The pit of my stomach fell deeper. The thought of those women walking down the stairs crept into my mind. I brought my hand up to his face and gave him a fake smile.
“After your appointment with Amanda, I’m taking you somewhere for the night. Because once the clock strikes midnight, you’re mine,” he whispered as he kissed my lips.
“I thought I accepted this job on my terms, and my terms clearly stated that there was no flirting or kissing during work hours.”
“Fuck your terms. You’re here and you’re too hard to resist.”
Damn it. Damn him. Damn it all to hell. Why does he do this to me? Why does he have such a hold on me? “Where are we going?” I asked, as I was curious to know where he planned on taking me.
“My yacht. You don’t get seasick, do you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been on a boat before. I guess we’ll find out.”
“You’ll be fine and I have some medication on board in case you do get sick.”
“I didn’t know you had a yacht. You never mentioned it before.”
“I guess there wasn’t the need to.”
“Is there anything else you may not feel the need to tell me?” I wanted to see if he would talk more about last night.
“No. I don’t think so. Is something bothering you, Rory?”
“Not at all. I’m just wondering what else will pop up that you didn’t think to mention.” I smiled.
He lifted me from his lap and set me on the edge of his desk. “One day, I’m going to take you right here on top of my desk,” he said with seduction.
“It better be after work hours, Mr. Braxton.”
“Oh no, it will be during work hours, Miss Sinclair. I have a tendency to break all the rules.”
He smiled, kissed me on the head, and told me he had a meeting to get to. “Good luck at your appointment, and I’ll see you back here later for our night together.” He winked.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Suddenly, I didn’t care about him being with another woman last night. He wanted me, and he wanted me bad. Nobody had ever wanted me, and for him to come along and tell me how beautiful I was and pay me so much attention; of course, I was going to fall head over heels for him. This was one area that I needed to talk to Dr. Neil about. I hopped off the desk, went back to my seat, and finished up the contracts. I went upstairs to the bedroom to see what I could pack for tonight. The thought of being on a yacht with Ian excited me. Just the two of us, out in the open ocean, without any distractions. I would have him all to myself and that made me happy.
****
“It’s nice to meet you, Rory. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you, Dr. Neil. I appreciate you being able to fit me in today.”
Her office was beautifully decorated. It was made up of beiges with burgundy accents. I took a seat on the leather couch while Dr. Neil sat in the leather chair across from me.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on,” she said.
I began telling her about my childhood and Stephen. We were in deep conversation, and before I knew it, our time was up and our session was over.
“We have a lot of ground to cover, Rory. I would like to see you at least two days a week.”
“Thank you, Dr. Neil. I think that would be okay.”
“Good. Now I don’t want you to worry because we’re going to get those nightmares to stop. Would you like me to prescribe you a sleeping pill?”
“No. I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I’d rather not start taking medication.”
She smiled at me as she walked me to the door. “I’ll see you in a couple of days”
I walked out of her office, feeling pretty good. Even though I had told Ian about my past, it felt different when I talked to Dr. Neil. I pulled my phone out of my purse when I got into the car and sent Ian a text message.
“My appointment just ended. Going to stop by my apartment to pick up a few things. I’ll be over soon.”
“See you soon. A few more hours left.”
When I pulled up to my apartment, I noticed there was a piece of paper taped to the door. It was a notice from the city that the building was being shut down for safety issues, and I needed to find a place to stay until further notice. Shit. Shit. Shit. Are you kidding me? I ripped the paper off the door and walked inside. I looked at my phone and dialed Ian.
“Hey, is everything okay?” he asked when he answered.
“You’re never going to believe what I came home to,” I said, distraught.
“Rory, calm down. What happened?”
“My building is being shut down for safety issues, and I have to move out until further notice.”
“Is that all? You had me scared something bad happened.”
“Ian, this is serious! What the hell am I going to do?”
“You’ll stay with me until it’s okay for you to go back. It’s only temporary.”
Ian was right. I always had a room at his house and this was only temporary. “Okay, I’ll see you soon,” I said as I hung up the phone.
I grabbed the big duffel bag and started packing it with everything I thought I’d need. I grabbed my laptop, put it in the car, and drove to Ian’s house. As soon as I pulled up, Ian walked out and grabbed my bag from the backseat.
“Welcome to my home, Miss Sinclair. I hope you enjoy your stay and that your needs are fully satisfied.”
“Shut up.” I laughed.
Ian chuckled and took my bag upstairs. I followed behind. When I entered the room, there were five bathing suits, all bikinis, spread out on the bed.
“What’s all this?” I said as I walked over and picked up the black one first.
“Some new bathing suits for you to choose from. I really don’t think you’re going to need them, but just in case.”
“You think of everything. Thank you, Ian.”
He smiled softly as he grabbed my hand and brought it up to his lips. “You’re welcome. We leave in about ten minutes. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
****
I stood in front of the docked yacht and stared at it as Ian walked ahead of me.
“Rory, are you okay?” he asked as he turned and walked back to where I was standing.
“I’m fine. I’ve never seen a yacht before and I just can’t believe it. It’s amazing, Ian.”
He chuckled and grabbed my hand. “Come on; wait until you see the inside.”
We stepped onto the yacht, and I felt like I was entering a whole new world. I couldn’t help but stare at the fine furnishings and beautiful woodwork.