Chapter 2
TWO
Lamb.
Lobster.
Broccoli mash.
Twice-baked potatoes.
Roasted carrots.
The dinner spread was strikingly beautiful. The colorful display left me eager with anticipation. Kason spent the better half of the evening in the kitchen. I spent nearly the same amount of time in the gym of his complex.
It was state of the art, and equipped with all the latest gadgets. I often lost track of time when visiting. However, I didn’t mind at all. My body and my brain both agreed that my time in the gym was much needed.
“Hello, my love,” Kason greeted me, pursing his lips up for a kiss. “You look divine.”
His liquor-soaked lips were spicy to the touch. Still, I invited him inside of me. Inside of my mouth, accepting the newfound passion he possessed.
“Good evening, Kason.”
A champagne-colored dress flowed freely down my body, seemingly never-ending. It was silky and strappy. The bust area of my gown clung to my breasts, pushing them upward and giving them center stage. Underneath it, I was pantiless. There was no need to waste fabric tonight.
Diamond earrings glistened under the dimly lit dining area. They had been a gift from Richie for my twenty-fifth birthday. It didn’t matter how many pairs I received afterward; they were still my favorite, undoubtedly.
My hair was in large, loose curls that gained volume during my gym session. The unkempt, voluminous hair matched my dress perfectly.
“And you smell divine.”
Wintour laced my skin. The wine-drenched cherries lingered as the amber, grapefruit, patchouli, and plum created the greatest collaboration known to the naked nose. The dark, unworldly scent was like a sweet red wine against my bare skin. It was intoxicating. Invigorating. Incredible.
“Thank you.”
“I’m starved. Have you worked up an appetite?”
“I have,” I admitted.
“Good. Have a seat.”
Kason slid back the chair from the dining table made for four. I rested my bones. He pushed the chair back up to the table as I considered how long I’d been on my feet. As much as I’d love to remove the Tom Ford heels, I kept them strapped to my ankles as I smoothed my dress down with my palms.
I observed as Kason retrieved the utensils from the glass vase next to the dinner board he’d created. With a plate in his hand, he began to top it with the food he’d prepared. Lamb was first to touch the glass. Then, there was broccoli mash and roasted carrots shortly after.
Saliva pooled in my mouth as he sat the plate in front of me. Champagne spilled from the bottle seconds later. He held the bubbly over one of the flutes at the opposite end of the table. I accepted the glass once he had filled it almost to the top.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Range.”
I waited patiently as he piled his plate with food and took the seat across the table. He extended his right hand, grabbing my left. He brought it to his lips, kissing each finger, lingering on the one with the ring he’d purchased.
“Do you like it?”
Next time we meet, I expect you to have returned that ring, thanked that man for his time, and let him know he’s not whoever or whatever the fuck he thought he was to you. That cut and style of diamond does nothing to complement your hand. You deserve custom everything.
Josiah Blackwood’s words sounded in my head like grenades on the battlefield. My breath got caught in my throat. There was a sudden tightness in my chest. My throat dried completely. I closed my eyes, hoping to collect myself. Unfortunately, I fell apart behind my lids.
“Range–”
I nodded, reopening my eyes to find Kason’s mouth agape as he awaited my response.
“Uh– yes. Yes, I like– I like it.”
His lips turned upward into a smile.
“Good. Good.”
I stabbed the roasted carrots with my fork. I didn’t have more words for Kason. Not at the moment. I stuffed them into my mouth, halting our conversation. Silently, I chewed until I managed to push them down my throat. The dryness was still apparent.
Champagne washed down whatever was left of the savory dish. I moved on to the mash, promising to return to the carrots before I was too full.
“You’re so– so beautiful.”
My cheeks flushed a new shade of brown. I pulled my glossy lip into my mouth as I smiled, looking up at Kason.
He’s safe. I reasoned.
“I want to apologize. I thought about everything you said the other night and you were right. You deserve better, Range, so I’m going to be better.
You are not an option to me. You’re my choice.
I’m choosing you– Even over myself. I want to show you that I’m for you, always and forever.
No matter what. I was blind, but you’ve opened my eyes.
I just hope you’ve felt the changes and I just hope they’re satisfying to you.
Because, I’ve felt every bit of them and– I like it.
I like them. You woke me up. Removed the blindfold.
Put an end to the ignorance. Thank you.”
I sipped from the flute as I watched Kason’s eyes blossom with curiosity. He was anxious for a response. I didn’t have one to offer.
“I don’t want to talk about that tonight.”
“Understood.”
He accepted my reply and opted for deflection.
“I was thinking we could make our own ice cream after this. I picked up the supplies on the way home.”
“Yeah? Did you get some c–”
“Yes. I got some cookies. Oreos, specifically.”
With a smile, I nodded.
“Then ice cream it is.”
“Music to my ears,” Kason admitted.
Silence fell between us as we dug into the food on our plates. Periodic gazing from Kason made me feel like a giddy schoolgirl.
“Whaaaaat?” I asked after my lamb slid down my throat.
“Nothing… And everything,” he sniggered, “I’m just fascinated. By you. Your beauty. Your courage. Your smile. Your confidence. Your– All of you.”
I ran my tongue across my teeth, digesting Kason’s compliments. They were always plentiful, but tonight they were different. Felt different. Sounded different. Hit different.
“Dinner is delicious.”
I chose to return the gesture.
“Thank you.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to cook. I thought surely we’d be going to dinner somewhere else tonight.”
He shook his head. “Nah. Right here is perfect.”
“I’d agree.”
“Dance with me,” he rushed out.
It wasn’t until those words escaped his mouth that I heard the jazz playing low in the background. How I hadn’t noticed it at first was beyond me. My mind was in another place. A safe place.
“Dance with you?” I chuckled.
Kason didn’t leave me with an option. He was up and on my side of the table, pulling my chair out before I could wrap my head around his request. I took his extended hand, placing my fork on the dinner napkin to join him.
In the middle of the floor, our bodies brushed against each other. I could feel his dick against me, rising slowly to the occasion. My nipples pressed into the silk, finding comfort against Kason’s chest.
“Doesn’t this feel lovely?” He questioned, swaying my body from side to side.
Nodding, I admitted how similar our thoughts were at the moment. Still, I was afraid to open my eyes. What was waiting for me behind them was frightening.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“I’m ready to step into your world, Range.”
I laid my head against Kason.
“I’m ready to tap into that pretty head of yours. I feel like there’s so much more to learn about you.”
You’ve barely scratched the surface.
“I’m ready to immerse myself in your world. Meet your family.”
My body tensed under his touch.
“Tell your mother how great of a woman she raised. Get your fa–”
“Kason,” I sighed.
“Yes?”
My family’s protection was my priority. Somehow, I felt the need to guard their lives, even from the man whose dick I loved sliding down every night. There was hardly any point of sharing my family with a man who wouldn’t be my lifelong partner.
But, he’s changing.
I didn’t ignore the voice in my head. Instead, I leaned into it.
“One day.”
“Fair enough.”
“I– I will finish my food now,” I informed him, pulling away from his body.
The cold was brutal against my skin. Suddenly, the temperature of his place was a problem.
I lowered my body into the chair and allowed him to adjust it underneath the table. Once he was back in his seat, I regained control of my fork. Just as I dipped it into my potatoes, the table began buzzing.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
Face down, my phone began moving around on the wood. My throat thickened. My heart fell from my chest into my stomach. Conviction was loud and clear, filling me with discontent. Discomfort. Misunderstanding. Still, I reached for my cell, flipping it over.
1-228-555-682-2426
I read the number once, searching the contacts in my mental rolodex. It didn’t ring any bells. But, refusing the call felt more like the beginning of a cruel and unjust death than I cared to admit.
“Excuse me–” I rushed out, pressing the green button as I stood to my feet.
I headed toward the kitchen, hardly out of Kason’s view, but I wasn’t looking to disappear. It was a pinch of privacy that I was after.
I pressed the phone against my ear. My breathing had slowed to a creep. Yet, it was loud, labored and unsteady. My stomach turned, flipping uncontrollably with my heart inside of it.
Hello.
It never fell from my lips. It remained lodged in my head. Nevertheless, my heavy breathing announced my presence on the line.
Silence.
I inhaled.
Silence.
I exhaled.
Silence.
I held my next breath.
Silence.
Hello! Nothing emerged.
Silence.
My palms grew sweaty. I wiped them down my dress, praying they didn’t stain the sensitive silk permanently. Intuition led me to identify the caller without hearing his sultry baritone.
Josiah Blackwood.
His audacity was handicapping. It was penetrating. It was attractive. It was appalling. It was baffling.
I mustered enough strength to release the word that had been stuck in my head since answering the call.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Anxiety swelled my chest, replacing my heart.
But then, there was movement. There was sound. There was life. There was confirmation. My body became a furnace.
“Go home, Range.”