Cadence
P RESENT TIME
I'm no longer seated on Keiran's lap, but everyone is still staring. No surprise since it's obvious that the other members definitely remember my dad treating Keiran as just the hired help when we were "dating" years ago.
Michael Preston and his son James are with us. Michael, a former business partner of my dad, looks uncomfortable seeing me with Keiran. And James? Well, he's about my age and struggling not to stare at me in this barely-there red dress.
"," Michael says carefully, "are you here to represent your father's interests?"
Before Keiran can answer, I say cheerfully, "I'm just here as Keiran's lunch date."
"Oh." The weight of that single syllable is crushing. Everyone at the table seems to reach the same conclusion simultaneously: I'm selling myself to Keiran because my dad is bankrupt.
As Michael and Keiran talk business, James leans closer to me, his voice low. "So, does this mean Grant is out of the picture?"
Oh no.
I glance nervously at Keiran, but he's still deep in conversation with Michael.
Phew .
"We were never a thing," I whisper to James. "That was just all my dad's wishful thinking." I'm hoping that would be the end of it, but James proves surprisingly persistent, and he comes up to me just as we're all about to walk out.
"So..." James' gaze darts between Keiran and me. "Does this mean you two are exclusive?"
Since I'm supposed to be Keiran's mistress, I say right away, "No—-"
"Yes," Keiran says at the same time.
And that's when I realize I'm about to die if I don't figure out a way to dig myself out of this.
"No," I say again with the brightest smile I could muster. "No, as in no, you're not mistaken."
James stares at me, confused. Keiran's expression doesn't change, but the temperature around us seems to drop several degrees.
Oh, I'm so dead.
When we get inside the limo, the privacy window slides up with a soft mechanical whir.
Oh no.
"Get on your knees."
I freeze.
He doesn't raise his voice. Doesn't even look at me when he says it, his gaze fixed on the tinted window as the car pulls away from the curb.
"If t-this is about Grant—"
"This is about reminding you who you belong to."
Um, doesn't that mean the same—
"Now."
His savage tone makes me forget everything else. My hands move before my brain can stop them. I sink to the floor of the car, heart pounding as I reach for him.
His hand settles in my hair—not yanking, not guiding. Just... holding.
His other hand unfastens his belt. Moves with infuriating patience.
I don't rush.
Not because I'm teasing. But because I want this to matter.
Because I remember the way he used to look at me. Like I was the only thing in the world he wanted.
And even if this is just a way to mark me—to control me—I want it.
I open my mouth.
He groans, low and rough, as I take him in. One hand tightening in my hair, the other curling against the window behind him.
The car turns. I shift with it, my hands steady on his thighs.
His breath catches when I hollow my cheeks.
And when I glance up and see his jaw clenched, his eyes dark and locked on me—I feel it again.
Not just lust.
Possession.
Desperation.
Need.
He comes with a harsh exhale, fingers fisting my hair, his hips stuttering.
I swallow everything.
When I sit back, flushed and breathless, he tucks himself back in like nothing happened. Straightens his cuffs. Adjusts his tie.
Then he looks at me when it's all over, his gaze burning into mine.
"Now it's your turn."
A gasp escapes me.
"Touch yourself."
I can't help it—having him watch me turns me on, makes heat pool between my thighs. My hand slips under the slit of my dress, finding the wetness there.
The car cruises to a stop in front of his apartment building.
"Come for me now."
My body obeys, just like it always has where he's concerned. My back arches, a soft cry escaping my lips as pleasure washes over me.
When it's all over, he helps me fix my dress but doesn't allow me to fix anything else. I follow him out, all eyes on us, and they know exactly what we've been up to.
And the strangest part? I don't even care. Because for the first time in three years, I felt like I belonged to him again.
Even if it's only for show.