Chapter 6 #2
I couldn’t conceive of living like that—not putting things in their place as soon as they arrived.
Being surrounded by chaos instead of beauty.
It would be easy to see what I did as nothing more than playing with pretty things, and there were so many pretty things.
I ran my fingers over the smooth brushed cotton bedding, relishing for a moment the feel of the soft fabric, slightly lavender scented and cool to the touch.
But design—at least the way I thought about it—was so much more. Beautiful, yes, but also functional.
When it was done correctly and matched to the client, it made their lives easier.
Or in the case of the Essex project, it created a moment and held the space for someone to have an experience they wouldn’t forget.
I had to pay attention to the things around me.
I couldn’t imagine living any other way.
For Jake, I suspected having Anna handle the day-to-day household tasks went beyond aesthetics and function the way most people thought of it.
Clean clothes and food in the cupboards and all the other details that made a home run.
For him, it seemed more like having someone take care of those things was an Einstein wearing the same clothes every day thing.
It took the details out of his head so his mind could focus on the things that required his attention.
Even after our time in his office, I didn’t understand what he did.
I didn’t have to understand to know it was more important than him doing his own laundry.
I might not exactly understand it, and I certainly couldn’t live like that, but I could respect that he’d managed to come up with a system that served his needs.
I wondered what his sheets smelled like—if they held the green tea and whatever else it was scent unique to him.
The one I’d developed an instant response to.
It was strange. For as many times as I’d been to his house, we’d never had sex in his bed.
The sofa lots of times, up against the wall, even the rug in front of his fireplace, and most recently his office.
But never the bed. And never at my place, partly I suppose because I hadn’t offered, but it also hadn’t come up.
I’d been so focused on the fantasies we played out, I hadn’t really considered it before.
I suspected Kindra would say it had something to do with boundaries and intimacy.
It might be nice to try the bed, or it might be too intimate. Now that I’d had the thought, I didn’t have a choice but to worry it around in my head until I came to some sort of resolution.
I stretched up to grab a set of the lovely pale-blush sheets for myself and sucked in a breath when my upper thighs hit the edge of the counter.
The sting from the spanking faded the same day Jake gave it to me, but I still had a barely visible line of bruises across my thighs from where he’d fucked me against the edge of the desk.
He'd asked me about it when he’d sent his customary thanks for the sex text.
Remembering it made me smile. It was charming in its almost old-fashioned, chivalrous gratitude for the debauchery.
The most recent time after the thank-you, he’d asked if I was okay.
I’d assured him I was better than okay and hadn’t heard from him since.
But I’d thought of him every time I brushed against something and felt the residual sensitivity.
Every time I let myself think about what we’d done together and what it meant for me to want it—to want him—so much.
Holding the bundle of sheets to my chest, I thumbed open my phone and scrolled to Jake’s messages.
ME
I’ve been thinking about your bed.
JAKE
Tell me more
I smiled at the immediate response. It might not be—definitely wasn’t—a relationship, but I liked the idea of him thinking about me at the same time I was thinking about him.
ME
We’ve never fucked there
I’d thought about saying something about never having seen it, but opted for the more direct route instead. No sense pretending it was his bedding I was interested in, even if I’d very recently developed something of a sheet obsession.
JAKE
We should do something about that.
JAKE
Like fuck in my bed. To be clear.
I made a humming noise and hugged the sheets a little tighter.
“Something delicious, cher?”
I spun to see Julien standing behind me. It’d been so absorbed in my thoughts; I hadn’t heard him approach. I felt my face heat which was ridiculous. I was a grown woman. I owned my pleasure. Pleasures. I wasn’t about to limit myself.
“It promises to be.” I winked, and Julien let out a full-throated laugh.
“As long as it’s worthy of those sheets,” he said, reaching to take the bundle from my arms.
“Can you send a set of the white ones—king sized—to the Collins address?” I might not have spent any time in Jake’s bed, but I knew the size the same way I knew he’d needed pillows for his sofa and hand towels for his powder room.
“Of course. I’ll put it all on your account.”
Julien headed to the front of the store, and I thumbed open my phone again.
ME
Next week?
JAKE
Absolutely. Wednesday afternoon?
ME
Perfect. I’m sending you sheets.
I went to slip my phone back into my bag and stopped when another thought hit me. On the drive over, John Essex had mentioned a problem with their computer reservation systems. Maybe I could impress Essex by solving his problem and throw some business Jake’s way at the same time.
ME
Can I ask a favor?
JAKE
A naked one?
I glanced around to make sure Julien didn’t catch me grinning at my phone like a crazy person.
ME
I suppose you can do it naked if you want. It might mean some business for you. I’ve got a client—the developer I told you about—whos’s got a computer problem. I thought you might be able to help him.
Jake didn’t immediately respond, and the long pause made me wonder if I’d overstepped.
JAKE
Is it important to you?
I thought about the project, what it could mean for my business, and how good it would feel to help solve this problem for John.
ME
Very
JAKE
You can give them this number.
ME
Thanks!
JAKE
Any time. Looking forward to hitting the sheets with you.
I didn’t bother to stifle my laugh as I tucked my phone away and crossed to the front of the store to take my lovely, wrapped package of bedding from Julien.
All the pieces of my life were lining up beautifully.