THE BILLIONAIRE'S LOVER

14 | IN WHICH SHE MEETS WITH AN OLD FRIEND

She'd slept horribly. It was bad enough she'd gone to bed all hot and needy, but sleeping naked had done nothing to help. Memories of what he'd done to her the previous night flooded her mind.

'No.' Malora sat down. 'Not really.'

'Go ahead and eat.'

He'd cooked for an army: bacon, eggs, and fresh blueberry muffins. Malora raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled.

'Do you sleep?' she asked.

'On occasion.'

Malora nodded as if that made perfect sense and dove into her food. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. She'd finished three slices of bacon and half her eggs before he spoke again. 'I'm very pleased with you. You have an interesting demeanor and a  willingness to learn.'

She was surprised he could tell anything from the little time they'd spent together, but answered, 'Thank you, Master T.'

They ate in silence for a while before she finally summoned the courage to speak. 'Can I ask another question?'

'I'm still here, aren't I?'

Malora smiled. Yes, he was. All that hard man-muscle, that gorgeous body, rare that smug grin—they were still at the table. With her. 'Tell me about your family.'

For a few minutes, he didn't do as much as blink. Malora even doubted if he was still breathing. Then, before bed very eyes, she saw his expression change. Again. He'd reverted back to Titan and not the caring Master T. All traces of playfulness was gone.

Malora regretted asking the question immediately.

'My family is none of your business, Malora. Don't think you've earned the right to ask me such questions because I slept in your bed once. Remember you're only here for my pleasure and nothing else.'

It hurt a lot to hear him say such thing. She thought they'd found a common ground where he was comfortable with her, but it seemed she'd read the situation wrong. That didn't make his brushoff hurt any less, though.

His expression remained cold and unforgiving. 'I want you to wear my collar, Malora. We would be attending some places where it would be warranted. Meet me in my room in an hour after you've showered and we'll discuss it further.'

His collar?

She wasn't expecting to be collared at all. How come whenever she spoke with Titan she always felt more flustered and confused at the end of the conversation than she did at the beginning.

*

An hour later, Titan waited for her in his room, holding a box. A cushioned bench was in the middle of the floor. He waved toward it. 'Have a seat.'

When she'd left her bathroom earlier Malora found a silver satin bathrobe with matching panties and a bra waiting for her on the bed. She thought it was pretty high-handed of Titan to set her clothes out, but she had agreed to his terms.

Which was why she gathered the robe around her and sat as daintily as possible on the soft bench that had suddenly materialized our of nowhere. Titan wore faded blue jeans and nothing else. Not even socks. She sighed. Even his feet were perfect.

He turned and sat the box on the dresser by his bed.

When he faced her again, he held a platinum choker made of two thick rope-like strands twisted together. Sunlight bounced from the facets of the numerous diamonds embedded in the platinum. 'If you choose to wear this, you'll be marked as mine wherever we go. Mine to do with as I wish. You will obey me and never question what I tell you to do. Your days are mine to fill as I wish. Your body is mine to use as I wish. I will never be cruel or cause permanent harm, but I am not an easy master, Malora. I will have you do things you never thought possible, but I can also bring you a pleasure you never imagined.'