“No, you definitely shouldn’t walk around naked. Under any circumstances.” His tone was clipped and resolute. Annoyed, even, that I’d brought it up.
“You didn’t need to snap. I was only joking.”
“Well, I’m not.” He glanced at me, then rubbed two fingers up the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry to snap. Many of the men employed at the ranch are temporary or seasonal. I don’t know most of them. I don’t trust them. I can’t be sure that they would respect you and that’s not acceptable to me.”
I took in his profile as I absorbed what he’d said. Around his home, he had me undressed around his staff so often that I’d assumed he enjoyed treating women – treating me – like property. Enjoyed flaunting me like he would a flashy car. And I liked it because, dirty girl that I was, it turned me on to be demeaned and ordered around as though I had no rights.
But sometimes it pinched at my self-confidence. As hot as it was, it would be nice to be wanted so entirely by a man that he didn’t ever want anyone else to have the right to look at me like he got to. Because I was that important to him.
This, from Reeve, was probably the most perfect compromise. He liked to flaunt me. But only when he could protect me.
That was the kind of owned I’d always longed for and didn’t realize it until now.
I wished there was an easy way to tell him exactly how I felt about his position. How much I appreciated it and how it made me feel safe with him. Safe. With a man like Reeve.
But there wasn’t any way to explain something I didn’t understand myself. So I just said, “Thank you.”
“Now if I say that it is okay to be undressed in public, certainly that overrides the previous statement.” He granted me a slight grin.
I returned it. “Certainly.”
“Moving on.” And the serious tone was back. “Breakfast is served every morning at six sharp. If you sleep through it, you’ll need to fend for yourself. Lunch is at noon and dinner at six-thirty.”
“And if I miss those?”
“Don’t.” It was authoritative with no room for argument, like pretty much everything he’d said so far. I liked the rules. The structure was comforting. I imagined there were women who would find that irritating. Amber would have. Had Reeve been different with her? Sometimes men treated us as individuals. Were the rules only for me?
I hoped they were. For her sake, but also for mine.
As much as I liked rules, it didn’t mean I wasn’t also headstrong. I crossed my legs and batted my lashes at him. “What else, sir?”
“Oh, no.” Reeve scowled. “No sir’s. I do not expect or want that.”
“Master?”
He shook his head, trying not to smile. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Daddy?” God, I hope not.
“Fuck, no. Use my name and stop dicking around. I still have more to tell you.”
“Of course you do. Mr. Sallis.”
He narrowed his eyes, but went on with his list. “You’ll have your own room at the main house. Use it however you like. It’s your private space. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you want. I’m your first priority. That’s why you’re here. I expect you to be available when I want you and I expect you to sleep in my bed whenever I’m there.”
This last section of his speech made my stomach flutter and my thighs buzz. This was the basic principle that all his demands extended from – I’m your first priority. It was what turned me on most about Reeve. That he required me to service him. To think of him above everything else. To allow myself to be willingly used by him in any way he desired.
It was why I was a sick person. Because he could tell me he expected me to jump off the plane without a parachute, and if I believed it was what he really wanted, I’d not only probably do it, but I’d get off on it.
I was so busy being aroused and chastising myself for it that I almost didn’t notice what he’d said at the end. “Sleep with you when you’re there? Are there times you won’t be?”
“Yes. I have business with some of the other resorts in the state.” He peered out the front window as he spoke, only half paying attention to what he was saying. “Sometimes that will require me to be gone for several days at a time.”
You could always take me with you. But the reason I wanted to be in Wyoming was for finding out what happened to Amber, not Reeve. This was better, really.
So I don’t know why I kept pushing. “Like, how many days?”
Now he was checking his watch. “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Will I know when you’re leaving? And when you’re coming back?”
Reeve leaned forward to tell Filip something in Greek. He mentioned the 405 so I guessed it was about traffic and arrival times. Whatever Filip said in response seemed to satisfy Reeve. He sat back in his seat and turned to me.
My mouth was open, ready to repeat my questions since I was sure he hadn’t heard me, but he reached out and cupped my neck. “Yes, Emily. I’ll let you know when I’m leaving and I’ll make sure you know when I’ll be back. Don’t worry about it, okay? Just try to have a nice time.”
“But —”
The pressure on my neck tightened. “Also, there will be no arguing in front of other people. What I say goes, no questions, no back talk.”
My eyes flicked to Filip and back again. I guess he counted as other people. I sighed. “Does that mean I can argue when we aren’t in front of other people?”