He Wanted A Submissive

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Stepping out of the shower and onto the faded pink Terry cloth rug that awaited her feet, Valerie shuddered softly.

The steam radiating off her skin very quickly being whisked away by the draft the was coming through the too strong vent above her in the bathroom. She turned towards the mirror and sighed as she appraised her reflection.

A tumbleweed of ebony hair greeted her in all it's curly and tangled glory.

She then saw why no one bothered to think she wasn't one of those sad and sorry girls being auctioned off last night. She fucking fit right in with how her hair was looking. Hell, some of them looked better.

Not being bothered enough to manage her appearance at the moment, Valerie left the bathroom, the steam of her shower pouring out behind her, and went into her room. It was a whole different feel compared to Luca's oh so lavish guest room, but at least she felt it was truly hers— because it was.

Everything Luca gave, or tried to give, felt as if she was some hussy, and maybe if she felt that everything he did wasn't a ploy to get her into his contract or his bed... she'd be more accepting of his help.

Believe it or not, Valerie didn't like being such an ass to the man. Like shit, who does like being an asshole all the time?

However, she would be a fool if she let some man who offered money for her hand in marriage not even 30 minutes after meeting her... suddenly take care of all her problems, and yeah... for such a smart, rich, and so fucking-handsome-man... Luca could not seem to get that in his head.

—and it wasn't Valerie's job to help him.

Valerie's room felt foreign to her after being in such a luxurious dream the night before. It's cotton sheets and queen bed frame would never compare to the satin covered California king bed that lived in Luca's abode.

She tried to push the differences in the back of her mind as she stepped into some light gray leggings and put on a red worn oversized sweatshirt adorned with her alma mater, Howard University. Now that she was a starving mass communications major, she missed the days of being on her illustrious campus.

When she walked back into the living room, she was pounced on by a squealing Nicki.

"AHHHH, you're alive! My baby!" She screeched as she threw her arms around Valerie. The happiness radiating off of her was infectious and Valerie found herself squeezing Nicki back just as hard as she was doing her.

They jumped around the kitchen while still embraced before slowly stopping, holding each other by the forearm and sharing a beaming smile. Valerie was surprised by the tears in Nicki's eyes. "You were that worried, Nick'?" She asked incredulously.

Nicki softly nodded, her cheeks flushing as she wiped at her eyes. Valerie hugged her again, laughing at her over emotional friend. "I told you I was gonna be okay. Our rent is due tomorrow. I gotta be with you to haul out the boxes or I know you'll let my shit get thrown away."

A chuckle bubbled from Nicki's chest despite the tears still running down her face. She was the one to break their embrace as she went to dab her face with the paper towels on the counter. "So, what do you want to do today? Since supposedly tomorrow's our last day as renters in this apartment?"

Looking around the apartment, Valerie took in their raggedy furniture and the wallpaper from the tenants before slowly peeled and curled from the wall. They hadn't done much to the place since they moved in a year ago. They were just happy to have a place to live.

"Let's make our mark on this place since it's almost our time to leave it." Valerie said with a calmness she surprised herself with. Yes, her world was very slowly crumbling, but she was definitely gonna enjoy the slow burn. Nicki enthusiastically nodded her head, sniffling loudly and wiping her nose on her sleeve.