” I said nervously.

She looked down at me with sympathy. “Don’t be angry with Mia. This was my idea.”

I wanted to hug her, so I tried to get up. Only that didn’t go so well and I fell flat on my ass again. Shay grabbed Arianna’s hand and led her out of the bar.

My drinking buddy was gone.

I pointed at Cameron. “You’re so beautiful. Has anyone ever told you that? I miss you so much. It’s like someone scooped out my heart and gave it to you.”

“Here.” A bottle of water appeared before me.

“Like magic,” I said, taking a sip.

“And for my next trick, I’m getting you out of here.”

“I’ve figured it out mister.”

“Figured what out?”

“Why you won’t let yourself love me.”

“Please don’t.”

“No, you need to hear this,” I said. “If not for personal growth reasons.”  

“Can you stand? Let me help you.”

I reached out and held his hand. “I’m your punishment. Me. That’s right. You not letting yourself have me is your way of putting yourself through hell. You believe you deserve this pain.”

Cameron pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arm around me. “I’m taking you home. Try to use your legs.”

“Is my body still yours?” I said. “I can’t remember.”

“Oh, Mia.”

“I know more than you think,” I said. “You left me alone with your books too long.”

“Apparently.”

“You taught me the secret language of the heart.”

“Ah.”

“I see everything.”

“Don’t doubt it.”

“Everyone underestimates me. I’m going to prove you all wrong.”

“It was never about that.”

“Can you get Leo to take me back to Enthrall?”

“I’m taking you home.”

“Beverly Hills?”

“Malibu.”

“She’s back from the dead,” I said. “Well, she might as well be.”

“No more talking until you’ve sobered up. Something tells me you’re going to regret this. If not for how your head’s going to feel tomorrow.”

“I want to turn it back.”

Cameron swept me up into his arms and carried me through the foyer. “Turn what back, sweetheart?”  

“Time.”

Outside came the blur of a car.

The soft scent of leather filled my nose as he eased me into the back of his BMW. He pulled the seatbelt around me. My eyes closed and I let out a sigh of satisfaction. Being this close to him again was all I needed to feel safe.

I opened one eye and gave him a toothy grin.  

Cameron kissed my forehead.

And then he was gone.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. “You okay back there?”

“Did you ever love me?” I said wistfully. “I mean, was there ever a second when you felt the same way about me?” I caught his gaze in the rearview. “You wouldn’t tell me even if you did, would you?”

The rev of the engine, the jolt of the car.

Swiftly we left Chrysalis behind.

CHAPTER 37

“YOU HAVE GOT to be fucking kidding me?” snapped Richard.

I blinked toward the bedroom doorway and cringed.

“You tell him,” I whispered to Cameron.

Cameron sat beside me on the bed and was attempting to get me to drink yet another glass of water.

“Mia, I was waiting for you back at Enthrall,” said Richard. “Please tell me you didn’t get another tattoo?”

“Why would I get another one?” I said.

“Because I know you. This is you acting out.”

“It’s Arianna’s birthday.” I glanced at Cameron for his support. “She begged me to have a drink with her.”